Adaptam Inc.

The technology disclosed relates to accessing external data in spreadsheet cells and includes spreadsheet cells that can use formulaically defined external data, allowing users to utilize many cells as if they were one cell and to simplify or expand the type of calculations possible within a cell. The disclosed technology further includes a spreadsheet application that can perform looped calculations within the spreadsheet cells without the need to use an embedded programming language. Additionally the disclosed spreadsheet application can use named variables and formulaic cell designators for cell operations in which formulaically defined non-spreadsheet cell data variables and their values can be exposed and multiple values can exist in a cell, and the user can step through and see those different values.

The disclosed technology creates a set of technologies that formulaically and/or positionally link cell(s) to spreadsheet functions or capabilities that flex the number of cells they instantiate. A method is disclosed for automatically adjusting input to a range or array prebuilt function in a spreadsheet cell based on its connection to at least one range flexing function or flexing capability. In this method, the spreadsheet is loaded on hardware and configured to interact with a user when the spreadsheet is running and the spreadsheet cell contains at least one range or array prebuilt function with a specified range or array.

The disclosed technology creates new families of (predefined formula) spreadsheet functions which allow users to bucket values, supports use of those bucketing functions in other functions, and adds value bucketing capabilities as an option in existing spreadsheet functions. The technology disclosed can use as inputs either cell ranges or Non-Spreadsheet Cell (NSC) data formulas. The capability allows users to bucket numerical, text and time/date values.

The technology disclosed relates to accessing multiple data values by an improved spreadsheet function referencing a single spreadsheet cell. The multiple data value can reside in a range of cells, at locations other than the single spreadsheet cell, or in an external data source (NSC data). The multiple values are used by the spreadsheet function to calculate an algebraic or statistical result using the multiple values returned from the first cell, as if they were individual values returned by reference to multiple cells of the spreadsheet. In implementations, the spreadsheet function is a preexisting spreadsheet function. It can be a range function or an array function. The syntax of the preexisting spreadsheet function is unchanged by the returning multiple values from the first cell.

The technology disclosed relates to accessing external data, including massive amounts of data stored in the cloud, in spreadsheet cells: accessing external data direct via a formulaic variable in a spreadsheet, specifying an ordered progression for the accessed external data, selectively propagating data accessed using the formulaic variable vertically or horizontally, within a propagation pattern responsive to normal A$1, $A 1 and $A$1 spreadsheet conventions. Two or more external data fields, responsive to the formulaic variable, have an ordered sequence relationship that nests ordering of vectors of the propagated data; and the ordering according to the ordered sequence relationship is maintained during replication by copy and paste. In another disclosed method, the external data is generated using an implicit join of data from at least two external data sources to generate multiple adjoining vectors of spreadsheet cells of data responsive to selection parameters in the formulaic variable.

The disclosed technology creates a family of (predefined formula) spreadsheet functions which allows users to create programming loop equivalents in their regular spreadsheet cells employing familiar range functions (e.g., SUM, COUNT, MIN, MAX, etc.) with data filtering and output selection. The data can be sourced from multiple cells within the spreadsheet or a broad spectrum of numeric, date and text data not stored in a spreadsheet, including data not discretely defined. The technology disclosed can use as inputs either cell ranges or Non-Spreadsheet Cell (NSC) data formulas. The capability allows users to specify standardized or highly custom calculations capable of executing millions of loops through a (predefined formula) spreadsheet function.

The disclosed technology creates a set of technologies that formulaically and/or positionally link cell(s) to spreadsheet functions or capabilities that flex the number of cells they instantiate. Thereby automatically altering the cell formula and/or the cell position reflecting those linked/connected flex range changes. Automatically ensuring no overlap of linked/connected cells and automatically adjusting linked/connected formulas for the referenced flex changes.

The disclosed technology creates new families of (predefined formula) spreadsheet functions which allow users to bucket values, supports use of those bucketing functions in other functions, and adds value bucketing capabilities as an option in existing spreadsheet functions. The technology disclosed can use as inputs either cell ranges or Non-Spreadsheet Cell (NSC) data formulas. The capability allows users to bucket numerical, text and time/date values.

The disclosed technology creates a range of manual to automated ways of setting up and verifying the correct joining of data sets for use generating spreadsheet pivot tables. Handling pairing of data sets and then chaining/sequencing of joins resulting in joins of three or more data sets. Limiting joins to keys with matching data types and matching data values. Limiting joins, as desired, to data value matching criteria and data modelling cardinality requirements. Allowing the qualification of the data sets for joining to be done within or before spreadsheet pivot input panel. Making the qualified joinable data sets available in situationally intelligent data field/range selection lists for use populating the pivot table inputs. Availing those joined data fields/ranges to be used to generate spreadsheet pivot tables.

The disclosed technology for applying a fill parameter to prebuilt spreadsheet table populating functions that fills otherwise not present field/range combinations of values in the table output. It adds a new capability to existing prebuilt spreadsheet functions and can be employed for future prebuilt functions. It works for all data types and for data from multiple cells within the spreadsheet or data not stored in a spreadsheet, including data not discretely defined. The technology disclosed can employ fill types determined by application default or by user specification.