What are excel spreadsheets used for

Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet developed by Microsoft for Windows, macOS, Android and iOS. It features calculation, graphing tools, pivot tables, and a macro programming language called Visual Basic for Applications (VBA).Excel forms part of the Microsoft Office suite of software.

Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet program. That means it’s used to create grids of text, numbers and formulas specifying calculations. That’s extremely valuable for many businesses, which use it to record expenditures and income, plan budgets, chart data and succinctly present fiscal results.

What is an Excel spreadsheet called?

In Excel Starter, a spreadsheet is called a worksheet, and worksheets are stored in a file called a workbook. Workbooks can have one or more worksheets in them.

What is spreadsheet explain?

A spreadsheet is a computer application for organization, analysis, and storage of data in tabular form. Spreadsheets were developed as computerized analogs of paper accounting worksheets. The program operates on data entered in cells of a table.A spreadsheet may also refer to one such electronic document.

What are the 3 common uses for Excel?

The three most common general uses for spreadsheet software are to create budgets, produce graphs and charts, and for storing and sorting data. Within business spreadsheet software is used to forecast future performance, calculate tax, completing basic payroll, producing charts and calculating revenues.

What are the benefits of using a spreadsheet?

Advantages of using spreadsheets

• Formulae can be used to instantly recalculate totals.
• You can carry out “what if?” investigations.
• The information can be presented in different ways.
• It is easy to make these changes, save your work and print it out again.

What are the 5 functions in Excel?

5 Functions of Excel/Sheets That Every Professional Should Know

• VLookup Formula.
• Concatenate Formula.
• Text to Columns.
• Remove Duplicates.
• Pivot Tables.

What are the main features of Excel?

What are the main features of Microsoft Excel? Ans. The main features of MS Excel include inserting a pivot table, sorting of tabulated data, adding formulas to the sheet, and calculating large data.

How many types of MS Excel?

Excel 2010’s Three Data Types and Their Default Formats.

What is the difference between spreadsheet and Excel?

And unlike Excel, Sheets is free.Sheets are also better for collaboration, as the program was developed for ease of use and online sharing. Still, for those who use spreadsheets for serious data analysis or visualization, Excel remains the superior product. Excel has more built-in formulas and functions.

What is spreadsheet example?

Examples of spreadsheet programs

• Google Sheets – (online and free).
• iWork Numbers – Apple Office Suite.
• LibreOffice -> Calc (free).
• Lotus 1-2-3 (discontinued).
• Lotus Symphony – Spreadsheets.
• Microsoft Excel.
• OpenOffice -> Calc (free).
• VisiCalc (discontinued).

What is spreadsheet give 4 examples?

The definition of a spreadsheet is a piece of paper or a computer program used for accounting and recording data using rows and columns into which information can be entered. Microsoft Excel, a program in which you enter data into columns, is an example of a spreadsheet program.

How can I use Excel in my personal life?

Whether it is family-based planning for a weekly, monthly or yearly calendar or a personal appointment daily planner or a schedule for managing bill payments, homework, favorite sports team’s games, and many more, excel can make it easy to compile, filter, search, organize and simplify large amounts of data.

What are advantages and disadvantages of spreadsheet?

The Advantages & Disadvantages of Spreadsheets

• Advantage: Organizing Data.
• Disadvantage: User Bias.
• Advantage: Streamlines Calculations.
• Disadvantage: Learning the Syntax Takes Skill.
• Advantage: Multiple User Access.
• Disadvantage: Lack of Security.

What are the disadvantages of using a spreadsheet?

The main disadvantages of spreadsheets:

• Lack of collaboration.
• Vulnerable to costly human errors.
• Manual process.
• Unable to make quick decisions about your deals.
• Lack of version control.
• Dependant on one person.
• Unfit for remote working.
• Time consuming.

How is VLOOKUP used in Excel?

VLOOKUP is an Excel function to look up data in a table organized vertically. VLOOKUP supports approximate and exact matching, and wildcards (* ?) for partial matches. Lookup values must appear in the first column of the table passed into VLOOKUP.lookup_value – The value to look for in the first column of a table.

How do I write a formula in Excel?

Create a simple formula in Excel

1. On the worksheet, click the cell in which you want to enter the formula.
2. Type the = (equal sign) followed by the constants and operators (up to 8192 characters) that you want to use in the calculation. For our example, type =1+1. Notes:
3. Press Enter (Windows) or Return (Mac).

What are the most used formulas in Excel?

Top 10 Most Useful Excel Formulas

• SUM, COUNT, AVERAGE. SUM allows you to sum any number of columns or rows by selecting them or typing them in, for example, =SUM(A1:A8) would sum all values in between A1 and A8 and so on.
• IF STATEMENTS.
• SUMIF, COUNTIF, AVERAGEIF.
• VLOOKUP.
• CONCATENATE.
• MAX & MIN.
• AND.
• PROPER.

What is formula bar?

Alternatively referred to as a formula box, the formula bar is a section in Microsoft Excel and other spreadsheet applications. It shows the contents of the current cell and allows you to create and view formulas. The two pictures below are examples of what the formula bar looks like in Microsoft Excel.

What are the basic of spreadsheet?

Basic layout
A spreadsheet consists of cells arranged in rows and columns. Each cell can hold text, a number, or a mathematical formula. A cell is referred to by column and row, e.g., the upper left cell is cell A1. The cell right below that is A2, etc.

What is Excel Short answer?

Answer: Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet developed by Microsoft for Windows, macOS, Android and iOS. It features calculation, graphing tools, pivot tables, and a macro programming language called Visual Basic for Applications.

One question often asked by computer students in secondary schools is, what is spreadsheet? A spreadsheet is a computer application program that is used to manipulate data arranged in columns and rows.

It is a multipurpose program that can be used to enter data, sort data, perform calculations, data, and financial analysis. Most times a spreadsheet is complex to use due to its numerous formulas.

Due to its importance in organizational productivity, it is a requirement for anyone learning computer operation.

Word Processor is the most used computer program because of its ease of use. A Spreadsheet is usually difficult for beginners and requires proper tutelage to be mastered. To understand what is spreadsheet, we illustrate with a paper.

A spreadsheet can be viewed as a sheet of paper arranged in columns and rows. These columns and rows are designed to store data that can be used for analysis.

Therefore, a spreadsheet is a computer program with the following features that ease the job of a data analyst:

• Spreadsheets contain cells with addresses used as a reference point during data manipulation
• They have worsheets which provide a workspace for users
• They contain formulas and functions used to ease computation and analysis
• They contain graphs and other illustration tools used for data summary and presentation
• They can be used to store numeric data and text.

Spreadsheets contain features and tools that make data presentation and analysis easy.

Examples of spreadsheet packages

There are many spreadsheet applications in the market, including proprietary, commercial and free. Some of them include:

• Microsoft Excel
• Open Office Calc,
• lotus 1-2-3 (has been discontinued)
• StatView,
• Gnumeric
• WordPerfect Office Quattro Pro,
• PlanMaker,
• Corel Calculate,
• Ability office,
• Apache Office,
• Microsoft Power Business Intelligence, etc.
• Google Sheet

What is Spreadsheet used for?

The following are some of the uses of a spreadsheet application. To track more uses, check our Microsoft Excel tutorial.

1. It can be used in budget preparation and perform pivot table analysis.
2. It can be used in the tracking of daily sales and computation of totals and averages.
3. It can also be used in the computation of school results.
4. You can use a spreadsheet to perform graphical analysis of data.
5. Spreadsheets are useful in sorting of data in ascending or descending order.
6. It can be used to perform basic statistical analysis such as regression, ANOVA, correlations, etc.
7. It can be used to create and manage simple databases using flat-file model.
8. It can be used to compute profits and losses of a business transaction.

What is Spreadsheet Excel

Excel is a spreadsheet program developed by Microsoft. It is a popular spreadsheet program mostly used for personal, business, and organizational purposes. Excel contains most of the features of all spreadsheet programs.

Features and terminologies

Cell – A cell is a rectangular area formed by the
intersection of a column and a row in a spreadsheet. A cell has a cell
reference or name or cell address, which is the combination of the column
header and row label, e.g. cell A1, G3, etc.

Active Cell – The
active cell is the cell in the spreadsheet that is currently selected for data
entry.

Cell Name – This is by default the cell reference
or address. However, one may define a particular cell or range of cells with an
alternative name. This alternative name can then be used in formulas and
functions. It can also provide a quick way to jump to a particular area of the
spreadsheet.

Cell Reference – This
is the name of the cell that is found by combining the Column Letter with the
Row Number. For example, the cell in
Column “A” in Row “5” would be cell A5.

Column – This refers to the vertical bars on the
spreadsheet screen. In Excel 2013, it is labeled with alphabet A – XFD. Excel 2013 can
handle up to 2¹⁴ labels giving a total of 16384 columns.

Chart – This is a pictorial representation that is used to summarize categorized data. There are different types of charts used in the excel spreadsheet, ranging from the bar chart, line graph, pie chart, etc.

Data – This refers to the type of information
that can be stored in the cells of a spreadsheet. Spreadsheet data types
include values (numbers), labels, formulas, and
functions.

Formula – This is a
spreadsheet data type that will perform calculation and display the result in
the active cell. A formula is written using cell references and must always
begin with an equal sign “=” to distinguish it from a label. E.g. “=G5/H5”.

Formula Bar – It appears
directly above the column headings of a spreadsheet and will display what has
been typed into the active cell.

Function – Functions are built-in formulas in a
spreadsheet. It can be simple or complex formulas. Like formulas, functions
begin with an equal sign “=” and use cell references in their format. E.g.
(=sum A1: A5) will calculate the total
sum of values in cells A1 to A5.

Gridlines – These
are the horizontal and vertical lines on the screen that separate cells in a
spreadsheet. Gridlines do not print by default unless the option is set in the
layout options of the spreadsheet.

Name Box – Also called the address bar. It appears to the left of the
formula bar and displays the name of the current cell unless you define a cell
or range of cells with a specific name.

Range – A range is a group of cells in a
spreadsheet that has been selected. E.g.
a selection from cells B1 through F5 will be represented as B1:F5 and is shown below:

Rows – Rows are horizontal bars on the
spreadsheet screen. Excel 2013 spreadsheet contains 2²⁰ = 1048576 rows
which are labeled from 1 to 1048576.

Values – These are numeric data entered into a cell. Numbers are aligned to the right by default in an excel spreadsheet.

Workbook – Excel
spreadsheet files are called a workbook. A
workbook is a collection of worksheets that are saved together in one file.

Worksheet – A worksheet is the grid of columns and rows that information is inputted into. In Excel, one workbook can contain several worksheets. Worksheets can be named using the worksheet tabs at the bottom of the spreadsheet window.

The sheet tabs can also be used to switch from one worksheet to another within a workbook. Previous versions of Excel display 3 worksheets by default when it is loaded, but the 2013 and 2016 versions display only one worksheet. The user has the option of adding more worksheets as required.

Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet?

Microsoft Excel spreadsheet application is the most popularly used and one of the industry-leading spreadsheet applications. It has powerful visualization and analytical tools for recording and analyzing a wide range of data.

Different industry data ranging from oil & gas, telecommunications, manufacturing, banking, etc, can be recorded, organized, and analyzed using MS Excel tools.

The range of intelligent tools in Excel can help you perform calculations using formulas, display data using tables and a wide range of charts and graphs, and share & collaborate with colleagues in real-time.

Microsoft Excel spreadsheet application happens to be one of the most important applications that anyone who wants to work in Oil & gas must learn. This is because, no matter your role, you will have to use it at some point in your work schedule.

Some skills are really important to learn in Excel, especially for those who want a career in oil & gas. Some of these skills include understanding and applying filters to data, working with Vlookup and Hlookup, understanding and reporting data with Pivot tables and Charts, etc.

In as much as one can dive into learning the above-listed tools and work with them. At some point in your career, you may encounter problems depending on your job role. This is why it is important for us to learn and understand the basics of Excel and how to use simple functions.

Also, a basic understanding of MS Excel spreadsheet application will enable you to work with other spreadsheet applications and add-ins, especially, Power BI and Petroleum office add-in.

This article introduces you to the knowledge of the Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet program. You can acquire more knowledge by following our series of tutorials in Excel. The knowledge will help you and anyone who wants to work in any sector, including oil & gas, banking, or any other.

Feel free to ask questions by
using the comment section, and be sure that your questions will be answered, no
matter how trivial. You will never be lost at all. Let’s get started!

Note: We are working with
Excel 2013/2016

Loading and Exiting Excel

To load a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet application, do the following:

1. Open Run command by holding the Windows logo key and press R key on the keyboard (Windows logo + R)
2. On the dialog box that appears (see above), type excel and click OK, MS Excel opens.

• On the window that is displayed (see above), select Blank
  workbook to open excel workbook and begin entering data.
• You can also choose any of the available
  templates. E.g. Personal Monthly budget,
  Family budget, etc.
• The left pane in the above window shows existing
  documents, especially, recent ones. You can choose the workbook you want to
  open here.

To exit the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet application, do the following:

1. From the MS Excel window shown below, select Xin the top right corner of the window.
2. Your MS Excel application terminates. But if you have not saved your work, it will ask you to save changes made to your workbook.

• Select Save
  or Don’t Save as you desire.

Working with Excel Spreadsheet

Entering and Editing Data

You can enter and edit text, numbers, dates, or times in one cell, or several cells at once, or on more than one worksheet. To enter and edit data in the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet application:

1. On the worksheet, select a cell.
2. Type the number(s) or text that you want, and
   then press ENTER on the keyboard to continue in another cell downwards or press
   TAB on the keyboard to continue in another cell rightwards.
3. When entering or editing data, a
   cell may display ##### when it contains data that has a number format that is
   wider than the column width. To see all text, you must increase the width of
   the column.

To edit or correct
data in a cell, do
the following:

• Double-click the cell that contains
  the data, OR
• Select the cell that contains
  the data and then click anywhere in the formula bar.
• Use the left or right arrow key to
  move to your point of correction and correct appropriately. You can use
  BACKSPACE on the keyboard to delete unwanted data.

To enter the same data into several cells at once:

1. Select the cells into which you want to enter
   the same data. The cells do not necessarily have to be adjacent.
2. In the active cell, type the data, and then
   press CTRL+ENTER.
3. You can also enter the same data into several
   cells by using the autofill handle
   to automatically fill data in adjacent worksheet cells. You may
   also double-click the autofill handle
   to fill the relevant cells.

Saving Data

1. Hold down the CTRL key on the keyboard and
   press S on the keyboard (CTRL + S). OR

1. On the File
   Menu, click Save or Save As. The following window will appear. In the middle pane, choose where
   you want to save (This PC or OneDrive – Personal). OneDrive –
   personal requires an internet
   connection. In the right pane, choose the folder (say, My Documents).
2. The Save As
   dialog box appears.

1. Type the name
   you want to use to save the workbook in the File Name Box, and choose the location you want to save
   your workbook from the Save in Combo
   Box. (Note: if you did not choose a location, the workbook will
   be saved by default in Documents
   folder)
2. Click the Save button to save your workbook.

Opening Existing Workbook

1. Open the Run command by pressing (Windows logo + R)
2. On the dialog box that appears, type excel and click OK, MS Excel spreadsheet application opens.
3. To open an existing workbook, on the left pane, under Recent, select a Workbook to open.

1. If the workbook you want to open is not displayed, click on Open Other Workbooks. Then choose the file you want from the folder location.

Conclusion

We looked at what is spreadsheet, what is spreadsheet Excel and what is excel used for. Also, we introduced the features of a spreadsheet using Microsoft Excel.

We further illustrated how to open a spreadsheet program, enter data, and exit the program.

A spreadsheet is a computer application that is designed to add, display, analyze, organize, and manipulate data arranged in rows and columns. It is the most popular application for accounting, analytics, data presentation, etc. Or in other words, spreadsheets are scalable grid-based files that are used to organize data and perform calculations. People all across the world use spreadsheets to create tables for personal and business usage. You can also use the tool’s features and formulas to help you make sense of your data. You could, for example, track data in a spreadsheet and see sums, differences, multiplication, division, and fill dates automatically, among other things. Microsoft Excel, Google sheets, Apache open office, LibreOffice, etc are some spreadsheet software. Among all these software, Microsoft Excel is the most commonly used spreadsheet tool and it is available for Windows, macOS, Android, etc. 

A collection of spreadsheets is known as a workbook. Every Excel file is called a workbook. Every time when you start a new project in Excel, you’ll need to create a new workbook. There are several methods for getting started with an Excel workbook. To create a new worksheet or access an existing one, you can either start from scratch or utilize a pre-designed template.

A single Excel worksheet is a tabular spreadsheet that consists of a matrix of rectangular cells grouped in rows and columns. It has a total of 1,048,576 rows and 16,384 columns, resulting in 17,179,869,184 cells on a single page of a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet where you may write, modify, and manage your data.

In the same way as a file or a book is made up of one or more worksheets that contain various types of related data, an Excel workbook is made up of one or more worksheets. You can also create and save an endless number of worksheets. The major purpose is to collect all relevant data in one place, but in many categories (worksheet).

Feature of spreadsheet

As we know that there are so many spreadsheet applications available in the market. So these applications provide the following basic features:

1. Rows and columns: Rows and columns are two distinct features in a spreadsheet that come together to make a cell, a range, or a table. In general, columns are the vertical portion of an excel worksheet, and there can be 256 of them in a worksheet, whereas rows are the horizontal portion, and there can be 1048576 of them.

The color light green is used to highlight Row 3 while the color green is used to highlight Column B. Each column has 1048576 rows and each row has 256 columns.

2. Formulas: In spreadsheets, formulas process data automatically. It takes data from the specified area of the spreadsheet as input then processes that data, and then displays the output into the new area of the spreadsheet according to where the formula is written. In Excel, we can use formulas simply by typing “=Formula Name(Arguments)” to use predefined Excel formulas. When you write the first few characters of any formula, Excel displays a drop-down menu of formulas that match that character sequence. Some of the commonly used formulas are:

• =SUM(Arg1: Arg2): It is used to find the sum of all the numeric data specified in the given range of numbers.
• =COUNT(Arg1: Arg2):  It is used to count all the number of cells(it will count only number) specified in the given range of numbers.
• =MAX(Arg1: Arg2): It is used to find the maximum number from the given range of numbers.
• =MIN(Arg1: Arg2): It is used to find the minimum number from the given range of numbers.
• =TODAY(): It is used to find today’s date.
• =SQRT(Arg1): It is used to find the square root of the specified cell.

For example, you can use the formula to find the average of the integers in column C from row 2 to row 7:

= AVERAGE(D2:D7)

The range of values on which you want to average is defined by D2:D6. The formula is located near the name field on the formula tab.

We wrote =AVERAGE(D2:D6) in cell D9, therefore the average becomes (2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7)/6 = 27/6 = 4.5. So you can quickly create a workbook, work on it, browse through it, and save it in this manner.

3. Function: In spreadsheets, the function uses a specified formula on the input and generates output. Or in other words, functions are created to perform complicated math problems in spreadsheets without using actual formulas. For example, you want to find the total of the numeric data present in the column then use the SUM function instead of adding all the values present in the column. 

4. Text Manipulation: The spreadsheet provides various types of commands to manipulate the data present in it. 

5. Pivot Tables: It is the most commonly used feature of the spreadsheet. Using this table users can organize, group, total, or sort data using the toolbar. Or in other words, pivot tables are used to summarize lots of data. It converts tons of data into a few rows and columns.

Use of Spreadsheets

The use of Spreadsheets is endless. It is generally used with anything that contains numbers. Some of the common use of spreadsheets are:

• Finance: Spreadsheets are used for financial data like it is used for checking account information, taxes, transaction, billing, budgets, etc.
• Forms: Spreadsheet is used to create form templates to manage performance review, timesheets, surveys, etc.
• School and colleges: Spreadsheets are most commonly used in schools and colleges to manage student’s data like their attendance, grades, etc.
• Lists: Spreadsheets are also used to create lists like grocery lists, to-do lists, contact detail, etc.
• Hotels: Spreadsheets are also used in hotels to manage the data of their customers like their personal information, room numbers, check-in date, check-out date, etc.

Components of Spreadsheets

The basic components of spreadsheets are:

1. TitleBar: The title bar displays the name of the spreadsheet and application. 

2. Toolbar: It displays all the options or commands available in Excel for use.  

3. NameBox: It displays the address of the current or active cell.

4. Formula Bar: It is used to display the data entered by us in the active cell. Also, this bar is used to apply formulas to the data of the spreadsheet. 

5. Column Headings: Every excel spreadsheet contains 256 columns and each column present in the spreadsheet is named by letters or a combination of letters. 

6. Row Headings: Every excel spreadsheet contains 65,536 rows and each row present in the spreadsheet is named by a number.

7. Cell: In a spreadsheet, everything like a numeric value, functions, expressions, etc., is recorded in the cell. Or we can say that an intersection of rows and columns is known as a cell. Every cell has its own name or address according to its column and rows and when the cursor is present on the first cell then that cell is known as an active cell.

8. Cell referring: A cell reference, also known as a cell address, is a way for describing a cell on a worksheet that combines a column letter and a row number. We can refer to any cell on the worksheet using cell references (in excel formulae). As shown in the above image the cell in column A and row 1 is referred to as A1. Such notations can be used in any formula or to duplicate the value of one cell to another (by using = A1).

9. Navigation buttons: A spreadsheet contains first, previous, next, and last navigation buttons. These buttons are used to move from one worksheet to another workbook. 

10. Sheet tabs: As we know that a workbook is a collection of worksheets. So this tab contains all the worksheets present in the workbook, by default it contains three worksheets but you can add more according to your requirement.

Create a new Spreadsheet or Workbook

To create a new spreadsheet follow the following steps:

Step 1: Click on the top-left, Microsoft office button and a drop-down menu appear.

Step 2: Now select New from the menu.

Step 3: After selecting the New option a New Workbook dialogue box will appear and then in Create tab, click on the blank Document.

A new blank worksheet is created and is shown on your screen. 

Note: When you open MS Excel on your computer, it creates a new Workbook for you.

Saving The Workbook 

In Excel we can save a workbook using the following steps:

Step 1: Click on the top-left, Microsoft office button and we get a drop-down menu:

Step 2: Now Save or Save As are the options to save the workbook, so choose one.

• Save As: To name the spreadsheet and then save it to a specific location. Select Save As if you wish to save the file for the first time, or if you want to save it with a new name.
• Save: To save your work, select Save/ click ctrl + S if the file has already been named.

So this is how you can save a workbook in Excel.

Inserting text in Spreadsheet

Excel consists of many rows and columns, each rectangular box in a row or column is referred to as a Cell. So, the combination of a column letter and a row number can be used to find a cell address on a worksheet or spreadsheet. We can refer to any cell in the worksheet using these addresses (in excel formulas). The name box on the top left(below the Home tab) displays the cell’s address whenever you click the cell.

To insert the data into the cell follow the following steps:

Step 1: Go to a cell and click on it

Step 2: By typing something on the keyboard, you can insert your data (In that selected cell).

Whatever text you type displays in the formula bar as well (for that cell).

Edit/ Delete Cell Contents in the Spreadsheet

To delete cell content follow the following steps:

Step 1: To alter or delete the text in a cell, first select it. 

Step 2: Press the Backspace key on your keyboard to delete and correct text. Alternatively, hit the Delete key to delete the whole contents of a cell. You can also edit and delete text using the formula bar. Simply select the cell and move the pointer to the formula bar.

Excel is an electronic spreadsheet program that is used for storing, organizing, and manipulating data.

What Excel Is Used For

Electronic spreadsheet programs were originally based on paper spreadsheets used for accounting. As such, the basic layout of computerized spreadsheets is the same as the paper ones. Related data is stored in tables — which are a collection of small rectangular boxes or cells organized into rows and columns.

All versions of Excel and other spreadsheet programs can store several spreadsheet pages in a single computer file. The saved computer file is often referred to as a workbook and each page in the workbook is a separate worksheet.

Spreadsheet Cells and Cell References

When you look at the Excel screen — or any other spreadsheet screen — you see a rectangular table or grid of rows and columns.

In newer versions of Excel, each worksheet contains roughly a million rows and more than 16,000 columns, which necessitates an addressing scheme in order to keep track of where data is located.

The horizontal rows are identified by numbers (1, 2, 3) and the vertical columns by letters of the alphabet (A, B, C). For columns beyond 26, columns are identified by two or more letters such as AA, AB, AC or AAA, AAB, etc.

The intersection point between a column and a row is the small rectangular box known as a cell. The cell is the basic unit for storing data in the worksheet, and because each worksheet contains millions of these cells, each one is identified by its cell reference.

A cell reference is a combination of the column letter and the row number such as A3, B6, and AA345. In these cell references, the column letter is always listed first.

Data Types, Formulas, and Functions

The types of data that a cell can hold include:

• Numbers
• Text
• Dates and times
• Boolean values
• Formulas

Formulas are used for calculations — usually incorporating data contained in other cells. These cells, however, may be located on different worksheets or in different workbooks.

Creating a formula starts by entering the equal sign in the cell where you want the answer displayed. Formulas can also include cell references to the location of data and one or more spreadsheet functions.

Functions in Excel and other electronic spreadsheets are built-in formulas that are designed to simplify carrying out a wide range of calculations – from common operations such as entering the date or time to more complex ones such as finding specific information located in large tables of data.

Excel and Financial Data

Spreadsheets are often used to store financial data. Formulas and functions that are used on this type of data include:

• Performing basic mathematical operations such as summing columns or rows of numbers
• Finding values such as profit or loss
• Calculating repayment plans for loans or mortgages
• Finding the average, maximum, minimum and other statistical values in a specified range of data
• Carrying out What-If analysis on data, where variables are modified one at a time to see how the change affects other data, such as expenses and profits

Excel’s Other Uses

Other common operations that Excel can be used for include:

• Graphing or charting data to assist users in identifying data trends
• Formatting data to make important data easy to find and understand
• Printing data and charts for use in reports
• Sorting and filtering data to find specific information
• Linking worksheet data and charts for use in other programs such as Microsoft PowerPoint and Word
• Importing data from database programs for analysis

Spreadsheets were the original «killer apps» for personal computers because of their ability to compile and make sense of information. Early spreadsheet programs such as VisiCalc and Lotus 1-2-3 were largely responsible for the growth in popularity of computers like the Apple II and the IBM PC as a business tool.

Excel Alternatives

Other current spreadsheet programs that are available for use include:

• Google Sheets: A free, web-based spreadsheet program
• Excel Online: A free, scaled-down, web-based version of Excel
• Open Office Calc: A free, downloadable spreadsheet program.

Thanks for letting us know!

Microsoft Excel is a software program included in the Microsoft Office suite. It is used to create spreadsheets, which are documents in which data is laid out in rows and columns — like a big table.

Due to its extreme versatility and power, Excel has become one of the most-used software programs in the business world since its launch in 1985. Indeed, the personal computing renaissance of the 1980s and 1990s was largely driven by the many uses of Excel and other spreadsheet software.

What is a spreadsheet?

A spreadsheet is a special way of organizing data into rows and columns to make it simpler to read and manipulate. Here’s a screenshot of a blank spreadsheet:

As you can see, the document is comprised of columns (the vertical sets of boxes labeled A, B, C, etc. on the top of the screen), and rows (the horizontal sets of boxes labeled 1, 2, 3, etc. on the bottom of the screen). At the intersection of each row and column is a cell into which a user can enter either numbers or text. The address of any given cell is generated by combining the letter of the cell’s column with the number of the cell’s row. For example, the cell highlighted in the diagram below is at address B4, because it lies at the intersection of column B and row 4. When we refer to this cell verbally, we call it, «Cell B4.»

The image above, of course, represents a very simple spreadsheet. More complex spreadsheets can contains hundreds or even thousands of rows and columns, the combination of which can represent millions of cells. These cells can be linked together with calculations and formulas to perform complex mathematical logic simply and easily.

What is Excel used for?

That’s all well and good, but what are spreadsheets used for? Almost everything. Spreadsheets are extraordinarily powerful tools, and are used frequently in the business world to store and manipulate data.

Throughout the course of these tutorials, we’ll be following SnackWorld, a fictional company, as it uses Excel to track data about its business. Here’s one example of how SnackWorld uses Excel in the workplace:

As you can see, SnackWorld has used the above Excel spreadsheet to keep track of its sales numbers by item sold. The tabular format of a spreadsheet is the perfect way to measure this complex set of data — it would take a long time for SnackWorld’s managers to write this out by hand! And Excel’s formulas and functions, which we’ll learn later on in this module, allow employees to easily pull out specific pieces of data to answer managers’ questions.

Here are a few examples of other ways a company might use Excel. Remember, though, that these are just examples. Excel is infinitely flexible, so the possibilities are endless:

• Keep track of sales by customer from month to month;
• Monitor customer payments to ensure that none are late;
• Keep track of expenses and assign them to particular employees;
• Calculate hours worked per employee for monthly payroll;
• Calculating monthly payments on the office mortgage;
• Creating graphs or charts to explain company performance over time;
• Estimate monthly sales for the next three years based on historical data; and
• Assign projects and tasks to employees in a centralized location.

How to learn Excel

Now that you know what Excel is, it’s time to learn how to use it! Get started with our how to use Excel article and begin to harness the power of this amazing tool.

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“The global economy is built on two things: the internal combustion engine and Microsoft Excel. Never forget this.”
— Kevin Hector, Twitter

The quote simply says it all. Some say the business world has a love/hate relationship with spreadsheets. That’s Because spreadsheet programs are one of the most commonly used software around the world.

There are different spreadsheet software and applications available on the market today. However, MS Excel and google sheets are currently very popular.

The spreadsheet is probably the first thing you see once you open the Excel programme. Did you know that the spreadsheet has its own terminology? Starting with ‘Absolute cell reference’ and finishing with ‘Worksheet’. 

This goes to show how powerful and in demand spreadsheets are. But what is a spreadsheet exactly, and what does it do?

What is a Spreadsheet?

One way to define something is to look at it comparatively. In other words, to find differences and similarities by comparing it to something else. However, before diving into compare and contrast, let’s see how a spreadsheet has been defined. We managed to extract two brief definitions of the spreadsheet. 

“A spreadsheet is a software used to perform mathematical calculations on data. It is also used to generate reports and data visualization.”

“A spreadsheet is made up of rows and columns. Columns are vertical and rows are horizontal. It is used to calculate, store and sort different types of data.”

In the next part, we are going to compare a Spreadsheet with a Worksheet, Workbook, Database, and Table. Our aim is not only to gain a better understanding of the Spreadsheet but also to answer some common questions. 

Spreadsheet Vs. Database

Databases handle huge volumes of complex data. Whereas the spreadsheet has record limitations, this means you are able to see the data at a glance. The data in a spreadsheet is stored in a cell which can be manipulated, edited and formatted within that cell. So, a spreadsheet is different in the way it stores data which might be more static compared to a database which is more relational. For instance, a database can contain records from external tables and accommodates many sorts of data.  Remember these two terms might be used interchangeably, yet they have their differences, and each has its functions, pros, and cons. 

Spreadsheet Vs. Worksheet  

A spreadsheet is also called a worksheet. The worksheet is the grid on which you fill in the information. Simply put, a worksheet is a single spreadsheet. It is made up of several rows and columns. So, the spreadsheet can be a collection of worksheets. As mentioned before, both these terms are used interchangeably since they are known to be close in how they are defined. 

Spreadsheet Vs. Workbook

Considering the above definition, a workbook is formed by a combination of separate spreadsheets. So when you open the Excel program, you are actually opening a workbook. Therefore, an Excel workbook consists of multiple spreadsheets which are almost independent. The workbook manages data with a larger purpose in mind. Whereas a worksheet is used to enter and manage data.  

Spreadsheet Vs. Table

The structure of the table is similar to a spreadsheet; it has columns and rows. Tables are within a spreadsheet and are a collection of cells; they can be named and called into a formula. Spreadsheets, on the other hand, store individual data, charts, tables, formulas, macros, named ranges, etc. 

Basics of Spreadsheet Layout

Basically, a file in Excel is known as a “Workbook”. However, let’s start with the most primary element of the spreadsheet which is the “Cell” and then move on to “Workbook”. 

Below you can see important features of a spreadsheet explained and highlighted. 

Selection of a Cell 

The image shows a Cell, which is also called an ‘Active Cell’. As you can see, cell F8 has been selected. Therefore, a cell is labeled based on its placement. In this case, the F8 cell, where “F” refers to its column name, and “8” shows its row number.    You can record different types of data in a cell which we will further discuss below.

Selection of Rows and Columns 

In MS Excel spreadsheet, Rows are labeled numerically (e.g. 1, 2, 3 to 1,048,576). A row is a horizontal series of cells. As you can see in the image, Row 6 has been selected. One way to do this is by clicking on number 6, or any number you want. 

Columns in Excel spreadsheets are labeled with letters of the alphabet (e.g. A, B, and so forth). A column is a series of cells that form a vertical line. As you can see in the image below, column F has been selected. To do this you can click on any of the letters above the column.

Note: Total number of rows and columns on an Excel worksheet is 1,048,576 rows by 16,384 columns in the newer versions. If you’d like to learn more about the specification and limitations of MS Excel, you can visit this page.

Workbook

An Excel workbook contains one or multiple worksheets. You can access the worksheets through the tabs at the bottom of your worksheet, as you can see in the image below. If you want to add a new worksheet, you can click on the ‘+’. The ‘+’ sign is on the right side of the worksheet tabs.

Here, we have added 6 worksheets to the workbook. 

Note: Sheet names can be easily changed. To change the worksheet name, all you have to do is to right-click (double click) on the sheet tabs. Then rename the worksheet.

Type of Data You Can Store in a Spreadsheet

We already know that spreadsheets are mainly used to store and manipulate data. But it is important to have an idea about the type of data you can enter into a spreadsheet. 

• Numbers: you can enter numeric values such as date, time, scientific numbers, or formatted numbers in each cell.  Then you can perform mathematical calculations on them. 
• Text: texts can be headings for columns/rows, labels for values, or lists. You can also enter textual information or instructions about the spreadsheet. A cell can contain 32, 767 characters in the newer versions. 
• Formulas: Formula is what a spreadsheet is all about.  A formula performs calculations when you enter it into a cell. And the formula result appears in the cell. There are different types of formulas ranging from simple mathematical expressions to powerful functions. It is important to note that the ability to use formulas is the most important feature of a spreadsheet.

Example and Purpose of Using a Spreadsheet

What can’t a spreadsheet be used for? Simply everything!

You can, basically, store, sort, and modify different types of data, especially numbers and text in a spreadsheet.  The uses of an Excel spreadsheet can be divided into two main categories: daily life and business.

We are going to share with you a few practical examples:

• Calendar: you can create a custom calendar with days in the columns and hours in the rows. 
• Lists: you can make any type of list such as to-do lists, shopping lists, or contact lists.
• Travel and Vacation Planning: you can use a spreadsheet to make a packing list, addresses, costs, etc. 
• Data Analysis: you can store the required data, calculate statistics, generate charts, conditional formatting, and so on. 
• Meeting Agendas: you can create a sheet with a column for time and another column for discussion items. 
• Attendance Reporting: you can produce a list with names in a column and another for present/ absent or other information you would like to include in your report. 
• Stock Portfolio Tracking:  you can create a sheet in which you can include the number of shares, long term vs, short term, stock prices, etc. 

Example- Personal Monthly Budget Report in Excel 

Now, let’s put what we have discussed into practice; and use an Excel spreadsheet to help us make a very simple personal budget report.  

Step1: First of all, create a new worksheet by clicking on the ‘+’ sign. So, we have Sheet2. You can rename it by a double right-click on the Sheet2 tab.

Step2: In the first column, you can type ‘Expense category’.  Then give details of the expenses, as you can see below. We have added Housing, groceries, transportation, and so forth.

Step3: Add these headings to the next columns ‘Planned Cost’, ‘Actual Cost’, ‘Difference’, and ‘Notes’. Now, fill it with your own data, as you can see we have done in the image.

Step4: Now, you can select the table. To do this, go to the upper-left corner of the table (or cell A1), then drag your cursor and select columns A to D. Once you select the Columns, go to Insert in the Excel Menu Bar.

Step5: After selecting the table and clicking on Insert on the Menu Bar. Find the Recommended Charts and click on its option You can choose the first or the second option which are both different types of column charts. The first option is a Clustered Column chart and the second one is a Stacked column chart. We have chosen the second option. Now, click OK.

Step6: Now what you have is a Personal Monthly Budget report, including a Stacked Column Chart. As you can see in the image, we have also filled in the total for each column. If you’d like to learn how to add up a column, you can check out the ‘How to Add Numbers, Cells, and Columns in Excel’ blog.

Wrap Up 

In this tutorial blog, you have learned what a spreadsheet is, the basics of a spreadsheet, its features, and its purposes. On top of that, we provided a very practical yet simple example to put that knowledge into practice.  

We know that a spreadsheet is not only a very flexible and powerful tool for entering, storing, and organizing information, but can also manipulate numerical data using formulas and functions. 

It’s not easy to set up a spreadsheet because it can be very time-consuming. There are a wide range of templates available online or come with most software packages. Yet to be able to tap into Excel’s more complex capabilities, it’s important to undergo training and be up to date. Our team of experts are trained professionals who are more than happy to provide solutions for your specific needs. This will surely save you a lot of time and effort.

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