System and methods for improved scenario management in an electronic spreadsheet
AssigneeBorland International, Inc.
InventorsJoseph M. Ammirato, Gavin Peacock
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Abstract
An electronic spreadsheet of the present invention includes a scenario manager having a preferred interface and methods for creating and managing various versions or "scenarios" of a spreadsheet model. Methods are provided for specifying an area of the model to track (capture area) and capturing various versions (modifications) of the base model. Additional methods are provided for automatically identifying and reporting information cells which are affected ("changing" and "result" cells) from version to version. Preferred storage methodology is also described for maintaining multiple versions of a spreadsheet or data model.
Claims32
An electronic spreadsheet system for processing different versions of a spreadsheet model comprising:
- (a) a processor and a storage means;
- (b) means for maintaining a base version of said spreadsheet model as ordered information on said storage means, said ordered information including a first type of information that includes data values and a second type of information that depends on other portions of said ordered information;
- (c) means for creating a new version of said spreadsheet model in response to user input specifying modification of at least one portion of said ordered information;
- (d) comparison means for determining portions of said new version which have changed when compared against said base version, said comparison means being responsive to said at least one portion of said ordered information that changed in direct response to said user input, and further responsive to information of said second type that changed as a result of changes to said at least one portion of said ordered information;
- and
- (e) versioning means for maintaining said new version by storing additional information for only those portions determined to have changed.
The system of 15, wherein said user feedback means includes cell highlighting means for displaying with a screen highlight cells in said new version which have changed.
In an electronic spreadsheet system for modeling user-specified information in a data model comprising a plurality of information cells, a method for automatically identifying modifications to the data model by a user, the method comprising:
- (a) specifying a reference set of information cells for the system to track user modifications against, said reference set of information cells including a first subset of information cells that store data and a second subset of information cells which directly or indirectly reference at least one information cell in said first subset;
- (b) creating a new scenario of said data model in response to user input specifying modification of at least one of said information cells from said reference set, said new scenario having information cells corresponding to said information cells in said reference set, said new scenario including (i) said at least one of said information cells, so modified, and (ii) information cells in said second subset which directly or indirectly reference said at least one of said information cells;
- (c) comparing information cells in said new scenario against corresponding information cells in said reference set;
- and
- (d) indicating to the user information cells in said new scenario which have changed when compared against corresponding ones in said reference set.
In an electronic spreadsheet system for modeling user-specified information in a data model comprising a plurality of cells, a method for automatically identifying modifications to the data model by a user, the method comprising:
- specifying a reference set of cells for the system to track user modifications against, said reference set of cells including a first subset of cells that store data and a second subset of cells which directly or indirectly reference at least one cell in said first subset;
- creating a scenario of said data model by modifying at least one of said cells in said first subset of said reference set, said scenario having corresponding first and second subsets of cells corresponding to said first and second subsets of cells in said reference set;
- comparing cells in said scenario against corresponding cells in said reference set;
- indicating to the user cells in said first subset of said scenario that have been found to have changed when compared against corresponding cells in said first subset of cells in said reference set;
- and
- indicating to the user cells in said second subset of said scenario that have been found to have changed when compared against corresponding cells in said second subset of cells in said reference set.
In an electronic spreadsheet system for modeling user-specified information in a data model comprising a plurality of cells, a method for automatically identifying modifications to the data model by a user, the method comprising:
- specifying a reference set of cells for the system to track user modifications against, said reference set of cells including a first subset of cells that store data and a second subset of cells which directly or indirectly reference at least one cell in said first subset;
- creating a scenario of said data model by modifying at least one of said cells in said first subset of said reference set, said scenario having corresponding first and second subsets of cells corresponding to said first and second subsets of cells in said reference set;
- comparing cells in said scenario against corresponding cells in said reference set;
- and
- in response to a request for a scenario summary report, (a) displaying a first list of cells in said first subset of said scenario that have been found to have changed when compared against corresponding cells in said first subset of cells in said reference set, and (b) displaying a second list of cells in said second subset of said scenario that have been found to have changed when compared against corresponding cells in said second subset of cells in said reference set.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.