Systematic spreadsheet construction processes

Abstract

Spreadsheets are used in professional business contexts to make decisions based on collected data. Usually, these spreadsheets are developed by end users in an ad-hoc way. Thus, the business logic of a concrete spreadsheet is not explicit to end users, making its correctness hard to assess and users have to trust.We present an approach where structure and computational behavior of a spreadsheet are specified by a model with a process-like notation based on pre-defined functional spreadsheet services with typed interfaces. This enables a consistent construction process of a spreadsheet that comprises defining its structure and computational behavior as well as filling it with data and executing the defined computational behavior. Thus, concrete spreadsheets are equipped with a specification of their construction process. This supports their understanding and correct usage, even in case of legacy spreadsheets.The approach has been developed in cooperation with an industrial partner.