Method and system for spreadsheet error identification and avoidance

A non-transitory computer readable medium impressed with instructions that, when executed on a processor, implement actions for selecting and populating into a spreadsheet formula an argument in a formulaic data field to be evaluated, including:

• starting from a position to be populated in an argument list of the formulaic data field in the spreadsheet formula to be evaluated, wherein:
• the formulaic data field is a named data field within a source of the formulaic data;
• and
• formulaic data is sourced from either non-spreadsheet cells (NCS) or from spreadsheet cells, both sources being organized by named data fields;
• responding to typed inputs and/or UI selection for the starting position to be populated by displaying a list of selectable options, the selectable options including direct and indirect filter options for the formulaic data field, wherein:
• the direct filter options include values and retrievers that apply to the formulaic data field itself;
• and
• the indirect filter options include constraints on fields from a same table as the formulaic data field;
• and
• upon selection among the selectable options, automatically populating a selected direct or indirect filter applicable to formulaic data field into the starting position.

A computer-implemented system including at least one processor and memory coupled to the processor, the memory holding program instructions that implements a method for selecting and populating into a spreadsheet formula an argument in a formulaic data field to be evaluated, including:

• starting from a position to be populated in an argument list of the formulaic data field in the spreadsheet formula to be evaluated, wherein:
• the formulaic data field is a named data field within a source of the formulaic data;
• and
• formulaic data is sourced from either non-spreadsheet cells (NCS) or from spreadsheet cells, both sources being organized by named data fields;
• responding to typed inputs and/or UI selection for the starting position to be populated by displaying a list of selectable options, the selectable options including direct and indirect filter options for the formulaic data field, wherein:
• the direct filter options include values and retrievers that apply to the formulaic data field itself;
• and
• the indirect filter options include constraints on fields from a same table as the formulaic data field;
• and
• upon selection among the selectable options, automatically populating a selected direct or indirect filter applicable to formulaic data field into the starting position.