Quell Scheme for Cross Formulae in Spreadsheet Programs

Lalit A Patel

Existing spreadsheet programs like Excel are very powerful due to their ability to execute formulae in their cells. However, their power is greatly limited by their inability to allow cross formulae in their cells, in the sense that a spreadsheet cell allows either a formula or a manual value input, but not both.  

I am suggesting that spreadsheet programs should be able to allow cross formulae in their cells, in the sense that each spreadsheet cell allows a formula or a manual value input or both. I am proposing the following scheme for achieving this objective.

·        Each cell of the spreadsheet consists of four quells (i.e. quarter cells): curquell (i.e. current value quell), prequell (i.e. previous value quell), forquell (i.e. formula quell), and linquell (i.e. links quell).

·        Forquells of different cells allow cross formulae.

·        The curquell of each cell allows a manual value input.

·        When a value is entered in the curquell of a cell, the prequell of each affected cell takes the value from the curquell of the affected cell, the forquell of the affected cell computes the new value to be sent to the curquell of the affected cell, and the curquell of the affected cell receives the value computed by the forquell.

·        The linquell of ach cell shows a comma-separated list of cells affected by the formula in this cell.

The proposed scheme will enhance the power of the spreadsheet programs. It will enable the spreadsheet programs to do things that are otherwise done by using database methods or specialized programs.