Spreadsheet Add-In for Bulk Server-Side Custom Actions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional user interfaces for interacting with server-side computing resources in enterprise applications lack sufficient functionality for manipulating large amounts of data and executing complex server-side logic, leading to inefficiencies and susceptibility to human error.
Innovation Solution
Client-side spreadsheets are enhanced with a spreadsheet add-in that facilitates integration with server-side web services, allowing execution of custom actions and business logic, enabling bulk data manipulation and simultaneous processing of multiple rows through UI controls.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional user interfaces are used to interact with server-side computing resources, then system simplicity is maintained, but functionality for manipulating large amounts of data and executing complex server-side logic is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a spreadsheet add-in as an intermediary component that bridges the simple spreadsheet interface and the complex server-side web services. The add-in handles the complexity of web service integration, authentication, and data processing internally, while presenting a simple spreadsheet-based interface to users. This resolves the contradiction by enabling enhanced data manipulation functionality without requiring the user to directly interact with complex server-side systems.
2Productivity
If conventional user interfaces are used for enterprise applications, then ease of access is maintained, but task completion efficiency is reduced due to limited functionality
Solution Approach 1:
The spreadsheet add-in provides multi-functional capabilities by integrating multiple server-side web service operations into a single unified interface. Users can perform diverse tasks such as data retrieval, manipulation, analysis, and server-side logic execution all within the familiar spreadsheet environment. This universal interface resolves the contradiction by enhancing productivity through integrated functionality while maintaining the ease of operation associated with familiar spreadsheet tools.
3Reliability
If manual data manipulation is performed in conventional interfaces, then system simplicity is maintained, but susceptibility to human error increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical data manipulation operations with automated server-side processing. Instead of users manually copying, pasting, and transforming data in spreadsheet cells, the add-in automatically executes server-side logic and processes data through web services. This substitution resolves the contradiction by improving reliability through automated error-free processing while managing complexity through the intermediary add-in layer that handles sophisticated operations transparently.
Data Source
AI summary
Server-side custom actions are associated with data fields. The data fields are associated with multiple rows of a client-side spread sheet. The server-side custom actions are defined by one or more web services. Input is received into the data fields of the client-side spread sheet. The input from the data fields is transmitted in a single request to the one or more web services. Results of the server-side custom actions are received. The results are displayed in the client-side spread sheet.