System and methods for improved spreadsheet interface with user-familiar objects
AssigneeBorland Software Corporation
InventorsCharles R. Anderson, Robert W. Warfield, Istvan Cseri, Murray K. Low, Weikuo Liaw, Alan M. Bush
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electronic spreadsheet system of the present invention includes a notebook interface having a plurality of notebook pages, each of which may contain a spread of information cells, or other desired page type (e.g., Graphs page). Methods are provided for rapidly accessing and processing information on the different pages, including displaying a plurality of page identifiers for selecting individual pages, and further including a preferred syntax for referencing information. Additional methods are provided for editing cells and blocks of cells.
Claims22
In an electronic spreadsheet for processing alphanumeric information, said said electronic spreadsheet comprising a three-dimensional spreadsheet operative in a digital computer and including a plurality of cells for entering data and formulas, a method for organizing the three-dimensional spreadsheet comprising:
- partitioning said plurality of cells into a plurality of two-dimensional cell matrices so that each of the two-dimensional cell matrices can be presented to a user as a spreadsheet page;
- associating each of the cell matrices with a user-settable page identifier which serves as a unique identifier for said each cell matrix;
- creating in a first cell of a first page at least one formula referencing a second cell of a second page said formula including the user-settable page identifier for the second page;
- and
- storing said first and second pages of the plurality of cell matrices such that they appear to the user as being stored within a single file.
In an electronic spreadsheet system for storing and manipulating information, a computer-implemented method of representing a three-dimensional spreadsheet on a screen display, the method comprising:
- displaying on said screen display a first spreadsheet page from a plurality of spreadsheet pages, each of said spreadsheet pages comprising an array of information cells arranged in row and column format, at least some of said information cells storing user-supplied information and formulas operative on said user-supplied information, each of said information cells being uniquely identified by a spreadsheet page identifier, a column identifier, and a row identifier;
- while displaying said first spreadsheet page, displaying a row of spreadsheet page identifiers along one side of said first spreadsheet page, each said spreadsheet page identifier being displayed as an image of a notebook tab on said screen display and indicating a single respective spreadsheet page, wherein at least one spreadsheet page identifier of said displayed row of spreadsheet page identifiers comprises at least one user-settable identifying character;
- and
- receiving user input for entering a formula in a cell on said second spreadsheet page, said formula including a cell reference to a particular cell on another of said spreadsheet pages having a particular spreadsheet page identifier comprising at least one user-supplied identifying character, said cell reference comprising said at least one usersupplied identifying character for said particular spreadsheet page identifier together with said column identifier and said row identifier for said particular cell.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.