Jácome Cunha

João Paulo Fernandes

Jorge Mendes

Rui Pereira

João Saraiva

Querying Model-Driven Spreadsheets

Universidade do MinhoBraga, Portugal

Problem: Querying Spreadsheets

Problem: Querying Spreadsheets

• Spreadsheets are generally used to store information• Much like database systems• Have no way to query what data they contain

• Attempts have been made to replicate traditional querying systems for spreadsheets• MS-Query• Google QUERY Function

Problem: Querying Spreadsheets

• Highly restrict user’s spreadsheet data• Requires data to be in a tabular format• Requires headers to be present (in first

row)• Column letters ≠ Column labels• Counter intuitive queries• Data evolution not supported

Proposed Solution: Example

Proposed Solution: Example

• Model-Driven spreadsheet representing orders, clients, and products

Proposed Solution: Example

• Spreadsheet data instance

Proposed Solution: Example

• Query: How much have we profited from each client?

Proposed Solution: Example

Google QUERY Function :

Denormalization

Proposed Solution: Example

• Google Query:

Google QUERY Function :

Proposed Solution: Example

Google QUERY Function :

Denormalization

Proposed Solution: Example

• Google Query:

Google QUERY Function :

Proposed Solution: Example

• Proposed Query:

Proposed Solution:

Proposed Solution: Example

Results:

• Query: How much have we profited from each client?

Proposed Solution: Example

Results:

Model Inference:

Proposed Solution: Example

Results:

Model Inference:

Spreadsheet data instance:

Recap

Recap

• Take advantage of the powerful Google query engine while adding extra functionality

• Allow more humanized queries

• Have ClassSheets supported

• Automatically structure the data into the needed format

• Allowing spreadsheet evolution

• Automatically deal with problems caused by denormalized data querying

Architecture

QSArchitecture

Conclusions

Conclusions

• Incremental Denormalization• Spreadsheet Synchronization• Evaluation

Future Work

Accomplished• Spreadsheet querying is more:• Humanized• Understandable• Robust• Productive

• More functionality

Questions?

Preliminary Study

Question 1

Question 2

Question 3

Question 4

0:00

0:28

0:57

1:26

1:55

2:24

2:52

3:21

3:50

0.123611111111111

0.136111111111111

0.108333333333333

0.13125

0.0458333333333333

0.0166666666666667

0.0222222222222222

0.0784722222222222

Google QuerySheet

• QuerySheet was found to be approx. ~70% faster than Google’s QUERY function

Min

utes

Preliminary Study

• After each question, students were asked to choose which system they preferred in regards to being:• Intuitive• Faster to write• Easier to write• Understandable

• Almost all preferred QuerySheet on every aspect