Model-based programming environments for spreadsheets

• Tipo: Artigo em Revista Científica Internacional
• Data: 2014

Autores

Cunha, J (Autor) FCUP; Mendes, J (Autor) Outra; Saraiva, J (Autor) Outra; Visser, J (Autor) Outra

Revista

Título: Science of Computer Programming

Vol. 96

Páginas: 254-275

ISSN: 0167-6423

Editora: Elsevier

Indexação

ISI Web of Knowledge - 10 Citações

Scopus - 12 Citações

Outras Informações

ID Authenticus: P-00A-04X

DOI: 10.1016/j.scico.2014.02.002

Abstract (EN): Spreadsheets can be seen as a flexible programming environment. However, they lack some of the concepts of regular programming languages, such as structured data types. This can lead the user to edit the spreadsheet in a wrong way and perhaps cause corrupt or redundant data. We devised a method for extraction of a relational model from a spreadsheet and the subsequent embedding of the model back into the spreadsheet to create a model-based spreadsheet programming environment. The extraction algorithm is specific for spreadsheets since it considers particularities such as layout and column arrangement. The extracted model is used to generate formulas and visual elements that are then embedded in the spreadsheet helping the user to edit data in a correct way. We present preliminary experimental results from applying our approach to a sample of spreadsheets from the EUSES Spreadsheet Corpus. Finally, we conduct the first systematic empirical study to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of this approach. A set of spreadsheet end users worked with two different model-based spreadsheets, and we present and analyze here the results achieved.

Idioma: Inglês

Tipo (Avaliação Docente): Científica

Nº de páginas: 22