So what is this spreadsheet thing?
A spreadsheet is to numbers what Word is to text or Outlook is to email. Essentially, spreadsheets just provide a framework or grid to help with the layout of their content, and a range of formatting and calculating options. The grid carves up the electronic page into boxes – or cells – which fall into neat rows and columns.
What is the content of spreadsheets? It is simply words and figures that you want to lay out neatly in rows and columns (for an example, flick ahead to Fig. 4.3). The real magic starts as soon as you want to do any summarizing (e.g. adding numbers in a column) or analysing (such as calculating ratios). Once you have told the spreadsheet what you want, you have the framework for ever more. ...
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