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General Purpose Packages. Spreadsheets. What is a Spreadsheet?. A Spreadsheet is a computer program used mainly for recording mathematical data such as bank records, accounts, bills, scientific records etc. Spreadsheets carry out calculations based on the numbers and formula entered in them.
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General Purpose Packages Spreadsheets
What is a Spreadsheet? • A Spreadsheet is a computer program used mainly for recording mathematical data such as bank records, accounts, bills, scientific records etc. • Spreadsheets carry out calculations based on the numbers and formula entered in them. • The software that creates a spreadsheet is called a spreadsheet package. • Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet package.
Spreadsheet Structure • A spreadsheet basically consists of an electronic table or grid, made up of cells. • Each cell is named from the column and row which it occupies.
Column Cell Row Cells, Columns and Rows • Cells are arranged in rows and columns. • The rows are referenced by numbers and the columns by letters.
Values, Text, and Formulae. • A cell can contain one of three types of information • A value (number) • Text • or a formula • Cells containing formulae allow us to perform calculations using data stored in other cells.
Formulas • There are four basic calculations that can be performed in spreadsheets. These are: • Addition (+) • Subtraction (-) • Multiplication (*) • Division (/) • Formulae always start with the equals sign (=) to show that the content in the cell is equal to the formula it calculates
Formulas Simple Formulas • An example of a simple formula: =A3+B9 Complex Formulas • An example of a Complex formula: =((A9*100)-(B9*50)+(H12*H12))/G7 • Basically Complex means harder
Formatting • As with word processing you can change the way your spreadsheet looks. This is called altering the cell format • You can alter: • The Column width • The Row height • The Cell Alignment (left, right or centred)
Cell Attributes • When you set up the attributes you are defining the format of the properties in that cell
Other Features • Cell Protection • Allows you to ‘lock’ cells so they can not be changed. • Insert Row & Column • Allows you to add a new row or column. • If you are inserting them between two columns or rows then it will move the information in them over to the next row • Replication • Simply means copying • Good for copying formulas from one cell to another • An example of this is the ‘fill down’ command
Calculation • Automatic Calculation • If you change the value in a cell any other cells that affect that value will be changed automatically • Manual Calculation • Automatic Calculation can be turned off so that other cells can only be updated when you tell it to.
Charting • Values and figures can be uninteresting and sometimes difficult to see trends. • Most spreadsheet packages allow the user to create charts based on these figures. • These can make presentations. interesting and colourful
Functions • Predefined formulas that perform calculations, e.g. • SUM, AVERAGE, MAXIMUM, MINIMUM & IF • These calculate from a range of cells using the : symbol.
Functions • The IF function is used to make a decision depending on the values given. • For example this formula is in cell A10: =IF(D5>50, ‘You Win’,’You Lose’) • Meaning: • If the value of cell D5 is greater than 50, then place ‘You Win’ in A10, otherwise place ‘You Loose’ in A10
Referencing • A relative reference will change when the formula it is in is replicated to other cells. • An absolute reference will not change when a formula is replicated. • Absolute cell references are very useful for referring to specific cells in a spreadsheet • The $ symbol is used to ‘keep’ the formula relating to a particular cell. =C5*$B$2 =C6*$B$2…