Dictionary of Computers - spreadsheet

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Program that mimics a sheet of ruled paper, divided into columns down the page, and rows across. The user enters values into cells within the worksheet, then instructs the program to perform some operation on them, such as totalling a column or finding the average of a series of numbers. Calculations are made by using a formula. Highly complex numerical analyses may be built up from these simple steps.

Columns and rows in a spreadsheet are labelled; although different programs use different methods, columns are often labelled with alpha characters, and rows with numbers. When a cell containing a formula is copied and pasted within a spreadsheet, the formula is said to be relative, meaning the cell references from which it takes its values are relative to its new position. An absolute reference does not change.

The pages of a spreadsheet can be formatted to make them easier to read; the height of rows, the width of columns, and the typeface of the text may all be changed. Number formats may also be changed to display, for example, fractions as decimals or numbers as integers. Spreadsheets are widely used in business for forecasting and financial control. The first spreadsheet program, Software Arts' VisiCalc, appeared in 1979; of the subsequent programs the best known is Microsoft Excel.

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