Self-Checking Spreadsheets: Recognition of Semantics

Abstract This paper demonstrates a self-checking (self-validating) spreadsheet. This checking analyzes the meaning or semantics of the spreadsheet's variables and equations using a parsing scheme. These semantics go beyond dimension, unit, and type checking to include the physical and mathematical formulae that dominate science, engineering, and mathematics. The spreadsheet is a client, JavaScript web application working with a server application. Entries in the spreadsheet are analyzed by semantic parsers on the server, and the representation and recognition of spreadsheet semantics are detailed. The intent of this prototype is to reduce the errors—errors in meaning—that commonly occur when spreadsheets are used. A prototype has been available on the Internet since early 2010 at http://semantics.grc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/spread.cgi.

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