Patent ID: 7530012
Filing Date: 2009-05-05
Classification: G06F,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A method of implementing spreadsheet conversion and write-back to a multi-dimensional cube, comprising: executing a query to identify data within the multi-dimensional cube; downloading data from the multi-dimensional cube to a spreadsheet of a spreadsheet application that is executing on a data processing system by extracting the queried data from the multi-dimensional cube; identifying dimensions corresponding to the data downloaded from the multi-dimensional cube into the spreadsheet based upon identifying at least one of the query that generated the data extracted from the multi-dimensional cube and then parsing the query to retrieve row and/or column dimension names or by identifying an origin of the data extracted from the multi-dimensional cube and identifying dimension names based upon the identified origin; identifying at least one formula that was created in the spreadsheet that utilizes data downloaded from the multi-dimensional cube, where each identified formula utilizes the data in a native spreadsheet format according to a spreadsheet language, which is different from a cube language of the multi-dimensional cube; identifying members of the dimensions corresponding to data extracted from the multi-dimensional cube that are utilized in each identified formula created in the spreadsheet through correlation of the spreadsheet cells of the formula to the members of the identified dimensions corresponding to the downloaded data; automatically transforming each identified formula created in the spreadsheet from the spreadsheet language of the spreadsheet application into the cube language of the multi-dimensional cube based on the identified members corresponding to data extracted from the multi-dimensional cube so as to provide a transformed formula based on the identification of the dimensions and members corresponding to the queried data by: triggering a rebuild of the multi-dimensional cube so as to incorporate each transformed formula into the multi-dimensional cube as a computed member; and generating data to populate the multi-dimensional cube based upon each transformed formula.