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What is a Spreadsheet?
Suppose you wanted to keep track of all your grades in one
of your classes so you could figure out your final average for the class.
Spreadsheet programs are the perfect software for doing this kind of work.
Spreadsheets are set up like tables with information running
across rows and down columns. You could enter your assignments in one
vertical column. Then you could enter the grade or score you received
on each assignment in the next column. The spreadsheet could add up
all the scores and calculate your average. When an assignment is
returned to you, you could add it to the spreadsheet, and your average would
be updated automatically. Just think how long it would take you to do
this if you did it by hand!
Spreadsheet
Basics
A spreadsheet is a program that processes information that
is set up in tables. Spreadsheets can be used to:
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place numbers and text in easy-to-read rows and columns
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calculate numbers and show the result
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calculate new results when the numbers are changed
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create charts to display data
These features make spreadsheets perfect for tracking
information that involves numbers. Suppose you work at a company that
needs to decided what price to charge for a product. You can create a
spreadsheet that shows how much profit your company will make by charging
several different prices. The spreadsheet finds the results quickly.
Those results can be used to set a price.
Understanding
Worksheets When you use a spreadsheet program, your data goes
into a special kind of document called a worksheet, a grid made of vertical
columns and horizontal rows. Columns are labeled with letters, and
rows are labeled with numbers. Each column and row meets to
make a box called a cell. Each cell in the grid is identified by a
unique name-- its cell address. The address is made simply by taking
the letter of the column and the number o f the row that meet to make the
cell. for example, column C and row 3 create the cell address C3.
Parts of a Worksheet Most worksheets look similar. The
parts of a worksheet include: Frame: The frame forms
the top and left borders of the worksheet. It includes the column and row
headings. Active Cell: The active cell is the cell
currently in use. A rectangle appears around this cell to highlight it
and make it easy to spot. Cell Identifier: Located in
the upper left corner, just above the frame, the cell identifier is an area
that shows the cell address of the cell that is active.
Formula Bar: The formula bar displays what you type. This data
will be entered into the active cell when you are done. The formula
bar is like a one-line word-processing program. Pressing Enter,
Return, or an arrow key completes the entry and places the data in the cell.
Scroll Bars: Scroll bars appear on the worksheet's right and bottom
edges. You can click on the arrows or slide the scroll box to see
another part of the worksheet. Worksheet Tabs: On the
same line as the horizontal scroll bar are tabs that show the other
worksheets that belong to the same spreadsheet file. If you click on
one of these tabs, you switch to that worksheet. Status Bar:
The status bar appears below the scroll bar at the very bottom of the
worksheet. Messages from the program are displayed here.
Working With a Spreadsheet
Spreadsheet programs share many features. You can perform many similar
actions, regardless of the program. Moving Around: You
can use the Home, End, Page Up, and Page Down keys, along with the scroll
bars, to move large distances within the worksheet. You can use the
Tab key to move one cell to the right or the arrow keys to move one cell at
a time in any direction. Selecting Cells and Entering Data:
To make a cell active, click on that cell. Then type to enter data in
the cell. Data can be text, numbers, dates, or formulas.
Formulas: Formulas are mathematical expressions, which sometimes link
numbers in cells. A simple formula might add the numbers in two cells.
The formula appears in the formula bar but not in the active cell. The
active cell shows the result of the formula -- in this case, the sum of the
two numbers in the other cells. Functions are commonly used formulas
built into the program that make it easier to write the formulas you need.
Formatting the Worksheet: You can change the look of a worksheet in
many ways. You can add or remove rows or columns or change their size.
you can change the font or type size of the data. You can also add
color, borders, or shading and change how the data is aligned in the cell. |
