Implementing VisiCalc (2003): Bob Frankston's design notes | Hacker News Reader

Implementing VisiCalc (2003): Bob Frankston's design notes

rmf.vc

72 pointsohjeez9 comments

"We originally planned to let people rename the rows and columns with labels and implemented the feature. Eventually we decided that we needed to assure stable reference names so prevented people form moving into the zeroth row or column. Instead we implemented the ability to split the screen vertically or horizontally. "

All the oposite from today's design in which they let people rename everything.

> All the oposite from today's design in which they let people rename everything.

What spreadsheet program lets you rename a row or a column? The pattern I see all around is that you add your own column names as the first row for example, but the actual column doesn't get renamed. Or, you get to define your own "Named Ranges" where you can assign a name, but the row/column identifier stays the same.

But I don't think I've seen any software allowing you to rename column C to whatever you want, for example.

Apple's Numbers has a relatively clever way to pull this off. If a cell (e.g., B:$2) is in a table with a column (or row) header, all formulas will use the header field value in the variable. e.g.,

  = floor( [Strength:$Value] / 2 - 5, 1)

These labels are purely descriptive. The underlying reference is still B:$2, but it makes formulas infinitely more readable without needing to manually define named ranges for everything.

(Among many other nice features Numbers has... one of the few things I miss since my switch to Linux)

They'd been working/programming a decade! "By the time we created VisiCalc Dan and I had been working professional and academically for well over a decade."

also I found this interesting. "The Apple's screen was 40 columns and 25 rows. "

That's 1,000 cells. And now a modern Google Sheets starts with 26 columns and 1,000 rows. 26,000 cells. But also can go up to 10,000,000 cells!

"I started to program VisiCalc in November 1978 and we shipped the first production copy in October 1979."

Just one year.

"In November of 1978 I started to prototype VisiCalc. We eventually shipped that prototype."

Some things never change :)

The 40 by 25 are characters, not cells :)

See: http://www.bricklin.com/history/refcard5.htm

"If we couldn't figure out how to explain a feature on the reference card we would change the program."

Wish more software would follow that principle

well then you'll love apps on smartphones! they don't do anything complex, think of each app as a small garden that has a wall around it to keep out any complications. Luckily, they frequently allow for in-garden purchases so you don't even need to leave to get more fertilizer, etc. and the gardeners even get paid that way, no worries! they were even able to do away with the reference cards!

Implementing VisiCalc (2015) - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18703165 - Dec 2018 (18 comments)

Implementing VisiCalc (2003) - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15889105 - Dec 2017 (1 comment)

Implementing VisiCalc (2003) - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15587048 - Oct 2017 (17 comments)

Also:

VisiCalc Executable for the IBM PC (1999) - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30928076 - April 2022 (53 comments)

VisiCalc: Information from Its Creators, Dan Bricklin and Bob Frankston - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28229175 - Aug 2021 (57 comments)

VisiCalc's Spreadsheets Changed the World - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20197060 - June 2019 (45 comments)

Why a simple spreadsheet spread like wildfire - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10830686 - Jan 2016 (28 comments)

How I got permission to post VisiCalc (1999) - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10641297 - Nov 2015 (2 comments)

VisiCalc - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9257364 - March 2015 (7 comments)

Why didn't we patent the spreadsheet? Were we stupid? (1999) - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6418682 - Sept 2013 (135 comments)

VisiCalc memories - the first Killer App - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=856365 - Oct 2009 (2 comments)

VisiCalc: The 30th Anniversary - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=432091 - Jan 2009 (8 comments)

VisiCalc during the early days [w/pics] - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=176783 - April 2008 (3 comments)

Why should a product want to be "the next VisiCalc"? - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=169952 - April 2008 (1 comment)

Reply on news.ycombinator.com