Dynamic thresholds for conditional formats

• US 20070204212A1
• Filed: 02/27/2006
• Published: 08/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Jones, Bruce, Chamberlain, Benjamin, Vigesaa, Eric, Street, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 7,770,100 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/212
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/103 Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents automatic justification G06F40/189; automatic line break hyphenation G06F40/191
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/18 of spreadsheets form-filling G06F40/174

Abstract

Generally described, embodiments of the present invention provide the ability to utilize dynamic thresholds and dynamic threshold values when generating variable formatting rules to be applied to a range of cells. Dynamic thresholds include, but are not limited to, “Highest Value,” “Middle Value,” “Lowest Value,” “Number,” “Percent,” “Percentile,” and “Formula.” When using a dynamic threshold, dynamic threshold values are determined based on values contained in a selected range of cells.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium having computer executable components for determining dynamic threshold values for variable formatting a range of cells, comprising:

a variable format command component maintaining a variable format for application to the range of cells;

a threshold type component identifying a threshold type that utilizes a dynamic threshold value; and

a dynamic threshold value component for determining a value for use as a dynamic threshold value;

wherein the value is determined from values contained in a plurality of cells.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the dynamic threshold value is determined by evaluating values contained in the plurality of data cells based on the selected threshold type and based on a comparison of the values.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the threshold type that utilizes a dynamic threshold value is a Lowest value threshold type;

and

wherein the dynamic threshold value is determined to be a lowest value contained in the plurality of cells.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the threshold type that utilizes a dynamic threshold value is a Highest value threshold type;

and

wherein the dynamic threshold value is determined to be a highest value contained in the plurality of cells.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the threshold type that utilizes a dynamic threshold value is a Middle value threshold type;

and

wherein the dynamic threshold value is determined to be a middle value contained in the plurality of cells.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the threshold type that utilizes a dynamic threshold value is a Percent threshold type;

and

wherein the dynamic threshold value is determined to be a delta value between a minimum value in the plurality of cells and a maximum value in the plurality of cells.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the threshold type that utilizes a dynamic threshold value is a Percentile value threshold type;

and

wherein the dynamic threshold value is determined to be a value selected from the plurality of data cells that is a percentile of the values contained in the plurality of data cells.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the threshold type that utilizes a dynamic threshold value is a Function threshold type;

and

wherein the dynamic threshold value is determined based on a computation of a provided function that utilizes values from the plurality of cells.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the plurality of cells is different than the range of cells.

10. A method for determining a dynamic threshold value, comprising:

identifying a range of cells for which a dynamic threshold value is to be determined;

evaluating the values contained in the range of cells to identify a value matching a threshold type requirement; and

selecting the identified value as a dynamic threshold value for the threshold type.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the dynamic threshold value is determined in response to a change in a value contained in the range of cells.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the dynamic threshold value is determined in response to a change in a number of cells contained in the range of cells.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the dynamic threshold value is used in evaluating a variable format to be applied to the range of cells.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein a format is applied to a plurality of cells contained in the range of cells based on values contained in the range of cells compared to the value of the dynamic threshold value.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein based on the dynamic threshold value, a formatting is applied to a plurality of the range of cells.

16. A computer-implemented method for formatting a range of cells using variable formats, the method comprising:

defining a variable format to be applied to a range of cells, wherein the variable format includes a threshold point having a threshold type; and

determining a dynamic threshold value as a value for the threshold type.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, wherein the dynamic threshold value is determined based on values contained in the range of cells.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, wherein the dynamic threshold value is further determined based on the threshold type.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, wherein the variable format evaluates the values contained in the range of cells based on the dynamic threshold value and threshold type and applies a background fill representative of the evaluation.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, wherein the dynamic threshold value may be automatically updated in a response to a change in the range of cells or a change in the values contained in the range of cells.