Spreadsheet is a computer program used to organize numerical and other data in rows and columns, and then to perform calculations involving the rows and columns of numbers. Its many uses include mathematical, financial, scientific, and non-numerical work. Spreadsheet also refers to a body of data created by means of a spreadsheet program, and to a display of such data. The first spreadsheet program, VisiCalc, was introduced in 1978 for use on the Apple II personal computer. Spreadsheet programs used today include Microsoft Excel, Lotus 1-2-3, and Corel Quattro Pro.
The term spreadsheet comes from the accountant’s spreadsheet—a large piece of lined paper used to list and analyze financial information. Spreadsheet programs have almost completely replaced such paper documents. These programs, which accommodate hundreds of columns and thousands of rows of data, can perform simple and complex mathematical operations. They make it easy to insert, delete, change, reorganize, analyze, and search for information. In addition, most programs can display data in graphs. Repetitive tasks can be automated through macros, small programs written by the user and stored with the spreadsheet data.
The accompanying illustration shows two versions of a spreadsheet displayed on a computer screen. The columns are identified by letters, and the rows by numbers. The intersection of a column and a row is called a cell and is identified by one or two column letters and a row number. The currently selected cell is C8. Formulas link cells so that a change in one cell automatically changes all related cells. For example, the number in a cell C8 is based on a formula that tells the computer to multiply the number in B8 by 10, because each student contributes $10 to Lincoln Hospital. This formula is displayed in the white box above the column headings. When the user changes the number in B8, the numbers in C8 and other related cells change automatically.
Spreadsheets can link cells in one worksheet (set of rows and columns) with cells in one or more other worksheets. These worksheets may be stored in a single file as a workbook, with each worksheet on its own “page.” A corporation might create a workbook to evaluate ways it might invest in its divisions. Changing certain cells in the corporate worksheet would automatically change cells in divisional worksheets.
