Join key propagation

1. A method of join key propagation, the method comprising:

receiving a request to generate a referencing worksheet linked from a data source worksheet, wherein the data source worksheet is a presentation of a data set organized in columns from two data source tables joined using a join key, and wherein the referencing worksheet presents at least a subset of the data set presented by the data source worksheet;

retrieving data source worksheet metadata and the join key using a reference to the data source worksheet metadata in the request;

determining an additional column from the two data source tables to add to the referencing worksheet, wherein the additional column is excluded from the data source worksheet; and

creating, using the data source worksheet metadata and the join key, the referencing worksheet presenting the columns from the two data source tables with the additional column, wherein creating the referencing worksheet comprises:

generating a database query using the data source worksheet metadata, referencing worksheet metadata received in the request, and the join key; and

issuing the database query to the database.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the additional column from the two data source tables to add to the referencing worksheet comprises:

accessing a group of columns excluded from the data source worksheet; and

receiving a user selection of the additional column from the group of columns excluded from the data source worksheet.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein accessing the group of columns excluded from the data source worksheet comprises filtering the group of columns excluded from the data source worksheet based on other user selections during creations of other referencing worksheets linked from the data source worksheet.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the database query using the data source worksheet metadata, referencing worksheet metadata received in the request, and the join key comprises joining the additional column to the columns from the two data source tables using the join key.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data set of the data source worksheet excludes values used in the join key.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the join key is defined during generation of the data source worksheet.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein creating the referencing worksheet further comprises:

receiving, in response to the database query, the subset of the data set presenting the columns from the two data source tables with the additional column; and

presenting, in a graphical user interface, the subset of the data set as columns from the two data source tables and the additional column joined using the join key.

8. An apparatus for join key propagation, the apparatus comprising a computer processor, a computer memory operatively coupled to the computer processor, the computer memory having disposed within it computer program instructions that, when executed by the computer processor, cause the apparatus to carry out the steps of:

receiving a request to generate a referencing worksheet linked from a data source worksheet, wherein the data source worksheet is a presentation of a data set organized in columns from two data source tables joined using a join key, and wherein the referencing worksheet presents at least a subset of the data set presented by the data source worksheet;

retrieving data source worksheet metadata and the join key using a reference to the data source worksheet metadata in the request;

determining an additional column from the two data source tables to add to the referencing worksheet, wherein the additional column is excluded from the data source worksheet; and

creating, using the data source worksheet metadata and the join key, the referencing worksheet presenting the columns from the two data source tables with the additional column, wherein creating the referencing worksheet comprises:

generating a database query using the data source worksheet metadata, referencing worksheet metadata received in the request, and the join key; and

issuing the database query to the database.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein determining the additional column from the two data source tables to add to the referencing worksheet comprises:

accessing a group of columns excluded from the data source worksheet; and receiving a user selection of the additional column from the group of columns excluded from the data source worksheet.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein accessing the group of columns excluded from the data source worksheet comprises filtering the group of columns excluded from the data source worksheet based on other user selections during creations of other referencing worksheets linked from the data source worksheet.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein generating the database query using the data source worksheet metadata, referencing worksheet metadata received in the request, and the join key comprises joining the additional column to the columns from the two data source tables using the join key.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the data set of the data source worksheet excludes values used in the join key.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the join key is defined during generation of the data source worksheet.

14. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein creating the referencing worksheet further comprises:

receiving, in response to the database query, the subset of the data set presenting the columns from the two data source tables with the additional column; and

presenting, in a graphical user interface, the subset of the data set as columns from the two data source tables and the additional column joined using the join key.

15. A computer program product for join key propagation, the computer program product disposed upon a non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer program product comprising computer program instructions that, when executed, cause a computer to carry out the steps of:

receiving a request to generate a referencing worksheet linked from a data source worksheet, wherein the data source worksheet is a presentation of a data set organized in columns from two data source tables joined using a join key, and wherein the referencing worksheet presents at least a subset of the data set presented by the data source worksheet;

retrieving data source worksheet metadata and the join key using a reference to the data source worksheet metadata in the request;

determining an additional column from the two data source tables to add to the referencing worksheet, wherein the additional column is excluded from the data source worksheet; and

creating, using the data source worksheet metadata and the join key, the referencing worksheet presenting the columns from the two data source tables with the additional column, wherein creating the referencing worksheet comprises:

generating a database query using the data source worksheet metadata, referencing worksheet metadata received in the request, and the join key; and

issuing the database query to the database.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein determining the additional column from the two data source tables to add to the referencing worksheet comprises:

accessing a group of columns excluded from the data source worksheet; and receiving a user selection of the additional column from the group of columns excluded from the data source worksheet.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 , wherein accessing the group of columns excluded from the data source worksheet comprises filtering the group of columns excluded from the data source worksheet based on other user selections during creations of other referencing worksheets linked from the data source worksheet.

18. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein generating the database query using the data source worksheet metadata, referencing worksheet metadata received in the request, and the join key comprises joining the additional column to the columns from the two data source tables using the join key.

19. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the data set of the data source worksheet excludes values used in the join key.

20. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the join key is defined during generation of the data source worksheet.