New Features of ZK Spreadsheet 2.2

Author
Sam Chuang

Date
Jan 10, 2012

Version
ZK Spreadsheet 2.2

Introduction

ZK Spreadsheet is an Ajax component that delivers functionalities of Microsoft Excel to your browsers. ZK Spreadsheet 2.2 brings with it a host of new features including validation functionality, supporting more chart types, adding/deleting/moving/sizing charts and pictures, collaboration editing, locale-aware date/number input and output and also performance enhancement.

Collaboration editing

Collaboration editing is one of the most important features added to this release allowing a group of individuals to edit the spreadsheet file at the same time like that of Google's online spreadsheet. Prior to this release, users were able to edit but if another user is also editing at the same time, they will be competing to save as the latest version , however, users are now offered the ability to edit, add or delete the content at will and observe other users' edits in real time.

To add this new feature to your web application, please refer to ZK Spreadsheet Essentials - ZK Spreadsheet/Collaboration Edit

Validation functionality

Data validation helps users in editing and verifying cell values to ensure data accuracy and consistency. It also allows you to do the following:

• Prompt message: Create a prompt message that explains the data type of the cell







• Validation list: Make a list of the entries that restricts the values allowed in a cell












• Incorrect message: Pop-up an incorrect message dialog when incorrect data has been entered

To add this feature to your web application, please refer to ZK Spreadsheet Essentials - Data Validation

Chart/Picture Operation

Users are now also offered the ability to orientate charts and pictures more freely, you can now add, delete, move and even re-size chart and pictures at will just like operating on a desktop spreadsheet application.

To Add a Chart

To add a chart to your spreadsheet file, follow the steps below;

• select desired data





• select chart type





• chart added

To Add a Picture

• focus on a cell and click upload button





• picture uploaded

To Delete a Chart

• focus on a chart





• press delete key

To Move a Chart

• simply drag the chart that you want to move and drop it to the desired destination

To Resize a Chart

• simply focus on the chart and resize it

New Chart Types

ZK Spreadsheet 2.2 introduces us a variety of new chart types, improving end user experience offering more choices of presentation for their data including;

Area chart



Bar chart



Bar chart in 3D

Scatter chart

Locale-aware date/number input & output

This function supports different date formats for different locations by simply setting the default language saving users the time and effort to manually format the date & number each time.

• firstly, set your preferred language in your browser





• locale-aware will then be automatically enabled





• drag down





• result

Performance enhancement

As performance is a very important aspect in enterprise level applications, enhancing performance is always one of our most critical tasks. In ZSS 2.2, we have gone through a mechanism adjustment where previously, data must be retrieved from the server-side but now, part of the cache is saved on the client-side thus optimizing the scrolling of a page. Moreover, we have also fine tuned the code to optimize page loading by 1.4 times compared to that of ZK Spreadsheet 2.1.1

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