Method and system for facilitating information exchange
A method and system for facilitating information exchange between individuals and entities interacting on a shared project are provided, and more particularly to a method and system for horizontal. i.e., non-hierarchical, participation in and/or contribution to a spreadsheet-based project. The method and system is Web-based and utilizes conventional browser and spreadsheet technology to achieve collaborative exchanges of information on an enterprise-wide basis. The method and system also facilitate efficacious remote information access and exchange, e.g., over a computer network such as the Internet and/or the World Wide Web, through a caching function that combines individual queries initiated by a spreadsheet program before transmitting across a network to a server for consideration.
1 - 17 . (canceled)
18 . A system for facilitating efficient database-related information exchanges across a network, the system comprising:
a server that has at least one database and that is in communication with the network, wherein the server is configured to:
receive a single query for data associated with a spreadsheet-based application program from a client computer across the network, wherein the data corresponds to a plurality of data cells;
retrieve the data responsive to the single query from the at least one database; and
transmit the data responsive to the single query across the network to the client computer for use in rendering the at least one spreadsheet.
19 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the server restricts access to data contained within the at least one database based upon a user's access clearance.
20 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the data responsive to the single query is stored in a cache at the client computer.
21 . The system of claim 20 , wherein the data responsive to the single query transmitted by the server was not previously stored in the cache at the client computer.
22 . The system of claim 20 , wherein the data responsive to the single query transmitted by the server is stored in the cache before providing the data to the spreadsheet-based application program for use in rendering the at least one spreadsheet.
23 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the single query is a plurality of data requests received by the server in a single transmission.
24 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the single query is related to the formulation of a budget using the spreadsheet-based application program.
25 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the at least one database comprises at least one relational database in communication with a centrally administered OLAP server.
26 . A method for facilitating efficient database-related information exchanges across a network, the method comprising:
providing a server that has at least one database and that is in communication with the network;
receiving, at the server, a single query for data from a client computer across the network, wherein the data corresponds to a plurality of data cells in at least one spreadsheet;
retrieving the data responsive to the single query from the at least one database; and
transmitting the data responsive to the single query across the network to the client computer for use in rendering the at least one spreadsheet.
27 . The method of claim 26 , further comprising using the server to restrict access to data contained within the at least one database based upon a user's access clearance.
28 . The method of claim 26 , further comprising storing the transmitted data responsive to the single query in a cache at the client computer.
29 . The method of claim 28 , wherein the data responsive to the single query transmitted by the server was not previously stored in the cache at the client computer.
30 . The method of claim 28 , wherein the data responsive to the single query transmitted by the server is stored in the cache before providing the data to the spreadsheet-based application program for use in rendering the at least one spreadsheet.
31 . The method of claim 26 , wherein the single query is a plurality of data requests received by the server in a single transmission.
32 . The method of claim 26 , wherein the single query is associated with a spreadsheet-based application program.
33 . The method of claim 32 , wherein the single query is related to the formulation of a budget using the spreadsheet-based application program.
34 . The method of claim 32 , wherein the at least one database comprises at least one relational database in communication with a centrally administered OLAP server.
35 . The method of claim 26 , further comprising verifying that a user of the client computer has security clearance before providing the data to the client computer that is responsive to the single query.