Towards 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 (e. g. accountants) in an ad-hoc way. The effect of this practice is that the business logic of a concrete spreadsheet is not explicit to them. Thus, its correctness is 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 combining pre-defined functional spreadsheet services with typed interfaces. This allows for a consistent construction of a spreadsheet by 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 from the automotive industry.