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 method for facilitating information exchange across a network, the method comprising:
providing a spreadsheet-based application program at a client computer, wherein the client computer is in communication with the network and wherein the spreadsheet-based application renders at least one spreadsheet having a plurality of data cells;
receiving a functional command that is associated with at least one of the plurality of data cells using the spreadsheet-based application program, wherein the functional command performs a predefined operation with a remote database across the network; and
executing the functional command when the spreadsheet-based application renders at least part of the at least one spreadsheet having the at least one of the plurality of data cells associated with the functional command.
19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the predefined operation comprises retrieving particular data from the remote database across the network.
20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising storing the particular data from the remote database in a cache at the client computer.
21 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising displaying the particular data from the remote database at the client computer.
22 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the predefined operation comprises transmitting particular data from the client computer to the remote database across the network.
23 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the predefined operation comprises transmitting a description of the data cell associated with the functional command to the remote database across the network.
24 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the predefined operation transmits a given property of the data cell associated with the functional command to the remote database across the network.
25 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the predefined operation accesses data from another data cell before accessing the remote database across the network.
26 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising determining whether a user at the client computer is authorized to access the remote database.
27 . A system for facilitating information exchanges, the system comprising:
a client computer in communications with a network, the client computer comprising a processor at least partially executing a spreadsheet-based application program configured to:
access a spreadsheet having a plurality of data cells;
receive a functional command that is associated with at least one of the plurality of data cells, wherein the functional command performs a predefined operation with a remote database across the network; and
execute the functional command when rendering at least part of the spreadsheet having the at least one of the plurality of data cells associated with the functional command.
28 . The system of claim 27 , wherein the predefined operation comprises retrieving particular data from the remote database across the network.
29 . The system of claim 28 , wherein the processor is further configured to store the particular data from the remote database in a cache at the client computer.
30 . The system of claim 28 , wherein the processor is further configured to display the particular data from the remote database at the client computer.
31 . The system of claim 27 , wherein the predefined operation comprises transmitting particular data from the client computer to the remote database across the network.
32 . The system of claim 27 , wherein the predefined operation comprises transmitting a description of the data cell associated with the functional command to the remote database across the network.
33 . The system of claim 27 , wherein the predefined operation transmits a given property of the data cell associated with the functional command to the remote database across the network.
34 . The system of claim 27 , wherein the predefined operation accesses data from another data cell before accessing the remote database across the network.
35 . The system of claim 27 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether a user at the client computer is authorized to access the remote database.