Patent ID: 6438565
Filing Date: 2002-08-20
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
In an electronic spreadsheet system for modeling user-specified information in a data model comprising a plurality of information cells, a method for automatically tracking different versions of the data model and reporting differences between versions to a user, the method comprising:(a) specifying a base set of information cells for the system to track changes; (b) creating a new version of the data model by modifying at least one information cell from the specified base set; (c) automatically determining by the system cells of the data model which have changed by comparing cells in the new version against corresponding ones in the base set; and (d) reporting said cells of the data model which have changed by creating a report, said system determining and listing in the report for each cell which has changed in step (b): (i) values for said each cell before and after the cell was changed, and (ii) values for any other cells storing spreadsheet formulas which express new values as a result of said each cell changing.