Automatically Inferring ClassSheet Models from Spreadsheets

Many errors in spreadsheet formulas can be avoided if spreadsheets are built automatically from higher-level models that can encode and enforce consistency constraints. However, designing such models is time consuming and requires expertise beyond the knowledge to work with spreadsheets. Legacy spreadsheets pose a particular challenge to the approach of controlling spreadsheet evolution through higher-level models, because the need for a model might be overshadowed by two problems: (A) The benefit of creating a spreadsheet is lacking since the legacy spreadsheet already exists, and (B) existing data must be transferred into the new model-generated spreadsheet. To address these problems and to support the modeldriven spreadsheet engineering approach, we have developed a tool that can automatically infer ClassSheet models from spreadsheets. To this end, we have adapted a method to infer entity/relationship models from relational database to the spreadsheets/ClassSheets realm. We have i...

• Type: Journal
• Year: 2010
• Where: VL
• Authors: Jacome Cunha, Martin Erwig, Joao Saraiva
• Keywords: Classsheet Model, Spreadsheet Engineering Approach, Spreadsheets, Visual Languages, VL 2010