Instructions for Using the App

• Open the app.
• The table shows preloaded example data (Time, Cell Density, Volume).
• To add a calculation column:
  1. Click "Add Calculation Column".
  2. Enter a formula using column names:
     • Cell Density * Volume
  3. A new column will be added automatically with computed values.
• To perform a column aggregation:
  1. Select the column you want to aggregate from the dropdown.
  2. Choose the operation (Maximum, Minimum, Average).
  3. Click "Calculate" to view the result.

Notes:

• Formulas are case-insensitive.
• Use standard operators: +, -, *, /.

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Code Structure Notes

• The table component (OpviaTable.tsx) focuses on UI, user interactions, and local state management.
• Formula parsing logic (e.g., normalizing user input, replacing column names safely) is abstracted into a separate helper file:
  utils/formulaUtils.ts.
• This keeps the code modular, improves readability, and makes formula-related features easier to maintain and extend in the future.

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What I Would Improve Next

1. Extend Aggregation and Calculation Flexibility

   • Build a more extensible framework that allows scientists to define different types of calculations or aggregations without hardcoding specific ones (e.g., sum, count, standard deviation).

2. Persistent Storage

   • Allow users to optionally save their created calculation columns and formulas across sessions, using LocalStorage, IndexedDB, or backend syncing.

3. Testing

   • Add unit tests specifically for formula parsing, normalization, evaluation logic, and edge cases.
   • Add UI integration tests to verify calculation columns and aggregation workflows.

4. Formula Validation and Error Handling

   • Validate user input formulas before evaluating them.
   • Show clear, user-friendly error messages for invalid syntax or calculation issues.

5. Custom Naming for Calculation Columns

   • Allow users to assign custom names to new calculated columns instead of default names like "Calc Column 1" to improve clarity when many formulas are added.

6. Editable Table Cells

   • Allow users to edit table data manually via inline editing, using Blueprint's EditableCell2 component for a more dynamic experience.

7. Responsive Layout Enhancements (if needed based on user feedback)

   • Improve layout responsiveness for better use on smaller screens and tablets, if needed.

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How I Would Make Rate of Change Calculations Possible

To support Rate of Change Calculations, such as Rate of Cell Count Growth, I would extend the current formula system to allow referencing other rows' data.

Example user formula:

(Cell Density - prev(Cell Density)) / (Time - prev(Time))

Here, prev(Cell Density) means "value of Cell Density from the previous row".

Implementation Plan:

• Extend the formula parser to recognize and replace prev(columnName) and next(columnName) references.
• When evaluating each row, access previous or next row values safely.
• Handle edge cases like the first row (where prev() is undefined) gracefully, by showing null or leaving it empty.
• Allow for more complex future formulas like moving averages or rolling sums. */