Abstract: A method of processing data of a collaborative electronic document having a tabular structure includes identifying a first cell in the tabular structure of the collaborative electronic document, the first cell having a first cell identifier and including a formula having a first function call, the first function call including an argument comprising a plurality of formula elements, wherein the plurality of formula elements comprise a second cell identifier and a first string.

Abstract: A method of processing data represented as an electronic spreadsheet includes identifying a first cell of a first sheet of the electronic spreadsheet, the first cell having a first cell identifier and including a formula having a first function call, the first function call including an argument having a plurality of formula elements that comprise a second cell identifier. The method further includes identifying, based on the second cell identifier, a second cell that includes a function identifier, and identifying a value of the second cell, wherein the value of the second cell is a string corresponding to a function name corresponding to a second function call to be used in the argument of the first function call.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for passing functional spreadsheet data by reference is provided. Passing functional spreadsheet data by reference may include identifying information associated with a first cell of a first sheet of an electronic spreadsheet, the information associated with the first cell including a formula, the formula including a function call, the function call including an argument, the argument indicating a cell identifier associated with a second cell of the electronic spreadsheet; identifying information associated with the second cell, the information associated with the second cell including a function identifier; determining, by a processor in response to instructions stored on a tangible non-transitory computer readable medium, a result of the formula based on the function identifier; and transmitting information including the result of the formula for display in the first cell.