Functions acting on arbitrary geometric paths
AssigneeMicrosoft Corporation
InventorCraig A. Hobbs
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A facility for evaluating a spreadsheet cell is described. The facility reads a function call stored in a spreadsheet cell. The function call specifies an arbitrary geometric path and an operation to be performed on the specified path. The facility performs the specified operation on the specified path, and attributes one or more values produced thereby as the evaluated value of the spreadsheet cell.
Claims42
A computer-readable medium storing contents that cause a computing system to perform a method for evaluating a spreadsheet cell, comprising:
- reading a function call stored in the spreadsheet cell, the function call specifying (1) an arbitrary geometric path, and (2) an operation to be performed on the specified path;
- performing the specified operation on the specified path;
- and
- attributing one or more values produced by performing the specified operation on the specified path as the evaluated value of the spreadsheet cell.
A method performed by a computing system to evaluate a spreadsheet cell, the method comprising:
- reading a function call stored in the spreadsheet cell, the function call specifying (1) an arbitrary geometric path, and (2) an operation to be performed on the specified path;
- performing the specified operation on the specified path;
- and
- attributing one or more values produced by performing the specified operation on the specified path as the evaluated value of the spreadsheet cell,
- wherein code implementing the method is stored in memory of the computing system for execution by a processor of the computing system.
A computing system for evaluating a spreadsheet cell, comprising:
- means for reading a function call stored in the spreadsheet cell, the function call specifying (1) an arbitrary geometric path, and (2) an operation to be performed on the specified path;
- means for performing the specified operation on the specified path;
- and
- means for attributing one or more values produced by performing the specified operation on the specified path as the evaluated value of the spreadsheet cell.
A computing system for evaluating a spreadsheet cell, comprising:
- a memory that stores contents of the spreadsheet cell, the contents of the spreadsheet cell including a function call, the function call specifying (1) an arbitrary geometric path, and (2) an operation to be performed on the specified path;
- and
- a processor that (1) performs the specified operation on the specified path, and attributes one or more values produced by performing the specified operation on the specified path as the evaluated value of the spreadsheet cell.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.