Data storage and retrieval system and method for storing cell coordinates in a computer memory

A computing device for maintaining cell coordinates, the computing device comprising:

• a computer memory;
• and
• processor hardware configured to
• display a spreadsheet on a second computing device,
• receive a request for a search for a cell in the spreadsheet;
• retrieve a plurality of nodes of an RTree from a data store that is external to the computing device,
• wherein at least some of the plurality of nodes contain one or more minimum bounding rectangles, each minimum bounding rectangle encompassing coordinates of one or more cells of the spreadsheet;
• load, into a computer memory that is internal to the computing device, only those nodes of the plurality of nodes that contain a minimum bounding rectangle within which the cell located or that contain a reference to the cell;
• maintain, in the computer memory, a map that includes:
• a mapping between a coordinate of a first row of the spreadsheet and a coordinate of a first node of the plurality of nodes, and
• a mapping between a coordinate of a second row of the spreadsheet and a coordinate of a second node of the plurality of nodes;
• in response to a row being inserted between the first row of the spreadsheet and the second row of the spreadsheet via the second computing device, update the map to include a mapping between the inserted row and a fractional coordinate that is between the coordinate of the first node and the coordinate of the second node;
• and
• display the inserted row on the second computing device.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for carrying out actions comprising:

• displaying a spreadsheet on a display device;
• receiving a request for a search for a cell in the spreadsheet;
• retrieving a plurality of nodes of an RTree from a data store,
• wherein at least some of the plurality of nodes contain one or more minimum bounding rectangles, each minimum bounding rectangle encompassing coordinates of one or more cells of the spreadsheet;
• loading, into a computer memory that is internal to the computing device, only those nodes of the plurality of nodes that contain a minimum bounding rectangle within which the cell located or that contain a reference to the cell;
• maintaining a map that includes:
• a mapping between a coordinate of a first row of the spreadsheet and a coordinate of a first node of the plurality of nodes, and
• a mapping between a coordinate of a second row of the spreadsheet and a coordinate of a second node of the plurality of nodes;
• in response to a row being inserted between the first row of the spreadsheet and the second row of the spreadsheet updating the map to include a mapping between the inserted row and a fractional coordinate that is between the coordinate of the first node and the coordinate of the second node;
• and
• displaying the inserted row on the display device.