Spreadsheets

A spreadsheet is made up of a grid of cells. A cell is where a row and column cross to make a box for you to enter data in. A row goes horizontally across the screen. A column goes vertically down the screen. A cell gets its name from the column and row it is in. For example, A6 (Column A, Row 6).

In the same way that each field in a database can only hold one type of data, each cell in a spreadsheet can only deal with one type of data at a time. For example, it is not possible to enter text and numbers in the same cell, and then be able to use the number in a calculation. The entire contents of the cell would be treated as text.

Spreadsheets are widely used because they allow you to use formulae to perform repetitive calculations. Formulae use cell names to perform calculations. The answer to a formula will change when values in the cells it uses change. This makes a spreadsheet dynamic.

There are two ways of using cells in formulae. Relative references to cells will change when a formula is moved to another cell. Absolute references to cells will always refer to exactly the same cell, even if the entire formula is moved.

There are two main types of formula that you can use in a spreadsheet There are two main types of formula that you can use in a spreadsheet. (They are not the only types of formula.) Logic functions help the spreadsheet decide how to act. For example, the IF formula. Mathematical functions use data in the spreadsheet to calculate numeric answers. For example, the SUM formula.

Spreadsheet software can display information in a variety of different formats including as a table, as a graph or as a chart. Many spreadsheets will allow you to create graphs that automatically reflect changes to numbers in the spreadsheet.

Spreadsheets are often used in business as models to predict what is might happen in the “real-world”. The simplest models are used to produce a break-even analysis for new businesses. This is where the spreadsheet is used to predict when the profit made by a business is exactly zero.

Spreadsheets also allow you to import data from and export data to other programs. This is done by saving work in a format that both programs can understand. A popular file type for spreadsheets is CSV (Comma Separated Variable), which just transfers the actual data without any formatting.

Spreadsheets