System and methods for improved spreadsheet interface with user-familiar objects

Claim 1

In a computer system including a processor, a storage device storing an electronic spreadsheet having a plurality of two-dimensional information-cell matrices, referred to as pages, that define a three-dimensional information-cell matrix, a screen device, and a pointing device for generating a first set of at least one signal designating locations on the screen device and a second set of at least one signal indicating at least one type of event at the designated screen location, a method for allowing a computer user to inspect and modify values corresponding to properties of objects displayed on the screen device, the method comprising operating the computer system to perform the steps of: displaying said three-dimensional information-cell matrix on the screen device as a selected one of the plurality pages and a row of page identifiers for each of at least some of the other pages, wherein selecting a displayed page identifier causes the corresponding page to be displayed; any given page of information cells in the three-dimensional matrix having a first set of properties with corresponding values; any given selected block having a second set of properties with corresponding values, the second set of properties having at least one property that is not in said first set of properties; in response to signals that-include a given type of event, if that given type of event is within a particular page identifier, displaying a dialog box that includes a first list containing the first set of properties, each property on the first list being selectable, and a dialog pane containing elements for indicating and setting values corresponding to the selected property in the first list; and in response to signals that include the same given type of event, if that same given type of event is within a particular selected block of information cells, displaying a dialog box that includes a second list containing the second set of properties, each property on the second list being selectable, and a dialog pane containing elements for indicating and setting values corresponding to the selected property in the second list.