Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Simon Peyton Jones

John S Campbell

Benjamin Edward Rampson

Christian Canton

Samuel C Radakovitz

Carlos Augusto Otero

Allison Jane Rutherford

Andrew Donald Gordon

Advait Sarkar

Richard Matthew McCutchen

Andrew James Becker

Neil Toronto

Steven Paul Kraynak

The present disclosure describes a value referred to as a compound object that stores multiple values in a single cell, wherein those multiple values are organized according to a defined structure. The compound object may store multiple values according to a known defined data structure such as, for example, a record, vector, matrix, table, or array. In other embodiments, the compound object may store multiple values as any nested combination of any one of the known or user-defined data structures. Each of the values stored in the compound object are individually referenceable and can fully participate with spreadsheet functionality including calculations, referencing, and formatting.

Compound data objects

The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for implementing rich data types in a spreadsheet application. Generally, a value being of a rich data type is as a type of value that has context and established relationships with other types of data. In particular, a rich data type is a data value having associated context, which may be units (e.g., inches, miles, meters, kilograms, seconds, joules, hertz, Fahrenheit, etc.) or other information about the data's type (e.g., city, stock, NCAA football team, car, restaurant, school, etc.). Additionally, a value being of a rich data type further includes established relationships with other types of data.

Rich data types

Aspects of the present disclosure further provide the ability to define, among other features, the layout of the cell view of the cell in which the compound object is stored as well as the card view of the compound object. Aspects of the present disclosure further provide the ability to modify properties associated with the values stored in a compound object, including, but not limited to properties of calculated values, value formatting, and permissions.

Extensibility of compound data objects

To prevent spreadsheet errors, a solution is disclosed that provides a multiple-region spreadsheet including additional representations, providing readily usable creation and editing of computational structure operations, without altering the conventional grid representation of a spreadsheet or its formula syntax. The multiple-region spreadsheet may include a traditional row-column arrangement of cells in a grid format, along with a calculation view pane intended to display underlying formulas used in the grid along with truncated cell assignments.

Spreadsheet cell calculation view providing multiple-representation editing

Methods for generation and execution of elastic sheet-defined functions and arrays are performed by systems, devices, and apparatuses. Elastic sheet-defined functions are generated from inelastic defined functions. Specific notations for tile ranges and range references of inputs for an inelastic function are generated, and heights, widths, rows, and columns of the inputs are modified with delta variables. Constraints for the delta variables are generated and mapped to solve for a constraints solution for a given inelastic function. Based on the constraints solution, an elastic sheet-defined function is generated that takes dynamic input ranges of different sizes. Elastic sheet-defined functions are executed to prevent overlap of tiles and ranges for variables by generating new sheets for tiles and ranges, dynamically moving tiles and ranges, and assigning cells as arrays. Software programming arrays are also dynamically sized in a similar manner.

Growing community of inventors

Cambridge, United Kingdom

Simon Peyton Jones