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Computer and Information Technology

A spreadsheet is a grid of numbers and text organized in rows and columns, with MS Excel being a popular electronic spreadsheet application. It allows users to enter, manipulate, and store data efficiently, making it useful for tasks like budgeting, inventory management, and financial reporting. Key advantages include fast data processing, easy modifications, and error-free calculations, along with features like formula entry and various functions to perform calculations.

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Dhrubo Adhikary
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20 views

Computer and Information Technology

A spreadsheet is a grid of numbers and text organized in rows and columns, with MS Excel being a popular electronic spreadsheet application. It allows users to enter, manipulate, and store data efficiently, making it useful for tasks like budgeting, inventory management, and financial reporting. Key advantages include fast data processing, easy modifications, and error-free calculations, along with features like formula entry and various functions to perform calculations.

Uploaded by

Dhrubo Adhikary
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Spreadsheet (MS-Excel)

INTRODUCTION
Any grid or array of numbers and/or text in rows and columns is called a Spreadsheet. This array or grid
is a place to write down numbers and calculate them easily.
The electronic spreadsheet is an extremely useful application program for both the business and the
home user. One of the popular spreadsheet package is MS Excel. It is made up of horizontal rows and
vertical columns in the data can be stored.
Spreadsheet software makes it possible to enter data into a table format, manipulate them, store
them, print them and create reports and graphs using them. All this can be done with relative ease
compared to working by hand with the same rows and columns of data.
In a spreadsheet the rows are labeled with numbers and columns with alphabets. The intersection of
a row and a column is called a cell. The intersection of row 3 with column C is cell C3. This naming
convention is followed in all spreadsheets. For example, the first cell, the cell obtained from the
intersection of row 1 with column A is called Al.
There are many software companies authoring spreadsheet programmes. Some of the most popular
ones are : Lotus 1-2-3, MS-Excel, Quatro-Pro, VP Planner, Multiplan, SoftCalc.

Functions:

With the spreadsheet, we can prepare the following:


• Budgets • Annual reports
• Accounts payable and receivable • Production schedules
• Invoices • Income statements
• Loan analysis • Tax statements
• Developing business plan • Graphing trends
• Maintaining data on employees or clients • Managing inventory

• Performing standard accounting functions

ADVANTAGES OF AN ELECTRONIC SPREADSHEET


The computer processess data at a great speed and stores huge amounts of data. The following
important advantages are :
(i) Large spreadsheets can be stored effortlessly on the computer. (ii) Making
changes is simple, (iii) Entering data is fast and easy.
(iv) Calculations on the electronic spreadsheet are almost error-free that is, if the data
entered is correct, then the results are definitely correct. (v) Extracting meaningful
information is easy.

APPLICATIONS OF SPREADSHEET
a) Budgets: Spreadsheets are commonly used to develop and monitor budgets. The
budgeted items are usually listed across the row. The columns indicate various budget periods.

b) Inventory Management: Many small business use spreadsheets to keep track of


inventory. The various inventory items are listed down the rows. The columns give the number
or items shipped and the number of items remaining in the inventory at particular times.
c) Portfolio Management: Spreadsheets are used to keep track of investment
portfolios. Each investment occupies a single line.
d) Proposal Costing: To arrive at a final bid for a contract, an executive must consider
hundreds of costs that affect the job, including wage rates, the costs of raw materials, permits,
taxes and the desired level of profits. The data related to the bid may be arranged in the form of
a spreadsheet.
e) Management Decision Support: Spreadsheets are commonly used to make
projections of business condition. They are used in analyzing the effects of changes in various
conditions.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A SPREADSHEET
Although spreadsheet software organizes data into rows and columns, it has many other
characteristics, which makes it one of the most popular applications packages. A user must
understand these characteristics so that he can develop applications using it and use it as a
problem-solving and decision-making tool. These characteristics include:

• Table Format • Data Forms


• Recalculations • Storage and Retrieval

• Presentation • Standard Format.

FEATURES OF MS-EXCEL
(i) Entering and Editing Text: To enter any text, simply activate any cell by clicking on it and
starting typing. Press enter to conclude entry. If we made any mistake while typing, simply press
backspace key to erase the present contents and type the correct text. If you notice an error after
finishing the entry, activate the relevant cell and press F2 function key.

(ii) Entering numbers: Numbers are basic raw materials for spreadsheets. You can type
numbers either by using the number keys on top of letter keys or by using extended numeric pad
on the keyboard.

(iii) Entering formulas: The real power of Excel lies in it being able to store complex formulas.
You can either build formulas using absolute numbers or use relative cell address like = A 1 + B
1.
(iv) Entering dates: In Excel you cannot only enter dates but can also do mathematics on them.
Here dates are stored as numbers.
(v) Alignment: Any text that you type is always left aligned within the cell. Any number that
you type is always right aligned within the cells. These alignments can be changed as per you
requirements.

FUNCTIONS OF MS-EXCEL
Round ( ): Rounds of a number to the specified number of decimal places.
Sqrt ( ) : Calculates the square root of any specified number.
Average ( ): Calculates the average of a series of specified numbers
Max ( ): Finds out the maximum value from a series of specified numbers.
Min ( ): Finds out the minimum value from a series of specified numbers.
Count ( ): Finds out the number of entries in a specified range.
Sum ( ): Calculates the sum of entries in a specified range.
If (): Conduct conditional tests on values and formulas and executes
some operation based upon the result of that text.

File Menu
• New : Creates a new blank file.
• Open : Opens or finds an existing file.
• Close : Closes the active file without exiting the application. If the file contains any
unsaved changes, you will be prompted to save the file before closing.
• Save : Saves the active file with its current file name, location, and file format. In case a
new file is saved for the first time, the user has to specify the file name, location and file
format.

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