Method, system, and apparatus for providing access to workbook models through remote function calls

A computer-readable medium that is not carrier wave and having a set of instructions which when executed performs a method for providing remotely accessible workbook models, the method executed by the set of instructions comprising:

• determining whether a user has made a first request to utilize the workbook function;
• in response to determining that the user made the first request,
• receiving the first request to call a remote workbook function from within a context of a workbook;
• receiving the following:
• an identity of the remote workbook function to be called,
• an identity of at least one first cell in the workbook to be used as at least one input to the remote workbook function,
• an identity of at least one second cell in the workbook where at least one output from the remote workbook function is placed, and
• a location of a server to which the remote workbook function is published, wherein the workbook is stored in the server in response to a determined user second request;
• making a remote function call to the remote workbook function, wherein making the remote function call to the remote workbook function comprises providing a first set of parameters from the at least one cell to populate a first set of workbook cells of a workbook model comprising the remote workbook function, the first set of workbook cells of the workbook model being designated as inputs to the remote workbook function;
• in response to the remote function call, receiving the at least one output from the remote workbook function, wherein receiving the at least one output comprises retrieving a second set of parameters from a second set of workbook cells of the workbook model, the second set of cells of the workbook model being designated as outputs of the remote workbook function, wherein receiving the at least one output further comprises receiving the at least output in response to recalculating the remote workbook function based on the at least one input;
• and
• placing the at least one output received from the remote workbook function in the at least one second cell where the at least one output from the remote workbook function is placed.

A system for providing remotely accessible workbook models, the system comprising:

• a client computer comprising a first memory storage and a first processing unit, wherein the client computer is operative to:
• determine whether a user has made a first request to publish the workbook models;
• in response to determining that the user made the first request:
• store a definition of a workbook,
• store a definition of a workbook function associated with the workbook, wherein the definition of the workbook function comprises a first input field for defining a first set of parameters to be used as inputs to the workbook function, the first set of parameters being associated with a first set of workbook cells of the workbook, and a second field for defining a second set of parameters to be used as outputs of the workbook function, the second set of parameters being associated with a second set of workbook cells of the workbook,
• publish the workbook and the workbook function to a server computer operative to receive and respond to remote calls for the workbook function,
• notify a spreadsheet server application on the server computer that the workbook and the workbook function have been published to the server computer;
• and
• the server computer comprising a second memory storage and a second processing unit, wherein the server computer is operative to:
• receive the workbook and the workbook function from the client computer,
• determine whether a user has made a second request to utilize the workbook function,
• in response to determining that the user made the second request:
• receive a remote function call for the workbook function, the remote function call comprising at least one input parameter as inputs for the workbook function,
• the at least one parameter defined as a third set of workbook cells in a local workbook associated with the remote function call,
• populate at least one of the first set of workbook cells of the workbook specified as the inputs to the workbook function with the at least one input parameter received in the remote function call for the workbook function,
• calculate the workbook, retrieve contents of at least one of the second set of workbook cells specified by the workbook function as at least one output for the function, and
• return the contents of the at least one second cell to a fourth set of workbook cells designated as output cells in the local workbook as a reply to the remote function call.