Structuring Spreadsheets with the "Lish" Data Model
This addresses a usability and error-reduction problem for spreadsheet users, but it is incremental as it builds on existing spreadsheet concepts.
The paper tackles the problem of spreadsheets lacking awareness of larger data structures, which hampers comprehension and increases formula replication errors, by proposing the 'lish' data model based on nested lists with optional templates to capture higher structures while preserving simplicity, demonstrated in a small application.
A spreadsheet is remarkably flexible in representing various forms of structured data, but the individual cells have no knowledge of the larger structures of which they may form a part. This can hamper comprehension and increase formula replication, increasing the risk of error on both scores. We explore a novel data model (called the "lish") that could form an alternative to the traditional grid in a spreadsheet-like environment. Its aim is to capture some of these higher structures while preserving the simplicity that makes a spreadsheet so attractive. It is based on cells organised into nested lists, in each of which the user may optionally employ a template to prototype repeating structures. These template elements can be likened to the marginal "cells" in the borders of a traditional worksheet, but are proper members of the sheet and may themselves contain internal structure. A small demonstration application shows the "lish" in operation.