Generating queries based upon data points in a spreadsheet application

Abstract

Concepts and technologies are described herein for generating queries for data points in a spreadsheet application. In accordance with the concepts and technologies disclosed herein, a computer system can execute a visualization component. The computer system can obtain spreadsheet data having records that include values, temporal information, location information, and other information. The spreadsheet data can be presented in a visualization, and the computer system can detect selection of a representation of a record in the visualization. The computer system can generate a query based upon record, submit the query to a search engine, and obtain results for presentation.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method for generating a query from data, the computer-implemented method comprising performing computer-implemented operations for:
 obtaining, at a computer system executing a visualization component, the data, the data including records having data values, temporal information, and location information;   detecting, by the computer system, selection of a data point in a visualization of the data, the data point comprising a representation of one of the records included in the data; and   generating, by the computer system, the query based upon the data associated with the data point.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating the query comprises:
 extracting temporal information from the data;   extracting location information from the data; and   generating the query based, at least partially, upon the temporal information and the location information.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating the query comprises:
 extracting temporal information associated with the data point from the data;   extracting location information associated with the data point from the data; and   generating the query based, at least partially, upon the temporal information and the location information.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating the query comprises:
 extracting temporal information associated with the data point from the data;   extracting location information associated with the data point from the data;   extracting a data value associated with the data point from the data; and   generating the query based, at least partially, upon the temporal information, the location information, and the data value.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 generating instructions for presenting the query;   determining if the query has been modified during presentation of the query;   in response to a determination that the query has been modified, generating a modified query and submitting the modified query to a search engine; and   in response to a determination that the query has not been modified, submitting the query to the search engine.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein generating the instructions comprises generating a user interface for presenting the query, the user interface comprising
 a field for presenting the query and enabling modification of the query in the field, and   a control for submitting the query to the search engine.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 presenting the query in a user interface that presents the query and enables modification of the query during presentation of the query;   determining that the query has been modified during the presentation of the query;   generating a modified query; and   submitting the modified query to a search engine.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating the query comprises:
 extracting temporal information, location information, a data value, and metadata associated with the data point from the data; and   generating the query based, at least partially, upon the temporal information, the location information, data value, and the metadata.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 submitting the query to a search engine;   receiving results from the search engine; and   generating a user interface for presenting the results at a user computing device in communication with the computer system, wherein the data comprises spreadsheet data.   
     
     
         10 . A computer storage medium having computer readable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:
 obtain spreadsheet data including records comprising data values, temporal information, and location information;   detect selection of a data point in a visualization of the spreadsheet data, the data point comprising a representation of one of the records included in the spreadsheet data; and   generate a query based upon the spreadsheet data associated with the data point.   
     
     
         11 . The computer storage medium of  claim 10 , wherein generating the query comprises:
 extracting temporal information associated with the data point from the spreadsheet data;   extracting location information associated with the data point from the spreadsheet data; and   generating the query based, at least partially, upon the temporal information and the location information.   
     
     
         12 . The computer storage medium of  claim 11 , wherein generating the query further comprises:
 extracting a data value associated with the data point from the spreadsheet data; and   generating the query based, at least partially, upon the data value.   
     
     
         13 . The computer storage medium of  claim 10 , further comprising computer readable instructions that, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to:
 generate instructions for presenting the query;   determine if the query has been modified during presentation of the query;   in response to a determination that the query has been modified,
 generate a modified query, and 
 submit the modified query to a search engine; and 
   in response to a determination that the query has not been modified, submit the query to the search engine.   
     
     
         14 . The computer storage medium of  claim 10 , further comprising computer readable instructions that, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to:
 generate instructions for presenting the query in a user interface that presents a representation of the query and enables modification of the query;   determine that the query has been modified during presentation of the query;   generate a modified query; and   submit the modified query to a search engine.   
     
     
         15 . The computer storage medium of  claim 10 , further comprising computer readable instructions that, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to:
 submit the query to a search engine;   receive results from the search engine; and   generate a user interface for presenting the results.   
     
     
         16 . A computer storage medium having computer readable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:
 obtain spreadsheet data including records comprising data values, temporal information, and location information;   generate a visualization of the spreadsheet data, the visualization comprising a representation of a record included in the spreadsheet data;   detect selection of the representation in the visualization;   generate a query based upon the spreadsheet data associated with the representation;   submit the query to a search engine;   receive results from the search engine; and   generate a user interface for presenting the results.   
     
     
         17 . The computer storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein generating the query comprises:
 extracting temporal information associated with the record from the spreadsheet data;   extracting location information associated with the record from the spreadsheet data;   extracting a data value associated with the record from the spreadsheet data; and   generating the query based, at least partially, upon the temporal information, the location information, and the data value.   
     
     
         18 . The computer storage medium of  claim 16 , further comprising computer readable instructions that, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to:
 generate instructions for presenting the query prior to submitting the query to the search engine;   determine if the query has been modified during presentation of the query; and   in response to a determination that the query has been modified, submit the query, the query comprising the modified query.   
     
     
         19 . The computer storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein generating the user interface for presenting the results comprises generating a user interface comprising a representation of the query, a representation of the results, and a control for modifying the query. 
     
     
         20 . The computer storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein
 the representation of the record comprises a user interface control that, when selected, causes presentation of a menu having an option for generating the query, and   wherein detecting selection of the representation comprises detecting selection of the option.