A Spreadsheet is a large sheet having data and information arranged in rows and columns. As you know, Excel is one of the most widely used spreadsheet applications. It is a part of Microsoft Office suite. Spreadsheet is quite useful in entering, editing, analyzing and storing data. Arithmetic operations with numerical data such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division can be done using Excel. You can sort numbers/ characters according to some given criteria (like ascending, descending etc.) and use simple financial, mathematical and statistical formulas.
FEATURES
OF SPREADSHEETS
There
are a number of features that are available in Excel to make your task easier.
Some of the main features are:
- AutoSum - helps you to add the contents of a cluster of adjacent cells.
- List AutoFill - automatically extends cell formatting when a new item is added to the end of a list.
- AutoFill - allows you to quickly fill cells with repetitive or sequential data such as chronological dates or numbers, and repeated text. AutoFill can also be used to copy functions. You can also alter text and numbers with this feature.
- AutoShapes Toolbar will allow you to draw a number of geometrical shapes, arrows, flowchart elements, stars and more. With these shapes you can draw your own graphs.
- Wizard - guides you to work effectively while you work by displaying various helpful tips and techniques based on what you are doing.
- Drag and Drop - it will help you to reposition the data and text by simply dragging the data with the help of mouse.
- Charts - it will help you in presenting a graphical representation of your data in the form of Pie, Bar, Line charts and more.
- PivotTable - it flips and sums data in seconds and allows you to perform data analysis and generating reports like periodic financial statements, statistical reports, etc. You can also analyze complex data relationships graphically.
- Shortcut Menus - the commands that are appropriate to the task that you are doing will appear by clicking the right mouse button
BENEFITS OF USING MS EXCEL
MS Excel is widely used
for various purposes because the data is easy to save, and information can be
added and removed without any discomfort and less hard work.
Given below are a few important benefits of using MS Excel:
- Easy To Store Data: Since there is no limit to the amount of information that can be saved in a spreadsheet, MS Excel is widely used to save data or to analyse data. Filtering information in Excel is easy and convenient.
- Easy To Recover Data: If the information is written on a piece of paper, finding it may take longer, however, this is not the case with excel spreadsheets. Finding and recovering data is easy.
- Data at One Place: Earlier, data was to be kept in different files and registers when the paperwork was done. Now, this has become convenient as more than one worksheet can be added in a single MS Excel file.
- Application of Mathematical Formulas: Doing calculations has become easier and less time-taking with the formulas option in MS excel
- More Secure: These spreadsheets can be password secured in a laptop or personal computer and the probability of losing them is way lesser in comparison to data written in registers or piece of paper.
- Neater and Clearer Visibility of Information: When the data is saved in the form of a table, analysing it becomes easier. Thus, information is a spreadsheet that is more readable and understandable.
