Unification of arrays in spreadsheets with logic programming

Abstract

Unification, one of the key processes underlying logic programming (LP), provides a powerful mechanism for assembling and disassembling structures, lists in particular, by matching patterns. In recent work, we showed how spreadsheets can be enhanced by adding a visual form of LP in which lists, the fundamental structures of LP, are replaced by rectangular arrays, the fundamental structures of spreadsheets. The benefits include enhanced programmability and a way to specify high level templates for spread-sheet structures. Here, we focus on the structure of arrays, and describe the array unification algorithm underlying our current implementation. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2008.