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: the benefit of creating a spreadsheet is lacking since the legacy spreadsheet already exists, and existing data must be transferred into the new model-generated spreadsheet.