The document discusses spreadsheet composition, which involves linking Excel spreadsheets together to enable collaborative data analysis. It introduces the concept of a "spreadsheet space" that allows spreadsheets to be linked across the internet similar to how web pages are linked on the world wide web. The key aspects covered include: - Defining base services as Excel spreadsheets that can publish or collect data from other spreadsheets. - Composite services that involve distributed spreadsheets belonging to different users that are linked together. - The spreadsheet space software platform that provides persistence and synchronization of linked spreadsheets using a server. - How information systems can expose data through the spreadsheet space to allow users to integrate and analyze corporate data.

1. Spreadsheet Composition for
Collaborative Data Analysis
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Michele Stecca (ICSI & CIPI)
Berkeley, January 15th, 2015

2. Service & Smart Objects Composition at CIPI (1/6)
Research activities about “Composition” at CIPI, Research Center on
Software Platform Engineering (University of Genoa & Padua, Italy)
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Service Composition
(a.k.a., Mashups)
Smart Objects
Composition (IoT)
Spreadsheet
Composition

3. The Origin: Service Composition
• The Base Services are provided by software components that expose
a software interface (usually a Web API) over the Internet.
• A Composite Service is a distributed application specified and
executed through the coordinated action of a set of Base Services.
• A Composite Service is usually specified in a graphical form through
a Service Creation Platform. The Composite Service specification is
deployed in a Service Execution Platform (SEP) for execution.
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Service & Smart Objects Composition at CIPI (2/6)

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Service & Smart Objects Composition at CIPI (3/6)
SEP’s technologies: BPEL (Business Process Execution Language), Web
Services, JMS (Java Messaging Service)

5. Evolution #1: Smart Objects Composition (IoT)
• The Base Services are provided by software components and smart
objects that expose an interface.
• A Composite Service is a distributed application specified and executed
through the coordinated action of a set of Base Services.
• A Composite Service is usually specified in a graphical form through a
Service Creation Platform. The Composite Service specification is
deployed in a Service Execution Platform (SEP) for execution.
 The combination of physical objects poses new challenges because
physical objects can change their position, may disappear (e.g., they run out
of battery), etc.
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Service & Smart Objects Composition at CIPI (4/6)

6. 16/01/2015 6
Service & Smart Objects Composition at CIPI (5/6)
Example: Smart Parking Composite Service (in collaboration with FIAT
Research Center)
SEP’s technologies: Asynchronous I/O, MQTT (Message Queue
Telemetry Transport)

7. Evolution #2: Spreadsheet Composition
Questions
• What is a Base Service?
• What is a Composite Service?
• How can we «execute» a Composite Service?
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Service & Smart Objects Composition at CIPI (6/6)

8. Outline
1. Introduction
2. Spreadsheet Composition
3. The SpreadSheet Space Software Platform
4. Information System Access from the SpreadSheet Space
5. Discussion
6. Summary
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9. Introduction
Why Spreadsheet Composition?
• Data manipulation/visualization/sharing is becoming more and more
important (Open Data, Big Data, Data Scientists, etc.)
• Collaborative work is becoming more and more important
• Microsoft Excel is a widely used tool for data analysis (1.1B users according
to Microsoft)
• Microsoft Excel is not the best tool to use in a collaborative environment
 New paradigms and tools are needed to face new challenges like real-
time reporting, easy data publishing, collaborative data analysis, etc.
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10. Outline
1. Introduction
2. Spreadsheet Composition
3. The SpreadSheet Space Software Platform
4. Information System Access from the SpreadSheet Space
5. Discussion
6. Summary
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11. Spreadsheet Composition (1/7)
Base Services: Excel spreadsheets
We need to define the «basic functionalities» provided by a
spreadsheet:
• Information Publication. A Source User publishes a data range called View to
a set of Target Users. (Watch Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hM5bsdgF4Mc)
• Information Collection. A User provides a data range called Form to one or
more Users to have them fill it out, update it and submit it. (Watch Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41IV2pNJqy0)
• In both cases, at every update of a Worksheet/Cell-Range/Table in the Source User
Spreadsheet the Target User Spreadsheets get automatically synchronized and the
personalized analyses and presentations change accordingly.  Very important for real-
time data analysis in Excel
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12. Base Services: Excel spreadsheets
Information Publication steps:
• A Source User Exposes a View on a Spreadsheet to a set of Target Users, i.e.,
it grants Target Users read access rights on such a view;
• The Target Users Link their Spreadsheets to such a View.
Information Collection steps:
• A Source User Prepares a Form on a Spreadsheet to be filled out by set of
Target Users;
• Each Target User Installs the Form in his Spreadsheet;
• The Source User receives the updates from the Target Users.
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Spreadsheet Composition (2/7)

13. A New Paradigm: the SpreadSheet Space
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Hypertext
Internet
World Wide Web
Spreadsheet
Internet
SpreadSheet Space
Spreadsheet Composition (3/7)

14. 14
A New Paradigm: the SpreadSheet Space
Spreadsheet Composition (4/7)

15. Composite Services: the Distributed Spreadsheet
• Definition
• Associated to a single Virtual Spreadsheet consisting of elements belonging
to different users;
• Evolving over time;
• Based on cross Spreadsheet links.
• 2 types of Spreadsheet Compositions:
• Spontaneous compositions: they are the results of peer-2-peer interactions
among Excel users;
• Graphical compositions: there is a Spreadsheet Composition creator (e.g., an
Excel consultant) who defines the set of relationships among spreadsheets
though a graphical tool.
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Spreadsheet Composition (5/7)

16. Spontaneous Composition:
the composition is a result of
peer-2-peer interactions
Spreadsheet Composition (6/7)

17. The Graphical Tool
used by the
Composite Service
Creator
Spreadsheet Composition (7/7)
- the composition is defined
BEFORE the interaction
among users
- the relationships/links are
created by the platform
automatically

18. Outline
1. Introduction
2. Spreadsheet Composition
3. The SpreadSheet Space Software Platform
4. Information System Access from the SpreadSheet Space
5. Discussion
6. Summary
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19. The SpreadSheet Space Software Platform (1/6)
• How can the links between two Spreadsheets be implemented if it cannot
be guaranteed that the Source Spreadsheet and the Target Spreadsheet are
simultaneously open?
• Persistence must be provided by a Server
-> The SpreadSheet Space requires a Software Platform
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Spreadsheet Aligner
Persistency Service

20. High Level Architecture
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Range/Table/Sheet SynchronizerData Plane
Link ControllerControl Plane
Form/Link
Repository
The SpreadSheet Space Software Platform (2/6)
Graphical Tool
Composite
Spreadsheet
Repository
Spontaneous
Interactions
Composition
Plane

21. Data Plane
…. i.e. how to Synchronize the Spreadsheets
• Persistence is provided by a Cloud Platform
• The Add-in communicates with the Server through Web APIs
• There is a publish/subscribe mechanism based on HTTP long polling
for automatic updates
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The SpreadSheet Space Software Platform (3/6)

22. …. i.e., how to establish Links among Spreadsheets
(A) Spontaneous Compositions (a.k.a., User Explicit Configuration)
• Information Publication. The Source User publishes Spreadsheet
ranges/tables/sheets to a set of Target Users.
• Information Collection. A User provides a form to one or more Users to
have them fill it out, update it and submit it.
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Control Plane
The SpreadSheet Space Software Platform (4/6)

23. …. i.e., how to establish Links among Spreadheets
(B) Through a Graphical Composite Spreadsheet Creation Environment
ROLES:
• Composite Service Creator
• Creates a Composite Spreadsheet by specifying
• The Users (A, B, …) involved
• The Views/Forms exposed
• Users
• Enter the Composite Spreadsheet Environment
• Create the appropriate Views and Forms
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The SpreadSheet Space Software Platform (5/6)
Control Plane

24. Implementation insights
Microsoft Excel Add-in
• Developed as a Office Add-in Framework
component (C#)
• Downloaded and installed on user terminal
• Fully integrated with Excel
SpreadSheetSpace Server
• REST Web Services technology
• Apache Tomcat
• Deployed in-the-cloud or on-premises
• Scalable and Elastic architecture
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The SpreadSheet Space Software Platform (6/6)

25. Outline
1. Introduction
2. Spreadsheet Composition
3. The SpreadSheet Space Software Platform
4. Information System Access from the SpreadSheet Space
5. Discussion
6. Summary
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26. 26
• Companies and organizations
• Expose Views of company data in the form of Worksheets;
• Spreadsheet users
• Link spreadsheets to exposed views
Information System access through Spreadsheets
Information Systems: a special type of Base Service

27. Users Mash-Up data exposed by different sources and maintain the
combined analyses/presentations synchronized with the corporate data.
SpreadSheet Space
27
Information System Integration at the Desktop

28. The SpreadSheet Space Platform for Information System Access
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SpreadSheetSpace Server
Firewall/Proxy
Aware Network
SSS Addin SSS Addin
Public
APIs
Adaptor
Adaptor
Information
System 1
Information
System 2

29. Outline
1. Introduction
2. Spreadsheet Composition
3. The SpreadSheet Space Software Platform
4. Information System Access from the SpreadSheet Space
5. Discussion
6. Summary
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30. Google Sheets vs. SpreadSheetSpace
• Google Sheets is about sharing
• It is not Excel! (Limited
functionalities and compatibility
problems)
• Symmetry - The users that share a
Spreadsheet have the same
access rights. They can read it and
write it freely.
• Spreadsheet level granularity –
Sharing applies to Spreadsheets
and not on parts of them. Either a
Spreadsheet is shared or it is not.
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• SpreadSheetSpace is about linking
• It’s Excel!
• Asymmetry – The user roles are
complementary. By exposing a View a
source user grants the target users read
access rights on it. By linking to a View
the target users create an image of it in
their Spreadsheets.
• Cell level granularity – Users are
allowed to expose worksheets, cell
ranges and tables while maintaining the
rest of the Spreadsheet private.

31. Dynamic Data
• SpreadSheet Space focuses on Dynamic Data, i.e. on data that
evolve over time.
• One specific case of Dynamic Data is that of the Open Data.
• In Dynamic Data the «Export to Excel» functionality, offered by
most Information Systems, is meaningless. Saving a view
provided by an Information System in Excel format means taking
a picture of the Information System situation at the saving time.
• The Link functionality offered in the SpreadSheet Space enriches
the Excel analysis tools by guaranteeing synchronization between
the Excel views and the actual Information System situation.
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32. Scalable Information System Access (1/2)
• Excel can access external Information Systems through built-
in query functionalities.
• Dynamic data evolution can be captured through polling,
which injects a tremendous load on the Information
Systems.
• SpreadSheet Space provides a Publish/Subscribe service
which eliminates polling.
• The load to support interaction is transfered from the
Information Systems to the SpreadSheet Space Platform.
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33. Scalable Information System Access (2/2)
Native Excel Functionality
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With SpreadSheetSpace
SELECT * FROM
Table1SELECT * FROM
Table1
SELECT * FROM
Table1
SELECT * FROM
Table1
View 1
View 1View 1

34. SpreadSheet
Space
Some Users may expose personalized views of corporate data to other end users.
34
SYNC + DSS
Spreadsheet Ecosystems
Combining Information System Access and direct Excel links

35. Manual vs. Automatic Spreadsheet Update
• Manual Update
• The Target Users
• are requested to confirm acceptance of View updates, and
• can scan the update history.
• Automatic Update
• All the target users are “in sync” with the exposed Views
• Data Integrity (no different data versions) is guaranteed.
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36. Easy Publication of Tabular Contents and of
Graphical Presentations
• Very important for Open Data
• Although Excel already offers functionalities to publish data,
yet a certain degree of experience on publishing is necessary.
• The SpreadSheet Space Platform turns out to be a easy to
use Content Management System for tabular data and
graphical presentations.
• A TabularData/Presentation repository enables the
development and the diffusion of Data Marketplaces in the
SpreadSheet Space.
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37. Outline
1. Introduction
2. Spreadsheet Composition
3. The SpreadSheet Space Software Platform
4. Information System Access from the SpreadSheet Space
5. Discussion
6. Summary
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38. Summary
• The SpreadSheet Space is a space in which the Excel files
connected to each other and/or connected to external
Information Systems can live.
• Spreadsheet Composition is a special case of Service
Composition.
• Spreadsheet Composition was developed in two directions,
namely Excel to Excel interconnection and Excel to
Information System interconnection.
• Special features: Composite Spreadsheets, Linking vs
Sharing, Dynamic Data, Ease of Publication.
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39. 16/01/2015 39
Email: steccami@icsi.berkeley.edu
Twitter: @steccami
We are looking for early adopters 
www.spreadsheetspace.net

40. References
• Stecca M.; Maresca M., An Architecture for a Mashup Container in Virtualized Environments,
Cloud, pp.386-393, 2010 IEEE 3rd International Conference on Cloud Computing, 2010
• Baglietto P., Maresca M., Stecca M., Moiso C., Hybrid Composition of Telecom and Internet
Services: The Telecom Operator Perspective, Intelligence in Next Generation Networks (ICIN),
2013 17th International Conference on , vol., no., pp.160-167, Venice, 15-16 Oct. 2013.
• Stecca M.; Maresca M., Mashup Patterns from Service Component Taxonomy, Advanced Information
Networking and Applications Workshops (WAINA), 2010 IEEE 24th International Conference on Digital
Object Identifier: 10.1109/WAINA.2010.96 Publication Year: 2010 , Page(s): 12 - 17
• Stecca M., Fornasa M., Baglietto P., Maresca M., Scalable Service Composition Execution through
Asynchronous I/O, In Proceedings of the 2013 IEEE International Conference on Services
Computing (SCC '13). IEEE Computer Society, Washington, DC, USA, 312-319
• Baglietto P., Cosso F., Fornasa M., Mangiante S., Maresca M., Parodi A., Stecca M., Always-on
Distributed Spreadsheet Mashups, Proceedings of Mashups 2010: 4th International Workshop on
Web APIs and Services Mashups, Ayia Napa, Cyprus, December 2010
• Baglietto P., Maresca M., Stecca M., Moiso C., Smart Object Cooperation through Service
Composition, Intelligence in Next Generation Networks, 2011. ICIN 2011. 15th International
Conference on., pp. 133-138, Berlin, Germany, 4-7 October 2011
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