FINESSE: a financial information spreadsheet

Abstract

We outline a spreadsheet-based system for visualization of real-time financial information. Our system permits the user to define arithmetic and presentation relationships amongst the various cells of the spreadsheet. The cells contain primitives that can be numbers, text, images, functions and graphics. Presenting financial information in this format allows its intended clients, the financial analysts, to work in the familiar environment of a spreadsheet and allows them the flexibility afforded by the powerful interface of the spreadsheet paradigm. In addition, our system permits real-time visualization of the financial data stream allowing its user to visually trade the changing market trends in two and three dimensions.