Customizable spreadsheet table styles

• US 8,549,392 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2005
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Simkhay, Roy, Gainer, David F., Chamberlain, Benjamin C., Jayanty, Paavany, Ellis, Charles D., Hoke, Tom J.
• Primary Examiner(s): RUTLEDGE, AMELIA L
• Application Number:
  US11/214,561
• Publication Number:
  US 20070050699A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,954 Days
• Field of Search: 715/200, 715212-214, 715217-220, 715/227, 715/838, 715845-846
• US Class Current: 715/212
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/177 of tables; using ruled lines
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/18 of spreadsheets form-filling G06F40/174

Abstract

Table styles provide a way to format an entire spreadsheet table quickly and easily. According to described implementations, table styles can be created and customized for repeated use in a spreadsheet application. As a result, a user does not have to manually modify multiple formatting options for each table included in one or more spreadsheets. A graphical user interface is also described that provides simple user access to existing table styles that can be modified according to the user'"'"'s requirements.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

displaying, by a computing device, a table style user interface, the displaying comprising presenting a table style for a table comprising a plurality of cells;

receiving a selection from the table style user interface

displaying, by the computing device in response to the receiving the selection, a list of a plurality of word phrases that indicate table elements that each represent an area of the table, where each area represents a group of cells of the table'"'"'s plurality of cells, and where the list of the plurality of word phrases is ordered in an order of precedence;

receiving formatting instructions;

formatting the table according to the received formatting instructions;

resolving any incompatible formatting of a cell of the table resulting from the formatting according to the order of precedence of the plurality of word phrases, the any incompatible formatting further resulting from at least two of the table elements overlapping the cell.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising identifying whether formatting instructions of a cell of a lower precedence table element are compatible with formatting instructions of a cell of higher precedence table element.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising displaying a preview thumbnail image that shows an exemplary table formatted according to the received formatting instructions.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising displaying a table styles tool bar that includes a plurality of thumbnail images that includes a representation of the table style, each of the plurality of thumbnail images illustrating a corresponding one of a plurality of table styles.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the receiving the selection of the table style is based on a user selecting a thumbnail image of the plurality of thumbnail images, the selected thumbnail image corresponding to the table style.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, further comprising temporarily applying the selected table style to the table.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the formatting the cells of the higher precedence table element takes precedence over the formatting the cells of the lower precedence table element based on at least a portion of the cells of the higher precedence table element overlapping at least a portion of the cells of the lower precedence table element.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the selection of the table style is made by selecting the table style from a table styles toolbar of the table style user interface.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising applying formatting modifications to the table according to cell overlap of a table element with any others of the plurality of table elements and according to the order of precedence.

10. At least one computer-readable storage medium comprising an article of manufacture that includes executable-instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to display a graphical user interface on a display device, the graphical user interface comprising:

a table styles toolbar configured for displaying a selectable thumbnail image of a table style and for displaying a list of a plurality of word phrases that indicate table elements that each represent an area of the table, and where each area represents at least one cell of the plurality of cells;

a selectable modify option; and

a dialog comprising a list of the plurality of word phrases and configured for receiving a selection, the list of the plurality of word phrases arranged in an order of precedence, and where formatting of cells of a higher precedence table element takes precedence over formatting of cells of a lower precedence table element.

11. The at least one computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 10, the graphical user interface further comprising the table styles tool bar further configured to, after a selection of the selectable thumbnail image, temporarily apply the table style to a selected table.

12. The at least one computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 10, the graphical user interface further comprising a table name field configured to receive a name of a table and to associate the table via the name with the table style.

13. The at least one computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 10, wherein the order or precedence is customizable.

14. The at least one computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of table elements includes a customizable formatting specification.

15. The at least one computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 10, wherein the formatting of the cells of the higher precedence table element takes precedence over the formatting of cells of the lower precedence table element in response to at least a portion of the cells of the higher precedence table element overlapping at least a portion of the cells of the lower precedence table element.

16. At least one computer-readable storage medium containing executable instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform a method comprising:

receiving a user selection from the table style user interface

displaying, in response to the receiving the selection, a list of a plurality of word phrases that indicate table elements that each represent an area of the table, where each area represent a group of cells of a plurality of cells of a table, and where the list of the plurality of word phrases is ordered in an order of precedence;

receiving at least one formatting modification;

receiving a selection from the table elements, where formatting of cells of a higher precedence table element takes precedence over formatting of cells of a lower precedence table element; and

applying the at least one formatting modification to the selected table element.

17. The at least one computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 16, wherein the user selection of the table style is made by selecting the table style from a table style toolbar of a user interface.

18. The at least one computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 16, wherein the applying the at least one formatting modification to the selected table element includes applying the at least one formatting modification according to overlap of the table element with any other table element and the order of precedence.

19. The at least one computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 18, further comprising determining if formatting of overlapping table elements is compatible.

20. The at least one computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 16, wherein the order or precedence is customizable.

21. The at least one computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 16, wherein each of the plurality of table elements includes a customizable formatting specification.

22. The at least one computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 16, wherein the formatting of the cells of the higher precedence table element takes precedence over the formatting of cells of the lower precedence table element in response to at least a portion of the cells of the higher precedence table element overlapping at least a portion of the cells of the lower precedence table element.