Data source write back and offline data editing and storage in a spreadsheet

US7225189B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• Microsoft Corporation · US

Inventors

• Michael J. McCormack · Snohomish, US
• Robert W. Coffen · Redmond, US
• Richard L. Dickinson · Seattle, US
• Sumit Chauhan · Sammamish, US
• Su-Piao Bill Wu · Sammamish, US
• Eric W. Patterson · Sammamish, US
• Paul Hafner · Heidenheim, DE
• Larry Tseng · Sammamish, US
• Xiaohui Pan · Sammamish, US
• Michael J. Eatough · Kirkland, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 19, 2004
• Grant date: May 29, 2007
• Expiry date: Jun 17, 2025

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06F40/18
• WIPO field: Computer technology
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

Methods and systems provide for bi-directional communication between a spreadsheet application worksheet and a database data source that allows modified data to be written from a spreadsheet application to source data in a database data source from which the original pre-modified data was obtained. Offline data changes in a spreadsheet application are cached by a data provider application and are published to a remote data source when the spreadsheet application is synchronized with the data source. Error conditions and data conflicts resulting from new or modified data published to a database data source from a spreadsheet application worksheet are reported to a user of the spreadsheet application worksheet through a data provider application to allow the user an opportunity to resolve error conditions and data conflicts between the user's data changes and other data changes made to the same source data contained in the database data source.