Persistently self-replicating multiple ranges of cells through a table

摘要

The present invention includes a method and system for persistently self-replicating multiple ranges of cells through a copy-paste operation, in a multi dimensional spreadsheet. A set of ranges of cells is defined, wherein each range of cells has the same size. Each time the content of a range of cells belonging to this set is changed, a self-replication operation is performed automatically. The self-replication operation includes the steps of copying the changed range of cells onto a buffer; determining the set of ranges of cells to which the changed range of cells belongs; identifying the ranges of cells belonging to the set; and pasting the content of the buffer in each of the identified range of cells belonging to the set.

主权项

1. A computer-implemented method for self-replicating ranges of cells in a spreadsheet, the method comprising executing on a central processor the steps of:
displaying a self-replication manager command within a graphical user interface spreadsheet editing menu to a user; displaying a self-replication manager menu within the graphical user interface to the user in response to the user invoking the self-replication manager command, the displaying comprising: listing of a plurality of unique set names that are each assigned to one each of a plurality of different sets of ranges of cells of a spreadsheet, wherein each of the unique set names are assigned to at least one of the ranges, and each of the ranges of cells comprise a plurality of different cells of the spreadsheet; and listing at least one range of the plurality of the ranges that is assigned to one of the unique set names and that is selected by a user input; and automatically entering an update entered by a user into one of the cells of the ranges of the selected set into all other ones of the cells of the ranges assigned to the selected unique set name by: establishing a top record within a self replication table containing an address field of the unique set name, a pattern of the cells of the ranges assigned to the selected unique set name, and set and range indices of the cells of the ranges assigned to the selected unique set name; setting the top record of the self replication table as the current record; and updating the all other ones of the cells of the ranges assigned to the selected unique set name set by retrieving the address field of the unique set name from the top record of the self replication table set as the current record and pasting the update entered by the user into the one of the cells into the all other ones of the cells of the ranges assigned to the selected unique set name that are pointed to by the retrieved address field.