Data processing systems and methods
AssigneeSigma Sciences Limited
InventorRobert Laurie Smith Devine
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and methods for dynamically creating spreadsheet workbooks at runtime on a computing device from a set of pre-defined spreadsheet modules. Each spreadsheet module has an associated interface definition, allowing users more easily to combine multiple modules into more complex spreadsheet applications. Interfaces are defined using a Spreadsheet Interface Definition Language (SIDL) which enables spreadsheet models to be defined independent of their implementation. Modules can be either pre-constructed as spreadsheet workbooks, or dynamically created at run time from module definitions.
Claims25
A data processing system comprising:
- one or more repositories, each repository containing one or more spreadsheet module definitions, and each spreadsheet module definition comprising module definition software code specifying one or more spreadsheet objects;
- a computer software application or linked library used by a computing device having an operational memory, the computer software application or linked library acting as a module factory that executes module definition software code associated with the one or more spreadsheet module definitions to create a spreadsheet workbook and provides the created spreadsheet workbook in the operational memory of the computing device;
- and
- a spreadsheet engine used by the computing device into which the spreadsheet workbook is loaded after creation and which manages and executes the spreadsheet workbook;
- the data processing system thus providing a runtime dynamically generated spreadsheet workbook.
A method of data processing comprising:
- providing one or more repositories, each repository containing one or more spreadsheet module definitions, and each spreadsheet module definition comprising module definition software code specifying one or more spreadsheet objects;
- providing a computer software application or linked library for use by a computing device having an operational memory, the computer software application or linked library acting as a module factory that executes module definition software code associated with the one or more spreadsheet module definitions to create a spreadsheet workbook and provides the created spreadsheet workbook in the operational memory of the computing device;
- and
- providing a spreadsheet engine for use by the computing device into which the spreadsheet workbook is loaded after creation and which manages and executes the spreadsheet workbook;
- the data processing method thus providing a runtime dynamically generated spreadsheet workbook.
A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium and instructions, that, when executed on a computing device, enable it to function as a data processing system or as a client or viewer of such a data processing system;
- the data processing system comprising:
- one or more repositories, each repository containing one or more spreadsheet module definitions, and each spreadsheet module definition comprising module definition software code specifying one or more spreadsheet objects;
- a computer software application or linked library for use by a computing device having an operational memory, the computer software application or linked library acting as a module factory that executes module definition software code associated with the one or more spreadsheet module definitions to create a spreadsheet workbook and provides the created spreadsheet workbook in the operational memory of the computing device;
- and
- a spreadsheet engine for use by the computing device into which the spreadsheet workbook is loaded after creation and which manages and executes the spreadsheet workbook;
- the data processing system thus providing a runtime dynamically generated spreadsheet workbook.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.