Data processing in spreadsheet worksheets

A data processing system comprising a spreadsheet engine stored in a computer-readable medium of a computing device having one or more processors, the spreadsheet engine including a spreadsheet workbook having one or more spreadsheet worksheets, the spreadsheet engine managing and executing a computer software application, script or linked library used by the computing device and providing at least a spreadsheet worksheet functions- and an output dispatcher;

• means of retrieving values to be used as input values;
• the spreadsheet worksheet function processing the input values to derive one or more output values that are contained within an output object or output list defining output value names;
• and the output dispatcher comprising name-matching functionality that matches the output value names in the spreadsheet worksheet function to one or more named output worksheet ranges each having a respective output worksheet range name;
• wherein each of the named output worksheet ranges are name-matched at runtime to a corresponding output value name defined within the spreadsheet worksheet function, where a named output worksheet range is a cell range that can be addressed by the spreadsheet engine via the output worksheet range name assigned to the respective named output worksheet range.

A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium and instructions, that, when executed on a computing device, enable it to function as a data processing system comprising:

• a spreadsheet engine used by the computing device and including a spreadsheet workbook having one or more spreadsheet worksheets, the spreadsheet engine managing and executing a computer software application, script or linked library used by the computing device and providing at least a spreadsheet worksheet functions and an output dispatcher;
• and a means of retrieving values to be used as input values;
• the spreadsheet worksheet function processing the input values to derive one or more output values that are contained within an output object or output list defining output value names;
• and an output dispatcher comprising name-matching functionality that matches the output value names in the output object or output list defined in the spreadsheet worksheet function to one or more named output worksheet ranges each having a respective output worksheet range name;
• wherein each of the named output worksheet ranges are name-matched at runtime to a corresponding output value name defined within the spreadsheet worksheet function, where a named output worksheet range is a cell range that can be addressed by the spreadsheet engine via the output worksheet range name assigned to the respective named output worksheet range.

A computerized method of data processing in a spreadsheet workbook of a spreadsheet engine for use by a computing device, the spreadsheet workbook having one or more spreadsheet worksheets, the spreadsheet engine managing and executing a computer software application, script or linked library used by the computing device, the method comprising:

• retrieving via the spreadsheet engine input values from one or more named input worksheet ranges each having a respective input worksheet range name;
• processing via a spreadsheet worksheet function of the spreadsheet engine data in the named input worksheet ranges to derive one or more output values that are contained within an output object or output list defining output value names;
• and
• matching via an output dispatcher of the spreadsheet engine the resulting output value names from the spreadsheet worksheet function to one or more named output worksheet ranges each having a respective output worksheet range name;
• wherein each of the named output worksheet ranges are name-matched at runtime to a corresponding output value name defined within the spreadsheet worksheet function, where a named output worksheet range is a cell range that can be addressed by the spreadsheet engine via the output worksheet range name assigned to the respective named output worksheet range.