What is a Spreadsheet And Why Work With Them
Lesson #15
Spreadsheet
An electronic document in which data is arranged in the rows and columns of a grid and can be manipulated and used in calculations.
Database
a structured set of data held in a computer, especially one that is accessible in various ways.
It's important to know what a Spreadsheet is and how they work with Databases, because a Spreadsheet is the most convenient way to load information into a Database. You'll often receive a Spreadsheet to work with that was extracted from a Database to be loaded into another Database.
The Spreadsheet is organized in rows and columns where the "field" has rows of information, or the "row" has fields of information. It sounds confusing until you understand why it's organized that way. Detailed explanations about how spreadsheets work are beyond the scope of this lesson, but the most important thing to know is that the information in them has to be correct or they won't work right.
Spreadsheets can have "calculations" for numbers to be automatically added up in the rows, and referenced from other columns to complete a calculation, as in payroll based on Salary, or Taxes based on which State you live in. Some calculations actually use "Dates" of a calendar to determine the result of a calculation that requires Quarterly Sales, or to add or remove some of the result to compensate for the Month. Like in February when the days are sometimes more or less depending on the year.
As I mentioned, if you know what the Spreadsheet is doing, then you'll know how to use it. You should at least understand that a Spreadsheet is not just simple text. When you change information in it, the results of any calculation in the Spreadsheet will change. It's recommended that you open a Spreadsheet on a Standard Computer, to learn how they work, and what to do with them.
Once you know what's happening, THEN you will be able to open a Spreadsheet on a Mobile Device and perform work, without having to worry about getting things wrong. Don't hesitate to ask for help with Spreadsheets if you need help. It's difficult to learn everything, but everything you learn, you'll remember. If you receive an assignment that involves a Spreadsheet and you're not comfortable working with them, then don't take the assignment, unless you can get help with it.
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Here's more information about:
"What is a Spreadsheet And Why Work With Them"
What is a Spreadsheet
http://spreadsheets.about.com/od/excelfaqs/f/spreadsheet.htm
What is a Database
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Database
Excel Basic Step by Step Tutorial
http://spreadsheets.about.com/od/excel2007/ss/excel2007_forma.htm
Google Spreadsheet Formula Tutorial
http://spreadsheets.about.com/od/otherspreadsheets/ss/090805-google-spreadsheets-formula-tutorial.htm
Youtube Video on Microsoft Excel Spreadsheets
http://youtu.be/rwR8MeQGJeU
Youtube Video on Google Docs - Spreadsheets Basics
http://youtu.be/CwyM2np54oU
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