Spreadsheet based data store interface

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for exploring external data sources includes selecting a first function from a function library in a spreadsheet application based on a first user input, designating a first data source for the first function based on a second user input, wherein the first data source comprises a first dataset stored externally to the spreadsheet application, and arranging a first cell formula comprising the first function and a first identifier for the first data source in a first cell of a spreadsheet. The method further includes selecting an output function from the function library based on a third user input, designating a source function's reference based on a fourth user input, designating an output location in the spreadsheet based on a firth user input, and arranging a second cell formula including the selected output function, the designated source function's reference and the designated output location in a second cell of the spreadsheet. The method further includes translating the first cell formula contained in the first cell referenced as the source function to the output function into a data query for a data engine in response to a refresh action and sending the data query to the data engine, wherein the data engine is configured to execute the data query against the first dataset.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.