Spreadsheets


  1. The most common spreadsheets are Lotus 123, Excel, and Quattro, each part of an Office package (Lotus Office, Microsoft Office, and Corel Office, respectively)
  2. All spreadsheets use a basic row and column format
  3. Spreadsheets are capable of graphing data
  4. Spreadsheets are also capable of performing many types of calculations.
  5. Getting help


  1. The most common spreadsheets are Lotus 123, Excel, and Quattro, each part of an Office package (Lotus Office, Microsoft Office, and Corel Office, respectively)
    1. Microsoft Office is most common on PCs and Macs
    2. Student discounts on Corel Office are tremendous
    3. Many large corporations use Lotus Office
    4. Works packages, such as Microsoft Works, Clarisworks, etc., include a spreadsheet with more limited capabilities.
  2. All spreadsheets use a basic row and column format
    (See Demo)
    1. Rows are usually referred to by number, columns by letter
      A1 refers to the top-left cell. B1 refers to the cell to its right.
    2. A range of values is referred to by specifying the cells in each corner of a rectangle, placing .. in between
      A1..B3 refers to the 6 cells, A1,A2,A3,B1,B2,B3
    3. In Windows and Mac programs, cells can be highlighted (selected) by holding down the left mouse button and dragging the point to the opposite corner of the rectangle
  3. Spreadsheets are capable of graphing data
    (See Demo)
    1. Select the data to be graphed, as discussed above.
    2. What you do next depends on the program, but generally all of the programs will have an icon that looks something like a graph. Click on it and proceed.
    3. Some common graph types are pie graphs, bar graphs, X-Y scatter and line graphs, and three-dimensional surfaces.
    4. The graphs can be annotated using the drawing tools in the spreadsheet, making adding lines and text easy.
  4. Spreadsheets are also capable of performing many types of calculations.
    (see Demo)
    1. As before, you need to be able to select the data you want to analyze.
    2. Example calculations include sums, averages, and basic statistics.
    3. Each spreadsheet has a set of functions for performing these calculations.
      For many, the functions start with an @ sign, such as @sum(A1..A3) which will sum the first three values in column A
  5. Getting help
    1. Windows and Mac programs have good on-line help programs.
      Read through the introductory parts and use SEARCH to find other topics
    2. Many books are available on spreadsheets. It may be worth your time to invest.

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