Customizable spreadsheet table styles

Abstract

Table styles provide a way to format an entire spreadsheet table quickly and easily. According to described implementations, table styles can be created and customized for repeated use in a spreadsheet application. As a result, a user does not have to manually modify multiple formatting options for each table included in one or more spreadsheets. A graphical user interface is also described that provides simple user access to existing table styles that can be modified according to the user's requirements.

1 . At least one computer-readable storage medium including an article of manufacture that stores executable instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform actions comprising resolving, based on a precedence ordering of a first element of a table and a second element of the table, any incompatible formatting of a cell of the table, where a first formatting of the first element that overlaps the cell is incompatible with a second formatting of the second element that also overlaps the cell. 
     
     
         2 . The at least one computer-readable storage medium of  claim 1  where the first element and the second element each comprise a corresponding group of cells of the table. 
     
     
         3 . The at least one computer-readable storage medium of  claim 1  where the first formatting is associated with a first table style corresponding to the first element, and where the second formatting is associated with a second table style corresponding to the second element. 
     
     
         4 . The at least one computer-readable storage medium of  claim 3  where the first table style is configured for applying the first formatting to all cells comprised by the first element. 
     
     
         5 . The at least one computer-readable storage medium of  claim 3  where the second table style is configured for applying the second formatting to all cells comprised by the second element. 
     
     
         6 . The at least one computer-readable storage medium of  claim 1  where the precedence ordering is modifiable. 
     
     
         7 . The at least one computer-readable storage medium of  claim 1  where the table is comprised in a spreadsheet. 
     
     
         8 . A method performed on a computing device, the method comprising:
 selecting a first formatting of a first element that overlaps a cell of a table;   selecting a second formatting of a second element that also overlaps the cell;   determining that the first formatting is associated with a higher precedence than the second formatting;   applying, in response to the determining, the first formatting to the cell.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  where the first element and the second element each comprise a corresponding group of cells of the table 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8  where the first formatting is associated with a first table style corresponding to the first element, and where the second formatting is associated with a second table style corresponding to the second element. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  where the first table style is configured for applying the first formatting to all cells comprised by the first element. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10  where the second table style is configured for applying the second formatting to all cells comprised by the second element. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8  where the precedence ordering is modifiable. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 8  where the table is comprised in a spreadsheet. 
     
     
         15 . A system comprising a computing device and at least one program module that together are configured for performing actions comprising resolving, based on a precedence ordering of a first element of a table and a second element of the table, any incompatible formatting of a cell of the table, where a first formatting of the first element that overlaps the cell is incompatible with a second formatting of the second element that also overlaps the cell. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15  where the first element and the second element each comprise a corresponding group of cells of the table. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15  where the first formatting is associated with a first table style corresponding to the first element, and where the second formatting is associated with a second table style corresponding to the second element. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17  where the first table style is configured for applying the first formatting to all cells comprised by the first element, and where the second table style is configured for applying the second formatting to all cells comprised by the second element. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 15  where the precedence ordering is modifiable. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 15  where the table is comprised in a spreadsheet.