Dev - Suggested approach for improving Spreadsheet functionality

[Krihag]

I wanted to share an idea that might help us solve some of the main issues we're facing with implementing some of the key features of our project. I would love for other suggestions if anyone wants to share. This will be based on my understanding how the app is supposed to work, so please correct me if I'm wrong:

Function writing in Code Editor:

• We need to let users select a cell (e.g., C3), write a function (like C1 + C2), and display the result in the sellected cell.
• If the value in C1 changes later, C3 should update automatically without running the function again.

Function Storage and Retrieval:

• When switching to a different cell, the code editor should show the function previously written for that cell. If no function was written, it should be empty.
• This means we need to store this data somewhere

Separation from HTML Elements:

• Currently, our functionalities are directly tied to the HTML elements of the spreadsheet and the code editor.
• According to the brief, others should be able to use our functionalities in their own systems easily and have access to read only from using console.

Multiple Spreadsheets:

• Users should be able to switch between multiple spreadsheets, as indicated by the sidebar in the design.

Suggested Approach:

Individually, these issues could be solved with our current approach, but this would involve storing too much information directly in the HTML elements (like each cell), which can get messy and is probably not a good approach in general. Additionally, it will be challenging to manage and implement new functionalities without a clear approach and with all the functions being spread.

I suggest creating a JavaScript class to represent the whole spreadsheet(s), with each cell being a separate JS class (similar to an object if you haven't seen it before, but with added structure and methods). This way, whenever we want to update a cell or anything in the spreadsheet, we add the changes to the JS class. This class would then update the spreadsheet, code editor, and save any updates to IndexedDB.

Some of the benefits:

• I think using classes would make our code cleaner and more organized .
• Updating cells and spreadsheets is straightforward, as all changes go through the JS class.
• Keeps related data and methods together (easier accessable), reducing errors.
• Could easily create multiple spreadsheets containing their own cells information.
• I think this would make it easier to maintain and debug (especially for future groups taking over after us)

Let me know what you think or if there are any corrections or additional suggestions!

[FP22FD]

I think it's a good suggestion. I think the cell navigation, storage, etc are already pretty decoupled, as it uses callbacks to delegate the data storage (or at least it was like that, before the last commits). Let me know if I can help related to the task I have done.

[Krihag]

Thank you for your feedback. I completely agree with your points. If we decide to proceed with this, your assistance with implementing your existing functions would be much appreciated.