Patent ID: 7444584
Filing Date: 2008-10-28
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method of formulaically specifying the redirection or modification of a formula in a spreadsheet application at formula set-time, comprising: setting a spreadsheet formula to a first spreadsheet cell; in response to setting the spreadsheet formula to the first spreadsheet cell, obtaining a formula previously set to the first spreadsheet cell, wherein prior to obtaining the formula previously set to the first spreadsheet cell, parsing the spreadsheet formula set to the first spreadsheet cell to determine any required evaluation or recalculation caused by the spreadsheet formula set to the first spreadsheet cell, wherein the spreadsheet formula set to the first spreadsheet cell comprises a value to be evaluated by the formula previously set to the first spreadsheet cell; identifying a cell reference to a second spreadsheet cell in at least one member of a group comprising: the spreadsheet formula set to the first spreadsheet cell and the spreadsheet formula previously set to the first spreadsheet cell; in response to setting the spreadsheet formula to the first spreadsheet cell, determining whether data associated with the first spreadsheet cell should be redirected to the second spreadsheet cell identified by the cell reference; redirecting data associated with the first spreadsheet cell to the second spreadsheet cell for entry into the second spreadsheet cell when data associated with the first spreadsheet cell is redirected to the second spreadsheet cell identified by the cell reference, wherein redirecting data associated with the first spreadsheet cell to the second spreadsheet cell includes redirecting data associated with the first spreadsheet cell to the second spreadsheet cell for evaluation by a spreadsheet formula set to the second spreadsheet cell and redirecting data associated with the first spreadsheet cell to the second spreadsheet cell for modifying the spreadsheet formula set to the second spreadsheet cell; determining whether the spreadsheet formula previously set to the first spreadsheet cell requires evaluation in response to the spreadsheet formula set to the first spreadsheet cell when the data is evaluated by the spreadsheet formula set to the second spreadsheet cell; evaluating the spreadsheet formula previously set to the first spreadsheet cell in response to the spreadsheet formula set to the first spreadsheet cell when the data is evaluated by the spreadsheet formula set to the second spreadsheet cell; and passing the evaluated result of evaluating the spreadsheet formula previously set to the first spreadsheet cell for evaluation by the spreadsheet formula set to the second spreadsheet cell.