Method, system, and apparatus for providing access to workbook models through remote function calls

• US 9,317,495 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2012
• Issued: 04/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Khen, Dan Y., Ellis, Charles D., Asnash, Liviu, Megiddo, Eran, Levin, Ira, Peyton-Jones, Simon
• Primary Examiner(s): Anya, Charles E
• Application Number:
  US13/620,854
• Publication Number:
  US 20130013995A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,312 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/18 of spreadsheets form-filling G06F40/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/547 Remote procedure calls [RPC]; Web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/133 Protocols for remote procedure calls [RPC]

Abstract

A method, system, and apparatus are provided for exposing and calling workbook models via remote function calls. According to the system, a client computer executes a spreadsheet program for creating a workbook model. The workbook model may be published to a server computer along with data defining a function name and the cells that should be used as inputs and outputs to the model. The system also includes a server computer that receives and responds to remote function calls directed toward workbook functions. When a function call is received at the server computer for a workbook function, the server computer populates the cells in the workbook identified as inputs with input parameters received with the function call and recalculates the workbook. The data contained in the output cells is then returned as a reply to the remote function call.

Claims

1. A method for providing remotely accessible workbook models, the method comprising:

determining whether a user has made a first request to publish the workbook models;

in response to determining that the user made the first request;

storing a definition of a workbook model, the workbook model being associated with a workbook function for remotely exposing the workbook model;

storing a definition of the workbook function, wherein storing the definition of the workbook function comprises providing a plurality of input fields for defining the workbook function, the plurality of input fields comprising;

a first input field for defining a first set of parameters to be used as inputs to the workbook function, the first set of parameters being associated with a first set of workbook cells of the workbook model, and

a second field for defining a second set of parameters to be used as outputs of the workbook function, the second set of parameters being associated with a second set of workbook cells of the workbook model;

publishing the workbook model to a server computer operative to receive;

determining whether a user has made a second request to utilize the workbook function;

in response to determining that the user made the second request;

respond to remote calls for the workbook function, wherein publishing the workbook model comprises notifying a spreadsheet server application on the server computer that the workbook model and the workbook function have published to the server computer;

populating the first set of workbook cells in the workbook model with inputs received during a remote function call for the workbook function, the received inputs comprising a third set of workbook cells in a local workbook designated as the inputs to the remote function call;

recalculating the workbook function;

retrieving the second set of parameters from the second set of workbook cells; and

returning the retrieved second set of parameters to a fourth set of cells in the local workbook, the fourth set of cells being designated as outputs for the remote function call.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a request to make the workbook model available through a remote function call.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating metadata with the workbook function, the metadata comprising a description of the workbook function.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising publishing the workbook model to the server computer with the description.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising placing a remote function call to the server computer with a first set of information associated with the first set of parameters.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising receiving from the server computer a second set of information associated with the second set of parameters.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein placing the remote function call to the server computer comprises placing the remote function call to the server computer through a web services call.

8. The method of claim 7, placing the remote function call to the server computer through the web services call comprises utilizing a simple object access protocol (SOAP).

9. A computer-readable medium that is not carrier wave and having a set of instructions which when executed performs a method for providing remotely accessible workbook models, the method executed by the set of instructions comprising:

determining whether a user has made a first request to utilize the workbook function;

in response to determining that the user made the first request,

receiving the first request to call a remote workbook function from within a context of a workbook;

receiving the following;

an identity of the remote workbook function to be called,

an identity of at least one first cell in the workbook to be used as at least one input to the remote workbook function,

an identity of at least one second cell in the workbook where at least one output from the remote workbook function is placed, and

a location of a server to which the remote workbook function is published, wherein the workbook is stored in the server in response to a determined user second request;

making a remote function call to the remote workbook function, wherein making the remote function call to the remote workbook function comprises providing a first set of parameters from the at least one cell to populate a first set of workbook cells of a workbook model comprising the remote workbook function, the first set of workbook cells of the workbook model being designated as inputs to the remote workbook function;

in response to the remote function call, receiving the at least one output from the remote workbook function, wherein receiving the at least one output comprises retrieving a second set of parameters from a second set of workbook cells of the workbook model, the second set of cells of the workbook model being designated as outputs of the remote workbook function, wherein receiving the at least one output further comprises receiving the at least output in response to recalculating the remote workbook function based on the at least one input; and

placing the at least one output received from the remote workbook function in the at least one second cell where the at least one output from the remote workbook function is placed.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, further comprising, making a discovery request to receive a listing of available function calls.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, further comprising, in response to the discovery request, receiving a list of published functions.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein receiving the list of published functions comprises receiving descriptions associated with each published function.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein receiving the descriptions associated with each published function comprises receiving the descriptions based on metadata associated with each published function.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, further comprising:

determining whether the workbook includes a reference to an external data source; and

in response to determining that the workbook includes the reference to the external data source;

querying the external data source for any referenced data, and

populating the workbook with the external data.

15. The compute-readable medium of claim 9, wherein making the remote function call to the remote workbook function comprising the at least one input comprises making a web services call.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein making the web services call comprises utilizing a simple object access protocol (SOAP).

17. A system for providing remotely accessible workbook models, the system comprising:

a client computer comprising a first memory storage and a first processing unit, wherein the client computer is operative to;

determine whether a user has made a first request to publish the workbook models;

in response to determining that the user made the first request;

store a definition of a workbook,

store a definition of a workbook function associated with the workbook, wherein the definition of the workbook function comprises a first input field for defining a first set of parameters to be used as inputs to the workbook function, the first set of parameters being associated with a first set of workbook cells of the workbook, and a second field for defining a second set of parameters to be used as outputs of the workbook function, the second set of parameters being associated with a second set of workbook cells of the workbook,

publish the workbook and the workbook function to a server computer operative to receive and respond to remote calls for the workbook function,

notify a spreadsheet server application on the server computer that the workbook and the workbook function have been published to the server computer; and

the server computer comprising a second memory storage and a second processing unit, wherein the server computer is operative to;

receive the workbook and the workbook function from the client computer,

determine whether a user has made a second request to utilize the workbook function,

in response to determining that the user made the second request;

receive a remote function call for the workbook function, the remote function call comprising at least one input parameter as inputs for the workbook function,

the at least one parameter defined as a third set of workbook cells in a local workbook associated with the remote function call,

populate at least one of the first set of workbook cells of the workbook specified as the inputs to the workbook function with the at least one input parameter received in the remote function call for the workbook function,

calculate the workbook, retrieve contents of at least one of the second set of workbook cells specified by the workbook function as at least one output for the function, and

return the contents of the at least one second cell to a fourth set of workbook cells designated as output cells in the local workbook as a reply to the remote function call.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein a workbook function definition for the workbook function comprises:

a name for the workbook function,

an identity of the at least one first cell that is utilized as at least one input to the workbook function, and

an identity of the at least one second cell that is utilized as at least one output for the workbook function.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein prior to calculating the workbook, the server computer is further operative to:

determine whether the workbook includes a reference to an external data source; and

in response to determining that the workbook includes the reference to the external data source;

query the external data source for any referenced data, and

populate the workbook with the external data.