Patent Document ID: 7770110
Application ID: 11635881

Base Claim:
1. A computer-implemented method for transforming an XML file into an add-in function for use in a spreadsheet application comprising: scanning an add-in XML file for an instruction; determining an interface XML file to be exposed by the instruction; accepting the interface XML file from a COM server; determining if the instruction comprises a function qualifier; wherein the function qualifier modifies a function specification in the interface XML file; applying the function qualifier to the function specification; converting the function specification to an intermediate function; applying an implementation specifier to the intermediate function, wherein the implementation specifier overrides the default implementation of the interface XML file; converting the intermediate function to an add-in function; and transmitting the add-in function to the spreadsheet application for processing.

---

Claim 2:
2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein applying the function qualifier to the function specification further comprises the steps of: generating an empty form intermediate function; applying a name to the form intermediate function; transferring at least one parameter of the function from the interface XML file to the form intermediate function; determining if the instruction in the add-in XML file comprises additional parameters to be included in the form intermediate function; adding the additional parameters from the instruction to the form intermediate function if the instruction comprises additional parameters; and adding the a function summary, function description, and function return-value from the function specification to the form intermediate function thereby creating the intermediate function.