Spreadsheets

Spreadsheets are software tools used to organize, analyze, and present data in tabular form. They use workbooks containing one or more worksheets, each consisting of a grid of cells identified by column letters and row numbers. Cells can hold numbers, text, dates, or formulas that compute results from other cells. Formulas reference cells and ranges, and spreadsheet programs provide a broad set of functions for arithmetic, statistics, finance, text, and logic.

Beyond calculations, spreadsheets support data sorting, filtering, formatting, and charting. They are commonly used for budgeting, financial modeling, inventory tracking, data analysis, and ad hoc reporting. Advanced users may employ features such as pivot tables, conditional formatting, data validation, and scripting to automate tasks.

The concept evolved from early desktop programs in the late 1970s and 1980s, with products like VisiCalc and Lotus 1-2-3 paving the way for modern tools such as Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets. Web-based and cloud-enabled spreadsheets enable real-time collaboration and access from multiple devices, often with revision history and sharing controls.

Spreadsheets support common file formats such as XLS/XLSX, ODS, and CSV, and can interchange data with databases and presentation software via imports and exports. Limitations include performance constraints with very large datasets, potential data integrity issues in complex models, and version control challenges in collaborative environments. Many applications offer scripting and add-ons to extend functionality, with examples including VBA and Google Apps Script.