We explain what a spreadsheet is and what the history of this computer tool is. Also, what it is for and some examples.
What is a spreadsheet?
A spreadsheet or electronic template is understood to be a type of digital tool that consists of a document made up of rows and columns in a table thus forming cells in which alphanumeric information can be entered and related in a logical, mathematical or sequential manner.
The spreadsheets are a computer tool of enormous application and validity in the most diverse fields of human activity in today's world. From administrators, accountants, scientists and inventory managers, even the professions less given to mathematics take advantage of it and its ability to automate certain operations, such as the ordering of data or combinations of the four main mathematics: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
Thus, a spreadsheet is a versatile computer tool, adaptable to different needs, and common in office software packages such as Microsoft Office, LibreOffice, OpenOffice, etc.
See also: Office automation
History of the spreadsheet
The first electronic data sheet was created in 1972 taking advantage of algorithms already patented a couple of years earlier by Pardo and Landau. Its announcement took place in the article Budgeting models and system Simulation by Richard Mattessich, although the accepted inventor of spreadsheets as we know them is Dan Bricklin.
According to Bricklin, The idea arose from an extensive table drawn on a blackboard by a professor at his university, who, perceiving a wrong calculation almost at the end, had to rethink it from the beginning, erasing all his hard work. Seeing this, Bricklin imagined the possibility of an interactive spreadsheet in which these tasks would be much simpler.
That first spreadsheet was called VisiCalc, and it was extremely important because it drew the attention of the business and administration world to personal computers (PC), until then considered a hobby.
What is a spreadsheet for?
A spreadsheet allows for a wide variety of functions, such as:
- Enter data into lists or sequences of operations, save them, and print them.
- Sort lists and data sets, applying alphabetical or other criteria.
- Apply formulas and formal operations to data sets to obtain results.
- Graph data sets and operations in different ways (pie, bar, etc.).
- Build automated digital templates.
Spreadsheet Examples
A couple of examples of a table or spreadsheet could be:
