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Worksheets and Workbooks in Excel
Learn about worksheets and spreadsheets in Excel and Google Sheets
A worksheet or sheet is a single page in a file created with an electronic spreadsheet program such as Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets . A workbook is the name given to an Excel file and contains one or more worksheets. When you open an electronic spreadsheet program, it loads an empty workbook file consisting of one or more blank worksheets for you to use.
Instructions in this article apply to Excel for Microsoft 365, Excel 2019, 2016, 2013, and 2010; Excel for Mac, Excel Online, and Google Sheets.
Worksheet Details
You use worksheets to store, manipulate, and display data .
The primary storage unit for data in a worksheet is a rectangular-shaped cell arranged in a grid pattern in every sheet. Individual cells of data are identified and organized using the vertical column letters and horizontal row numbers of a worksheet , which create a cell reference, such as A1, D15, or Z467.
Worksheet specifications for current versions of Excel include:
- 1,048,576 rows per worksheet
- 16,384 columns per worksheet
- 17,179,869,184 cells per worksheet
- A limited number of sheets per file based on the amount of memory available on the computer
For Google Sheets:
- 256 columns per sheet
- 400,000 cells for all worksheets in a file
- 200 worksheets per spreadsheet file
Worksheet Names
In both Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets, each worksheet has a name. By default, the worksheets are named Sheet1, Sheet2, Sheet3, and so on, but you can change these names.
Workbook Details
- Add worksheets to a workbook using the context menu or the New Sheet / Add Sheet icon ( + ) next to the current sheet tabs.
- Delete or hide individual worksheets in a workbook.
- Rename individual worksheets and change worksheet tab colors to make it easier to identify single sheets in a workbook using the context menu.
- Select the sheet tab at the bottom of the screen to change to another worksheet.
In Excel, use the following shortcut key combinations to switch between worksheets :
- Ctrl + PgUp (page up): Move to the right
- Ctrl + PgDn (page down): Move to the left
In Google Sheets, the shortcut key combinations to switch between worksheets are:
- Ctrl + Shift + PgUp : Move to the right
- Ctrl + Shift + PgDn : Move to the left
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Excel Glossary
3-D reference
A reference to a range that spans two or more worksheets in a workbook.
3-D walls and floor
The areas surrounding many 3-D chart types that give dimension and boundaries to the chart. Two walls and one floor are displayed within the plot area.
To make a chart sheet or worksheet the active, or selected, sheet. The sheet that you activate determines which tabs are displayed. To activate a sheet, click the tab for the sheet in the workbook.
A ctive cell
The selected cell in which data is entered when you begin typing. Only one cell is active at a time. The active cell is bounded by a heavy border.
A ctive sheet
The sheet that you're working on in a workbook. The name on the tab of the active sheet is bold.
The path to an object, document, file, page, or other destination. An address can be a URL (Web address) or a UNC path (network address), and can include a specific location within a file, such as a Word bookmark or an Excel cell range.
A lternate startup folder
A folder in addition to the XLStart folder that contains workbooks or other files that you want to be opened automatically when you start Excel and templates that you want to be available when you create new workbooks.
The values that a function uses to perform operations or calculations. The type of argument a function uses is specific to the function. Common arguments that are used within functions include numbers, text, cell references, and names.
Used to build single formulas that produce multiple results or that operate on a group of arguments that are arranged in rows and columns. An array range shares a common formula; an array constant is a group of constants used as an argument.
A rray formula
A formula that performs multiple calculations on one or more sets of values, and then returns either a single result or multiple results. Array formulas are enclosed between braces { } and are entered by pressing CTRL+SHIFT+ENTER.
A ssociated PivotTable
The PivotTable that supplies the source data to the PivotChart. It is created automatically when you create a new PivotChart. When you change the layout of either report, the other also changes.
A utoformat
A built-in collection of cell formats (such as font size, patterns, and alignment) that you can apply to a range of data. Excel determines the levels of summary and detail in the selected range and applies the formats accordingly.
A line bordering the chart plot area used as a frame of reference for measurement. The y axis is usually the vertical axis and contains data. The x-axis is usually the horizontal axis and contains categories.
B ase address
The relative path that Excel uses for the destination address when you insert a hyperlink. This can be an Internet address (URL), a path to a folder on your hard drive, or a path to a folder on a network.
A decorative line that can be applied to worksheet cells or objects, such as charts, pictures, or text boxes. Borders distinguish, emphasize, or group items.
C alculated column
In an Excel table, a calculated column uses a single formula that adjusts for each row. It automatically expands to include additional rows so that the formula is immediately extended to those rows.
C alculated field (database)
A field in the result set of a query that displays the result of an expression rather than data from a database.
C alculated field (PivotTable)
A field in a PivotTable or PivotChart that uses a formula you create. Calculated fields can perform calculations by using the contents of other fields in the PivotTable or PivotChart.
C alculated item
An item within a PivotTable field or PivotChart field that uses a formula you create. Calculated items can perform calculations by using the contents of other items within the same field of the PivotTable or PivotChart.
C ategory axis
A chart axis that represents the category for each data point. It displays arbitrary text values like Qtr1, Qtr2, and Qtr3; it cannot display scaled numerical values.
C ategory field
A field that's displayed in the category area of the PivotChart. Items in a category field appear as the labels on the category axis.
A box formed by the intersection of a row and column in a worksheet or a table, in which you enter information.
C ell reference
The set of coordinates that a cell occupies on a worksheet. For example, the reference of the cell that appears at the intersection of column B and row 3 is B3.
C ertifying authority
A commercial organization, or a group within a company, that uses tools such as Microsoft Certificate Server to provide digital certificates that software developers can use to sign macros and users can use to sign documents.
C hange history
In a shared workbook, information that is maintained about changes made in past editing sessions. The information includes the name of the person who made each change, when the change was made, and what data was changed.
C hart area
The entire chart and all its elements.
C hart sheet
A sheet in a workbook that contains only a chart. A chart sheet is beneficial when you want to view a chart or a PivotChart separately from worksheet data or a PivotTable.
C olumn field
A field that's assigned a column orientation in a PivotTable. Items associated with a column field are displayed as column labels.
C olumn heading
The shaded area at the top of each Data pane column that contains the field name.
The lettered or numbered gray area at the top of each column. Click the column heading to select an entire column. To increase or decrease the width of a column, drag the line to the right of the column heading.
C omparison criteria
A set of search conditions that is used to find data. Comparison criteria can be a series of characters that you want to match, such as "Northwind Traders," or an expression, such as ">300."
C omparison operator
A sign that is used in comparison criteria to compare two values. The six standards are = Equal to, > Greater than, < Less than, >= Greater than or equal to, <= Less than or equal to, and <> Not equal to.
C onditional format
A format, such as cell shading or font color, that Excel automatically applies to cells if a specified condition is true.
C onsolidation table
The table of combined results that appears in the destination area. Excel creates the consolidation table by applying the summary function that you select to the source area values that you specify.
A value that is not calculated. For example, the number 210 and the text "Quarterly Earnings" are constants. An expression, or a value resulting from an expression, is not a constant.
C onstraints
The limitations placed on a Solver problem. You can apply constraints to adjustable cells, the target cell, or other cells that are directly or indirectly related to the target cell.
The cells that you copy when you want to paste data into another location. After you copy cells, a moving border appears around them to indicate that they've been copied.
Conditions you specify to limit which records are included in the result set of a query. For example, the following criterion selects records for which the value for the Order Amount field is greater than 30,000: Order Amount > 30000.
C riteria pane
The area of the window that displays the criteria used to limit the records included in the result set of your query.
C urrent region
The block of filled-in cells that includes the currently selected cell or cells. The region extends in all directions to the first empty row or column.
C ustom calculation
A method of summarizing values in the data area of a PivotTable by using the values in other cells in the data area. Use the Show data as list on the PivotTable Field dialog for a data field to create custom calculations.
A dialog box that displays one complete record at a time. You can use data forms to add, change, locate, and delete records.
D ata label
A label that provides additional information about a data marker, which represents a single data point or value that originates from a datasheet cell.
D ata marker
A bar, area, dot, slice, or other symbol in a chart that represents a single data point or value that originates from a datasheet cell. Related data markers in a chart constitute a data series.
The area of the window that displays the result set of your query.
D ata points
Individual values that are plotted in a chart. Related data points make up a data series. Data points are represented by bars, columns, lines, slices, dots, and other shapes. These shapes are called data markers.
D ata region
A range of cells that contains data and that is bounded by empty cells or datasheet borders.
D ata series
Related data points that are plotted in a chart and originate from datasheet rows or columns. Each data series in a chart has a unique color or pattern. You can plot one or more data series in a chart. Pie charts have only one data series.
D ata source
A stored set of "source" information used to connect to a database. A data source can include the name and location of the database server, the name of the database driver, and information that the database needs when you log on.
D ata source driver
A program file used to connect to a specific database. Each database program or management system requires a different driver.
D ata table
A range of cells that shows the results of substituting different values in one or more formulas. There are two types of data tables: one-input tables and two-input tables.
D ata table in charts
A grid that can be added to some charts and contains the numeric data used to create the chart. The data table usually is attached to the horizontal axis of the chart and replaces the tick-mark labels on the horizontal axis.
D ata validation
An Excel feature that you can use to define restrictions on what data can or should be entered in a cell, and to display messages that prompt users for correct entries and notify users about incorrect entries.
A collection of data related to a particular subject or purpose. Within a database, information about a particular entity, such as an employee or order, is categorized into tables, records, and fields.
D DE conversation
The interaction between two applications that are communicating and exchanging data through special functions and code known as dynamic data exchange (DDE).
D efault startup workbook
The new, unsaved workbook that's displayed when you start Excel. The default startup workbook is displayed only if you haven't included other workbooks in the XLStart folder.
D efault workbook template
The Book.xlt template that you create to change the default format of new workbooks. Excel uses the template to create a blank workbook when you start Excel or create a new workbook without specifying a template.
D efault worksheet template
The Sheet.xlt template that you create to change the default format of new worksheets. Excel uses the template to create a blank worksheet when you add a new worksheet to a workbook.
D ependents
Cells that contain formulas that refer to other cells. For example, if cell D10 contains the formula =B5, cell D10 is a dependent of cell B5.
D estination area
The range of cells that you select to hold the summarized data in a consolidation. The destination area can be on the same worksheet as the source data or on a different worksheet. A worksheet can contain only one consolidation.
D etail data
For automatic subtotals and worksheet outlines, the subtotal rows or columns that are totaled by summary data. Detail data is typically adjacent to and either above or to the left of the summary data.
D rop lines
In line and area charts, lines that extend from a data point to the category (x) axis. Useful in area charts to clarify where one data marker ends and the next begins.
D rop-down list box
A control on a menu, toolbar, or dialog box that displays a list of options when you click the small arrow next to the list box.
E mbedded chart
A chart that is placed on a worksheet rather than on a separate chart sheet. Embedded charts are beneficial when you want to view or print a chart or a PivotChart with its source data or other information in a worksheet.
E rror bars
Usually used in statistical or scientific data, error bars show potential error or degree of uncertainty relative to each data marker in a series.
E xcel add-in
Components that can be installed on your computer to add commands and functions to Excel. These add-in programs are specific to Excel. Other add-in programs that are available for Excel or Office are Component Object Model (COM) add-ins.
E xcel table
Formerly known as an Excel list, you can create, format, and expand an Excel table to organize the data on your worksheet.
E xpression
A combination of operators, field names, functions, literals, and constants that evaluates to a single value. Expressions can specify criteria (such as Order Amount>10000) or perform calculations on field values (such as Price*Quantity).
E xternal data
Data that is stored in a database, such as Access, dBASE, or SQL Server, that is separate from Query and the program from which you started Query.
Data that is stored outside of Excel. Examples include databases created in Access, dBASE, SQL Server, or on a Web server.
E xternal data range
A range of data that is brought into a worksheet but that originates outside of Excel, such as in a database or text file. In Excel, you can format the data or use it in calculations as you would any other data.
E xternal reference
A reference to a cell or range on a sheet in another Excel workbook, or a reference to a defined name in another workbook.
F ield (database)
A category of information, such as last name or order amount, that is stored in a table. When Query displays a result set in its Data pane, a field is represented as a column.
F ield (PivotTable)
In a PivotTable or PivotChart, a category of data that's derived from a field in the source data. PivotTables have row, column, page, and data fields. PivotCharts have series, category, page, and data fields.
F ill handle
The small black square in the lower-right corner of the selection. When you point to the fill handle, the pointer changes to a black cross.
To display only the rows in a list that satisfy the conditions you specify. You use the AutoFilter command to display rows that match one or more specific values, calculated values, or conditions.
A graphic design applied to all numerals, symbols, and alphabetic characters. Also called type or typeface. Arial and Courier New are examples of fonts. Fonts usually come in different sizes, such as 10 point, and various styles, such as bold.
A sequence of values, cell references, names, functions, or operators in a cell that together produce a new value. A formula always begins with an equal sign (=).
F ormula bar
A bar at the top of the Excel window that you use to enter or edit values or formulas in cells or charts. Displays the constant value or formula stored in the active cell.
F ormula Palette
A tool that helps you create or edit a formula and also provides information about functions and their arguments.
F unction (Microsoft Query)
An expression that returns a value based on the results of a calculation. Query assumes that data sources support the Avg, Count, Max, Min, and Sum functions. Some data sources may not support all of these, or may support additional functions.
F unction (Office Excel)
A prewritten formula that takes a value or values, performs an operation, and returns a value or values. Use functions to simplify and shorten formulas on a worksheet, especially those that perform lengthy or complex calculations.
A method to find a specific value for a cell by adjusting the value of one other cell. When goal seeking, Excel varies the value in a cell that you specify until a formula that's dependent on that cell returns the result you want.
A set of intersecting lines used to align objects.
G ridlines in charts
Lines you can add to a chart that make it easier to view and evaluate data. Gridlines extend from the tick marks on an axis across the plot area.
In an outline or PivotTable, one or more detail rows or columns that are adjacent and subordinate to a summary row or column.
H igh-low lines
In 2-D line charts, lines that extend from the highest to the lowest value in each category. High-low lines are often used in stock charts.
H istory worksheet
A separate worksheet that lists changes being tracked in a shared workbook, including the name of the person who made the change, when and where it was made, what data was deleted or replaced, and how conflicts were resolved.
I dentifier
A field name used in an expression. For example, Order Amount is the identifier (field name) for a field that contains order amounts. You can use an expression (such as Price*Quantity) in place of an identifier.
I mplicit intersection
A reference to a range of cells, instead of a single cell, that is calculated like a single cell. If cell C10 contains the formula =B5:B15*5, Excel multiplies the value in cell B10 by 5 because cells B10 and C10 are in the same row.
A database component that speeds up searching for data. When a table has an index, data in the table can be found by looking it up in the index.
I nner join
In Query, default type of join between two tables where only the records that have the same values in the joined fields are selected. The two matching records from each table are combined and displayed as one record in the result set.
I nput cell
The cell in which each input value from a data table is substituted. Any cell on a worksheet can be the input cell. Although the input cell does not need to be part of the data table, the formulas in data tables must refer to the input cell.
I nsert row
In an Excel table, a special row that facilitates data entry. The Insert row is indicated by an asterisk.
I nternet Explorer
A Web browser that interprets HTML files, formats them into Web pages, and displays them to the user. You can download Internet Explorer from the Microsoft Web site at http://www.microsoft.com.
A subcategory of a field in PivotTables and PivotCharts. For instance, the field "Month" could have items such as "January," "February," and so on.
Repeated calculation of a worksheet until a specific numeric condition is met.
A connection between multiple tables where records from related fields that match are combined and shown as one record. Records that don't match may be included or excluded, depending on the type of join.
In Query, a line that connects fields between two tables and shows Query how the data is related. The type of join indicates which records are selected for the query's result set.
In Query, a line that connects fields between two tables and shows how the data is related. The type of join indicates which records are selected for the query's result set.
To adjust horizontal spacing so that text is aligned evenly along both the left and right margins. Justifying text creates a smooth edge on both sides.
A box that identifies the patterns or colors that are assigned to the data series or categories in a chart.
L egend keys
Symbols in legends that show the patterns and colors assigned to the data series (or categories) in a chart. Legend keys appear to the left of legend entries. Formatting a legend key also formats the data marker that's associated with it.
L ocked field or record
The condition of a record, field, or other object in a database that permits it to be viewed but not changed (read-only) in Query.
M apped range
A range in an XML list that has been linked to an element in an XML map.
A rectangular array of values or a range of cells that is combined with other arrays or ranges to produce multiple sums or products. Excel has predefined matrix functions that can produce the sums or products.
M erged cell
A single cell that is created by combining two or more selected cells. The cell reference for a merged cell is the upper-left cell in the original selected range.
M icrosoft Excel control
A native Excel control other than an ActiveX control.
M icrosoft Visual Basic Help
To get help for Visual Basic in Excel, on the Developer tab, in the Code group, click Visual Basic , and then under the Help menu, click Microsoft Visual Basic Help .
M oving average
A sequence of averages computed from parts of a data series. In a chart, a moving average smooths the fluctuations in data, thus showing the pattern or trend more clearly.
M oving border
An animated border that appears around a worksheet range that has been cut or copied. To cancel a moving border, press ESC.
M ultiple-level category labels
Category labels in a chart that, based on worksheet data, are automatically displayed on more than one line in a hierarchy. For example, the heading Produce might appear above a row with headings Tofu, Apples, and Pears.
A word or string of characters that represents a cell, range of cells, formula, or constant value. Use easy-to-understand names, such as Products, to refer to hard to understand ranges, such as Sales!C20:C30.
Box at left end of the formula bar that identifies the selected cell, chart item, or drawing object. To name a cell or range, type the name in the Name box and press ENTER. To move to and select a named cell, click its name in the Name box.
N onadjacent selection
A selection of two or more cells or ranges that don't touch each other. When plotting nonadjacent selections in a chart, make sure that the combined selections form a rectangular shape.
N on-OLAP source data
Underlying data for a PivotTable or PivotChart that comes from a source other than an OLAP database. These sources include relational databases, tables on Excel worksheets, and text file databases.
O bjectLink
An OLE data format that describes a linked object, identifying the class, document name, and name of an object. Each of these data items is a null-terminated string.
O ffline cube file
A file you create on your hard disk or a network share to store OLAP source data for a PivotTable or PivotChart. Offline cube files allow you to keep working when you are not connected to the OLAP server.
A database technology that has been optimized for querying and reporting, instead of processing transactions. OLAP data is organized hierarchically and stored in cubes instead of tables.
O LAP provider
A set of software that provides access to a particular type of OLAP database. This software can include a data source driver and other client software that is necessary to connect to a database.
Items on either side of an operator in a formula. In Excel, operands can be values, cell references, names, labels, and functions.
A sign or symbol that specifies the type of calculation to perform within an expression. There are mathematical, comparison, logical, and reference operators.
O uter join
In Query, a join where all records from one table are selected, even if there are no matching records in another table. Records that match are combined and shown as one. Records that don't have matches in the other table are shown empty.
Join in which all records from one table are selected, even if there are no matching records in another table. Records that match are combined and shown as one. Records that don't have matches in the other table are shown as empty.
Worksheet data in which rows or columns of detail data are grouped so that you can create summary reports. The outline can summarize either an entire worksheet or a selected portion of it.
O utline data
The data that is contained within a worksheet outline. Outline data includes both the summary and detail rows or columns of an outline.
O utline symbols
Symbols that you use to change the view of an outlined worksheet. You can show or hide detailed data by pressing the plus sign, minus sign, and the numbers 1, 2, 3, or 4, indicating the outline level.
An OLE data format that describes an embedded object, identifying the class, document name, and name of an object. Each of these data items is a null-terminated string.
P age break
Divider that breaks a worksheet into separate pages for printing. Excel inserts automatic page breaks based on the paper size, margin settings, scaling options, and the positions of any manual page breaks that you insert.
P age break preview
Worksheet view that displays the areas to be printed and the locations of page breaks. The area to be printed is displayed in white, automatic page breaks appear as dashed lines, and manual page breaks appear as solid lines.
In Excel, you can add, change, or remove parameters to specify cells that are editable in the viewable worksheet data of Excel Services. When you save the workbook, the changes are automatically reflected on the server.
P arameter query
A type of query that, when you run it, prompts for values (criteria) to use to select the records for the result set so that the same query can be used to retrieve different result sets.
A way to protect your worksheet or workbook. When you protect worksheet or workbook elements with a password, it is very important that you remember that password. Without it, there is no way to unprotect the workbook or worksheet. You should always use strong passwords that combine uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Weak passwords don't mix these elements. Strong password: Y6dh!et5. Weak password: House27. Use a strong password that you can remember so that you don't have to write it down.
P aste area
The target destination for data that's been cut or copied by using the Office Clipboard.
P ivot area
The worksheet area into which you drag PivotTable or PivotChart fields to change the layout of the report. On a new report, dashed blue outlines indicate the pivot area on the worksheet.
P ivotChart category field
A field that is assigned a category orientation in a PivotChart. In a chart, categories usually appear on the x-axis, or horizontal axis, of the chart.
P ivotChart
A chart that provides interactive analysis of data, like a PivotTable. You can change views of data, see different levels of detail, or reorganize the chart layout by dragging fields and by showing or hiding items in fields.
P ivotChart series field
A field that is assigned a series orientation in a PivotChart. In a chart, series are represented in the legend.
P ivotTable data
In a PivotTable, the summarized data that's calculated from the data fields of a source list or table.
P ivotTable grand totals
Total values for all cells in a row or all cells in a column of a PivotTable. Values in a grand total row or column are calculated by using the same summary function used in the data area of the PivotTable.
P ivotTable list
A Microsoft Office Web Component that allows you to create a structure similar to an Excel PivotTable. Users can view the PivotTable list in a Web browser and change its layout in a manner similar to an Excel PivotTable.
P ivotTable
An interactive, cross-tabulated Excel report that summarizes and analyzes data, such as database records, from various sources including ones external to Excel.
P ivotTable subtotal
A row or column that uses a summary function to display the total of detail items in a PivotTable field.
In a 2-D chart, the area bounded by the axes, including all data series. In a 3-D chart, the area bounded by the axes, including the data series, category names, tick-mark labels, and axis titles.
A unit of measurement equal to 1/72 of an inch.
P recedents
Cells that are referred to by a formula in another cell. For example, if cell D10 contains the formula =B5, cell B5 is a precedent to cell D10.
P rimary key
One or more fields that uniquely identify each record in a table. In the same way that a license plate number identifies a car, the primary key uniquely identifies a record.
P rint area
One or more ranges of cells that you designate to print when you don't want to print the entire worksheet. If a worksheet includes a print area, only the print area is printed.
P rint titles
Row or column labels that are printed at the top of or on the left side of every page on a printed worksheet.
P roperty fields
Independent attributes associated with items, or members, in an OLAP cube. For example, if city items have size and population properties stored in the server cube, a PivotTable can display the size and population of each city.
To make settings for a worksheet or workbook that prevent users from viewing or gaining access to the specified worksheet or workbook elements.
In Query or Access, a means of finding the records that answer a particular question you ask about the data stored in a database.
Q uery channel
You use a query channel in a DDE conversation between the destination application and a specific query (for example, Query1) in Query. To use a query channel, you must have already opened the query window using a system channel.
Q uery design
All elements included in the Query window, such as tables, criteria, the order in which fields are arranged, and so on. The design also specifies whether Auto Query is turned on, and whether you can edit the source data.
Two or more cells on a sheet. The cells in a range can be adjacent or nonadjacent.
A setting that allows a file to be read or copied but not changed or saved.
A collection of information about a particular person, place, event, or thing. When Query displays a result set in the Data pane, a record is represented as a row.
R efresh (external data range)
To update data from an external data source. Each time you refresh data, you see the most recent version of the information in the database, including any changes that were made to the data.
R efresh (PivotTable)
To update the contents of a PivotTable or PivotChart to reflect changes to the underlying source data. If the report is based on external data, refreshing runs the underlying query to retrieve new or changed data.
R egression analysis
A form of statistical analysis used for forecasting. Regression analysis estimates the relationship between variables so that a given variable can be predicted from one or more other variables.
R elative reference
In a formula, the address of a cell based on the relative position of the cell that contains the formula and the cell referred to. If you copy the formula, the reference automatically adjusts. A relative reference takes the form A1.
R emote reference
A reference to data stored in a document from another program.
R eport filter
A field that's used to filter a subset of data in a PivotTable or PivotChart into one page for further layout and analysis. You can either display a summary of all items in a report filter, or display one item at a time, which filters out the data for all other items.
R eport template
An Excel template (.xlt file) that includes one or more queries or PivotTables that are based on external data. When you save a report template, Excel saves the query definition but doesn't store the queried data in the template.
R esult set
The set of records returned when you run a query. You can see the result set of a query in Query, or you can return a result set to an Excel worksheet for further analysis.
R ow heading
The numbered gray area to the left of each row. Click the row heading to select an entire row. To increase or decrease the height of a row, drag the line below the row heading.
A field that's assigned a row orientation in a PivotTable.
R -squared value
A number from 0 to 1 that reveals how closely the estimated values for the trendline correspond to your actual data. A trendline is most reliable when its R-squared value is at or near 1. Also known as the coefficient of determination.
A named set of input values that you can substitute in a worksheet model.
S croll lock
With scroll lock turned on, the arrow keys scroll the active sheet rather than make a different cell active. To turn scroll lock off or on, press the SCROLL LOCK key.
Any combination of a worksheet, view, and scenario that you choose when you create a report. A report can contain several sections.
To highlight a cell or range of cells on a worksheet. The selected cells will be affected by the next command or action.
S elect All button
The gray rectangle in the upper-left corner of a datasheet where the row and column headings meet. Click this button to select all cells on a datasheet.
S eries axis
A chart axis that represents the depth dimension in a true 3-D chart. It displays the series names as arbitrary text values; it cannot display scaled numerical values.
S eries field
A field that's displayed in the series area of a PivotChart. Items in a series field are listed in the legend and provide the names of the individual data series.
S eries lines
In 2-D stacked bar and column charts, lines that connect the data markers in each data series that are used to emphasize the difference in measurement between each series.
S hared workbook
A workbook set up to allow multiple users on a network to view and make changes at the same time. Each user who saves the workbook sees the changes made by other users.
S ingle-mapped cell
A cell that has been linked to a non-repeating element in an XML map.
S ort order
A way to arrange data based on value or data type. You can sort data alphabetically, numerically, or by date. Sort orders use an ascending (1 to 9, A to Z) or descending (9 to 1, Z to A) order.
S ource areas
The cell ranges that you consolidate in the destination area you specify. Source areas can be on any worksheet in a workbook, in other open or closed workbooks, or on Lotus 1-2-3 worksheets.
S ource data
The list or table that's used to create a PivotTable or PivotChart. Source data can be taken from an Excel table or range, an external database or cube, or another PivotTable.
A language used to retrieve, update, and manage data. When you create a query, Query uses SQL to build the corresponding SQL SELECT statement. If you know SQL, you can view or change the SQL SELECT statement.
S tandard font
The default text font for worksheets. The standard font determines the default font for the Normal cell style.
S ummary data
For automatic subtotals and worksheet outlines, all rows or columns that summarize detail data. Summary data usually is adjacent to and below the detail data.
S ummary function
A type of calculation that combines source data in a PivotTable or a consolidation table, or when you are inserting automatic subtotals in a list or database. Examples of summary functions include Sum, Count, and Average.
S ystem channel
Used in a DDE conversation between applications to get information about the system, such as the current connections, open queries, and the status of the destination application.
T able pane
The area of the Query window that displays the tables in a query. Each table displays the fields from which you can retrieve data.
A workbook that you create and use as the basis for other similar workbooks. You can create templates for workbooks and worksheets. The default template for workbooks is called Book.xlt. The default template for worksheets is called Sheet.xlt.
A rectangular object on a worksheet or chart, in which you can type text.
T ick marks and tick-mark labels
Tick marks are small lines of measurement, similar to divisions on a ruler, that intersect an axis. Tick-mark labels identify the categories, values, or series in the chart.
T itles in charts
Descriptive text that is automatically aligned to an axis or centered at the top of a chart.
A special row in an Excel table that provides a selection of aggregate functions useful for working with numerical data.
One of the five calculation types Query defines for you: Sum, Avg, Count, Min, and Max.
T racer arrows
Arrows that show the relationship between the active cell and its related cells. Tracer arrows are blue when pointing from a cell that provides data to another cell, and red if a cell contains an error value, such as #DIV/0!.
A graphic representation of trends in data series, such as a line sloping upward to represent increased sales over a period of months. Trendlines are used for the study of problems of prediction, also called regression analysis.
T rendline label
Optional text for a trendline, including either the regression equation or the R-squared value, or both. A trendline label can be formatted and moved; it cannot be sized.
U p-down bars
In line charts with multiple data series, bars that indicate the difference between data points in the first and last series.
The text, date, number, or logical input that completes a condition that a field must meet for searching or filtering. For example, the field Author with the condition <b>equals</b> must include a value, such as <b>John</b>, to be complete.
V alue axis
A chart axis that displays scaled numerical values.
V alue field
A field from a source list, table, or database that contains data that is summarized in a PivotTable or PivotChart. A value field usually contains numeric data, such as statistics or sales amounts.
V alues area
The part of a PivotTable that contains summary data. Values in each cell of the values area represent a summary of data from the source records or rows.
Black, square, draggable points that appear at the ends and intersections of lines or curves in certain AutoShapes (such as freeforms, scribbles, and curves) when you edit points on the AutoShape.
Black, square, draggable points that appear at the ends and intersections of lines or curves in certain AutoShapes, such as freeforms, scribbles, and curves.
A set of display and print settings that you can name and apply to a workbook. You can create more than one view of the same workbook without saving separate copies of the workbook.
A query that retrieves data stored on your intranet or the Internet.
W hat-if analysis
A process of changing the values in cells to see how those changes affect the outcome of formulas on the worksheet. For example, varying the interest rate that is used in an amortization table to determine the amount of the payments.
A spreadsheet program file that you create in Excel. A workbook contains worksheets of rows and columns in which you can enter and calculate data.
The primary document that you use in Excel to store and work with data. Also called a spreadsheet. A worksheet consists of cells that are organized into columns and rows; a worksheet is always stored in a workbook.
W orkspace file
A file that saves display information about open workbooks, so that you can later resume work with the same window sizes, print areas, screen magnification, and display settings. A workspace file doesn't contain the workbooks themselves.
W orld Wide Web
A system for navigating the Internet or through a collection of workbooks and other Office documents connected by hyperlinks and located on a network share, a company intranet or the Internet. When you use a Web browser, the Web appears as a collection of text, pictures, sounds, and digital movies.
In text, to break a line of text automatically on reaching a margin or object and continue the text on a new line.
Extensible Markup Language (XML): A condensed form of Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML) that enables developers to create customized tags that offer flexibility in organizing and presenting information.

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Microsoft Excel definitions for common terms
Not sure of the difference between a workbook and a worksheet? How do you know if a cell is active or not? You're not alone. Knowing the terms used in Excel is knowing the possibilities in Excel.

The rewards for mastering Microsoft Excel are numerous, though the first steps may be intimidating. Some may get lost in the spreadsheet jargon and may end up more confused that when they first started. Let's take a look at some of the most common terminology you'll come across as an Excel user.
Microsoft Excel terminology
- Workbook — The workbook refers to an Excel spreadsheet file. The workbook houses all of the data that you have entered and allows you to sort or calculate the results. A workbook that is available to be viewed and edited by multiple users on a network is known as a Shared Workbook.
- Worksheet — Within the workbook is where you'll find documents called worksheets. Also known as spreadsheets, you can have multiple worksheets nestled in a workbook. Tabs at the bottom of the of the screen will indicate which of your worksheets you are currently working on. This is also known as an active worksheet or active sheet.
- Cell — A cell is a rectangle or block housed in a worksheet. Any data that you want to enter into your worksheet must be placed in a cell. Cells can be color coded, display text, numbers and the results of calculations, based on what you want to accomplish. An Active Cell is one that is currently opened for editing.
- Columns and Rows — Columns and Rows refer to how your cells are aligned. Columns are aligned vertically while rows are aligned horizontally.
- Column and Row headings — These headings are the lettered and numbered gray areas found just outside of columns and rows. Clicking on a heading will select the entire row or column. You can also alter the row height or column width using the headings.
- Workspace — Much like worksheets in a workbook, a workspace allows you to open numerous files simultaneously.
- Ribbon — Above the workbook is a section of command tabs called the Ribbon. A multitude of options are found behind each tab of the ribbon
- Cell Reference — A cell reference is a set of coordinates that identifies a specific cell. It's a combination of letters and numbers. A5, for example, would point to the cell located where column A and row 5 intersect.
- Cell Range — A Cell range is a collection of cells that have been identified as a group based on a variety of criteria. By using a colon (:) between cell references, Excel can determine the range, also known as an array. A range in a row, for example, could look like A1:C1, telling the formula to look at the cells in a row between A1 and C1, while B4:D9 would tell the formula to look at all cells in a box bounded by columns B and D and rows 4 and 9. A 3-D reference refers to a range that encompasses more than one worksheet in the same workbook.
- Merged Cell — When two or more cells are combined, it's become what is known as a merged cell.
- Template — A template is a formatted workbook or worksheet designed to help users fulfill a specific need in Excel. Examples of this include stock analysis, process map, and calendar.
- Operator — Operators are symbols or signs that indicate which calculation must be made in an expression. Operators do not necessarily refer to simple mathematical types; comparison, text concatenation or reference operators also exist.
- Formula — A sequence inside a cell that is used to produce a value. It must begin with an equal (=) sign. This could be a mathematical equation, cell references, functions or operator. A formula is also known as an expression.
- Formula Bar — Nestled between the ribbon and workbook, the Formula Bar will display the contents of an active cell. In the case of formulas, the formula bar will display all components of the formula.
- Function — Functions are formulas that are pre-built into Excel. They are designed to help simplify potentially complex formulas in a worksheet.
- Error Code — Error Codes appear if Excel finds a problem with a provided formula.
- Cell Formatting — This is the act of changing the in which cell data is displayed in the spreadsheet. When you format cells, only the visual appearance of the cells is changed; the value within the cells remain constant.
- Conditional Formatting — Formatting is applied only when the cell meets determined criteria such as duplicate values or values above or below a threshold.
- Filter — Filters are rules that you can employ to decide which rows in a worksheet to display. These filters can use data such as conditions or values.
- Freeze Panes — Freezing Panes allows you to select specific columns and/or rows to remain visible on the worksheet, even if you are scrolling, such as header cells that label a column.
- AutoFill — This enables you to effortless copy data to more than one cell.
- AutoSum — This feature will add up the numbers you have entered in your sheet and displays the total in a cell of your choosing.
- AutoFormat — This is an automated format application to cells that match pre-determined criteria. This could be as simple as font alignment and size.
- Data Validation — This feature helps to prevent incorrect data from being entered into your worksheet. This most commonly used to create drop-down lists for common terms. Data validation promotes consistency and accuracy in the data to be entered.
- Pivot Table — This is a data summarization tool most commonly used to sort, average to sum up data automatically. The information is pulled from one table while the results are displayed in another. Pivot Tables makes it easy to retrieve specific information from a large source of data.
- Pivot Chart — This type of chart provides a visual aid for pivot tables. By providing graphical representations of the pivot table data, the user can provide a level of interactivity with the data.
- Pivot Area — The pivot area is a point on the worksheet where you would drag a Pivot Table field in order to reorganize how a report is displayed.
- Source Data — This is the information used to create your pivot table. It can either exist within the worksheet or from and an external database.
- Values Area — In a pivot table, Value areas are identified as the cells that contain the summary information.
- Item — These are sub-categories of fields in your pivot table. If you have a field that is marked State, the items could be Alabama, Alaska and so on.
Wrapping up
While they are so many other Microsoft Excel terms to cover, the above list will get you on the right track to becoming a table titan. Which terms did you stumble over when you first started using Excel? Are there any other terms that you would suggest for this list? Let us know!
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Microsoft Excel Workbooks and Worksheets: What’s the Difference?
And which one is right for you?
Knowing Excel is a valuable skill. But the tool is not always easy to use and can be frustrating if you don’t fully understand the features. That’s often the case with Excel worksheets vs. workbooks because they’re terms that you can easily confuse. In fact, this confusion leads to some people referring to worksheets as spreadsheets. Workbooks and worksheets are created and managed differently, so it’s essential to know the difference between them.
In this Excel tutorial, you’ll learn what is the difference between a worksheet and a workbook. You will also learn how to manipulate worksheets and move them from one workbook to another. Also, if you want to become a power user, make sure to check out our 40 best Excel keyboard shortcuts and macros to speed up your workflow.

What’s the Difference Between Worksheets and Workbooks?
Imagine a workbook as a regular paper book; it’s a collection of pages. An Excel worksheet is just a single page, or one sheet of the many pages that are in the book. That means that an Excel workbook is a collection of worksheets but it can also contain a single worksheet. How many worksheets can you put in one workbook? Microsoft says that it depends on your computer’s hardware. You can have any number of worksheets in a workbook, as long as your device allows it.
When you first open Excel, the software will present you with a workbook with three empty Excel sheets. You can see them in the bottom left corner of the screen as separate tabs named Sheet1, Sheet2, and Sheet3. You may need to use just one of these three, but you don’t need to delete the ones you are not using.

Excel worksheets are made of rows, columns, and cells in which you can input data such as dates, text, numbers, and Excel formulas and functions . The data you enter in the worksheet cells, rows, and columns can also be displayed in graphs and charts .

You can save Excel workbooks on your device with the file extension xlsx. However, the older version of the software used the xls extension so don’t be surprised if you see this instead of xlsx. Don’t worry, any new version of Excel can open both types of file extensions.

Grouping worksheets in a workbook is handy. You would want to keep worksheets that contain closely related data in one place. Workbooks are convenient if you are linking data from one worksheet to another. Workbooks are just like folders that keep different but related files together. However, hopping from one worksheet to another can be very confusing, and this is why you should learn how to manage them properly.
How to View, Rename, Insert, and Delete a Worksheet
The default names Excel gives to worksheets are not very descriptive. There is not much information in Sheet1, Sheet2, and Sheet3. So you should first learn the basics about worksheets.
Viewing Worksheets
All you have to do to view a single spreadsheet is to click on its tab. But if you are working with many sheets with longer names, Excel won’t be able to display all the sheet tabs. In that case, you can use the arrows to the left of the tabs. These arrows will help you navigate left or right. You can also right-click on said arrows and a list of all the tabs will be displayed. Then you can just click on the desired worksheet.

Renaming a Worksheet
Renaming a worksheet is easy. Just right-click on the tab and a context menu will open. Choose Rename and type in the new name. You can also double-click the tab you want to rename and type the new name.

Inserting a New Worksheet
Did you notice a small tab with a file icon next to the worksheet tabs? Click on it and a new worksheet will appear to the right of the last one. This is the fastest and easiest way to open a new worksheet.

Another way to insert a new worksheet is to select the tab to the right of where you want to insert a new one, then right-click and select Insert .

A new pop-up window will open. Select the worksheet and click OK .

Deleting a Worksheet
Deleting worksheets is simple. Right-click on the tab of the worksheet. A context menu will appear and simply click Delete .

How to Move Worksheets
Working with Excel can be complex and you will need to move different worksheets between the workbooks or place your worksheets in a different order. Here is how you can do it.
Moving a Worksheet in the Same Workbook
To move the worksheet from one position to another, right-click on its tab to open the context menu, and select Move or Copy . A new window will appear and you need to click on the name of the spreadsheet that will go after the selected worksheet, and click OK .

The easiest way to move the worksheet to a different place within the same workbook is to hold left-click on its tab, and then simply drag it to the spot where you want it to be. There will be a little black arrow indicating the spot where you can drop off the worksheet. Release the mouse button when you are in the desired position.
Moving a Worksheet to a New Workbook
To move a worksheet to a completely new workbook, right-click on its tab and select Move or Copy . When a new window appears, open the drop-down menu under the To Book title, and select (New Book) .

When you move a spreadsheet to a new workbook, Excel will remove it from the existing one and automatically open a new workbook that will contain the worksheet.
Moving a Worksheet to a Different Workbook
Open the source workbook that contains the worksheet you wish to move. You will also have to open the workbook to which you will move the desired worksheet. Keep them open at the same time. Right-click on the worksheet’s tab and select Move or Copy . Under the “To Book” drop-down menu find the name of the targeted workbook and select it. Press OK to confirm.

How to Copy a Worksheet
Sometimes you will need to make copies of an already existing worksheet. It is easier to make small modifications that way, especially if you will be using the same formatting or formulas. The process is very similar to moving a worksheet.
Copying a Worksheet in the Same Workbook
To copy a worksheet in the same workbook right-click its tab and go to Move or Copy . Once a new window opens, check the Create a copy box. You will have to select the name of the worksheet in front of which you want to put the copy. Then click OK to confirm.

Copying a Worksheet in a New Workbook
If you want to copy a worksheet in a new workbook you will again have to go to Move or Copy in the context menu and check the Create a copy box. Under “To Book” click the drop-down menu and select (new book) . Excel will create a new workbook containing the copied worksheet.

Copying a Worksheet in a Different Workbook
Open both the source and target workbooks if you need to copy a worksheet into a different workbook. Right-click on the tab of the worksheet you want to move and go to Move or Copy . When a new dialogue box opens, check the Create a copy box. Open the drop-down menu under To Book , and select the name of the target workbook. Press the OK button to confirm.

How to Open an Excel File in Google Sheets
Not everyone likes to use Microsoft Excel. Google Sheets is its most popular alternative. If your colleague sends you an Excel file, you can open it in Google Sheets without a problem. Simply open a blank Google Sheet and go to the File tab and select Open . In the Open File menu find and click the Upload tab. Hold the left-click on the excel file and drag it into the space.

You can also click on Browse in the middle of the screen, and from there navigate to the Excel sheet you want to import into Google Sheets. Select the file you want and click Open .
How to Open a CSV File in MS Excel
CSV files are simple text files that contain information and data separated by commas. It is used to transfer data, such as spreadsheet content, between different applications that typically cannot directly communicate. Such apps are, for example, MS Excel and Google Sheets, or Microsoft Word. If you receive a CSV file, here is how you can use Excel to open it.
1. Open the Excel spreadsheet to which you want to save the data contained in the CSV file. Click on the Data tab and find the Get External Data group. Select From Text .

2. Select the CSV file you want to open in Excel and click Import . In a new window that pops open click Delimited and then Next .

3. In a new window, under Delimiters , check the Comma box and then Next .

4. Another window will open, select General under the Column data format , and click on Finish .

The Difference Between Workbooks and Worksheets
Knowing the difference between workbooks and worksheets will help you quickly navigate the two, and manage them easily. Worksheets are the core of MS Excel, and you can have multiple worksheets in one workbook. Editing and manipulating data is possible only in worksheets and not in workbooks. It is also interesting to know that the amount of data in a worksheet is limited by the number of columns, rows, and cells. The amount of data in a workbook is not limited at all.
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Excel Worksheet Definition, Function, and How to Use It

- Excel worksheet definition is…
- Worksheet function
- How to move between worksheets in excel
- How to add a sheet in excel
- How to delete a sheet in excel
- How to change worksheets order in excel
- How to rename sheet in excel
- How to duplicate an excel sheet
- How to protect sheet in excel
- How to unlock an excel sheet
- How to hide a worksheet in excel
- How to unhide a worksheet in excel
- Additional note
Excel Worksheet Definition is…

Worksheet Function
- Accommodate the cells, which are the place where we input and process our data in excel
- Divide the work we do in excel based on our preference
- Become a preview of the work result we want to print from excel
How to Move Between Worksheets in Excel

How to Add a Sheet in Excel

How to Delete a Sheet in Excel

How to Change Worksheets Order in Excel
How to rename sheet in excel.

How to Duplicate an Excel Sheet

How to Protect Sheet in Excel

How to Unlock an Excel Sheet

How to Hide a Worksheet in Excel

How to Unhide a Worksheet in Excel

Additional Note

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Get updated excel info from Compute Expert by registering your email. It's free!

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In Microsoft Excel , a workbook is a collection of one or more spreadsheets , also called worksheets, in a single file. Below is an example of a spreadsheet called "Sheet1" in an Excel workbook file called "Book1." Our example also has the "Sheet2" and "Sheet3" sheet tabs, which are also part of the same workbook.

Difference between a workbook, worksheet, and spreadsheet
Because the terms spreadsheet, workbook, and worksheet are so similar, there may be some confusion when trying to understand their differences. When you open Microsoft Excel (a spreadsheet program), you're opening a workbook. A workbook can contain one or more different worksheets that can be accessed through the tabs at the bottom of the worksheet your currently viewing. What's often most confusing is that a worksheet is synonymous with a spreadsheet. In other words, a spreadsheet and worksheet mean the same thing. However, most people only refer to the program as a spreadsheet program and the files it creates as spreadsheet files.
How to create a new workbook
To create a new workbook in Microsoft Excel, follow the steps below for your version of Excel.
Microsoft Excel 2013 and later
- Open Excel.
- Click the File tab.
- Click New .
- Click Blank workbook .
Microsoft Excel 2010
- Click the File tab at the top of the window.
Microsoft Excel 2007
- Click the Office Button
- Select Blank and recent .
- In the right pane, double-click Blank workbook .
Related information
- How to create a spreadsheet.
- Create, delete, rename, copy, and move a worksheet in Excel.
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Excel glossary
What is a spreadsheet.
A spreadsheet is a file that exists of cells in rows and columns and can help arrange, calculate and sort data. Data in a spreadsheet can be numeric values, as well as text, formulas , references and functions .
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Rows, columns and cells in a spreadsheet
The rows in a spreadsheet have numeric names (1, 2, 3 etc) and the columns have alphabetic names (a, b, c etc), thus the names of cells subsequently exist of a letter and a number that conveniently point out their position in the grid.
Selection of a row

Selection of a column

Selection of a cell

A spreadsheet can contain one or several worksheets (tabs). Adding worksheets can be done by clicking the ‘+’ on the right side of the existing worksheet tab(s).

In the picture above worksheet 3 is selected. Clicking on the plus-sign will add a new worksheet to the spreadsheet.
Why spreadsheets are used
The most common reason to use spreadsheets is to store and organize data, like revenue, payroll and accounting information. Spreadsheets allow the user to make calculations with this data and to produce graphs and charts.

Spreadsheet vs. Worksheet: What's the Difference?

Key Differences

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Functionality, spreadsheet and worksheet definitions, spreadsheet.

Which software is popular for creating spreadsheets?
What's the difference between a spreadsheet and a database, what is a worksheet, are worksheets only digital, how do you protect data in a worksheet, can you insert formulas in a spreadsheet, how can data be visualized in a spreadsheet, is every tab in a spreadsheet a separate worksheet, are spreadsheets used only by businesses, can you rename a worksheet, how many worksheets can a spreadsheet have, can data be linked between different worksheets, what is a spreadsheet, can spreadsheets handle large amounts of data, how do you navigate between worksheets, what are spreadsheets commonly used for, what is a cell in a spreadsheet, how does a worksheet relate to a spreadsheet, can you duplicate a worksheet, can spreadsheets be shared and collaborated on.

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Definition of spreadsheet
Examples of spreadsheet in a sentence.
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spreadsheet.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
1981, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near spreadsheet
spread the wealth
Cite this Entry
“Spreadsheet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spreadsheet. Accessed 20 Nov. 2023.
Kids Definition
Kids definition of spreadsheet, more from merriam-webster on spreadsheet.
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Worksheets are some of the most widely used documents in different industries and fields. This document serves many purposes, among them are instruction guides for work and answer sheets for students.

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Expense Worksheet

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Create and collaborate on online spreadsheets in real-time and from any device.
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T h e s e n u m b e r s l o o k v e r y s t r o n g !
Collaborate on data, from anywhere
Establish a ground truth for data in your online spreadsheet, with easy sharing and real-time editing. Use comments and assign action items to keep analysis flowing.
Get to insights faster with built-in intelligence
Assistive features like Smart Fill and formula suggestions help you analyze faster with fewer errors. And get insights quickly by asking questions about your data in simple language.
Seamlessly connect to other Google apps
Sheets is thoughtfully connected to other Google apps you love, saving you time. Easily analyze Google Forms data in Sheets, or embed Sheets charts in Google Slides and Docs. You can also reply to comments directly from Gmail and easily present your spreadsheets to Google Meet.
Extend collaboration and intelligence to Excel files
Easily edit Microsoft Excel spreadsheets online without converting them, and layer on Sheets’ enhanced collaborative and assistive features like comments, action items, and Smart Fill.
Build custom solutions
Speed up workflows by building business apps and automations. Use AppSheet to build custom applications on top of Sheets, without writing code. Or add custom functions, menu items, and macros with Apps Script.
Always work with fresh data
With Sheets, everyone’s always working on the latest version of a spreadsheet. And with edits automatically saved in version history, it’s easy to undo changes or even see edit history of an individual spreadsheet cell.
Seamlessly connect to critical data
Pull in and analyze data from the other tools you use, like customer data from Salesforce. Enterprise customers can also use Connected Sheets to analyze billions of rows of BigQuery data in Sheets – without writing any code.
Security, compliance, and privacy
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We use industry-leading security measures to keep your data safe, including advanced malware protections. Sheets is also cloud-native, eliminating the need for local files and minimizing risk to your devices.
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All files uploaded to Google Drive or created in Sheets are encrypted in transit and at rest.
Compliance to support regulatory requirements
Our products, including Sheets, regularly undergo independent verification of their security, privacy, and compliance controls .
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Sheets adheres to the same robust privacy commitments and data protections as the rest of Google Cloud’s enterprise services .
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Access, create, and edit your spreadsheets wherever you are — from any mobile device, tablet, or computer — even when offline.
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What is a spreadsheet?
A S preadsheet is a computer application that is designed to add, display, analyze, organize, and manipulate data arranged in rows and columns. It is the most popular application for accounting, analytics, data presentation, etc. In other words, spreadsheets are scalable grid-based files that are used to organize data and perform calculations. People all across the world use spreadsheets to create tables for personal and business usage.
You can also use the tool’s features and formulas to help you make sense of your data.
For example – You may track data in a spreadsheet and see sums, differences, multiplication, division, and fill dates automatically, among other things. Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, Apache Open Office, LibreOffice, etc. are some spreadsheet software. Among all these software, Microsoft Excel is the most commonly used spreadsheet tool and it is available for Windows, macOS, Android, etc.
What is an Excel SpreadSheet?
A collection of spreadsheets is known as a workbook. Every Excel file is called a workbook. Every time you start a new project in Excel, you’ll need to create a new workbook.
There are several methods for getting started with an Excel workbook. To create a new worksheet or access an existing one, you can either start from scratch or utilize a pre-designed template. A single Excel worksheet is a tabular spreadsheet that consists of a matrix of rectangular cells grouped in rows and columns. It has a total of 1,048,576 rows and 16,384 columns, resulting in 17,179,869,184 cells on a single page of a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet where you may write, modify, and manage your data.
In the same way as a file or a book is made up of one or more worksheets that contain various types of related data, an Excel workbook is made up of one or more worksheets. You can also create and save an endless number of worksheets. The major purpose is to collect all relevant data in one place but in many categories (worksheet).
Features of spreadsheet
As we know that there are so many spreadsheet applications available in the market. So these applications provide the following basic features:
Rows and columns:
Rows and columns are two distinct features in a spreadsheet that come together to make a cell, a range, or a table. In general, columns are the vertical portion of an excel worksheet, and there can be 256 of them in a worksheet, whereas rows are the horizontal portion, and there can be 1048576 of them.

The color light green is used to highlight Row 3 while the color green is used to highlight Column B. Each column has 1048576 rows and each row has 256 columns.
In spreadsheets, formulas process data automatically. It takes data from the specified area of the spreadsheet as input then processes that data, and then displays the output into the new area of the spreadsheet according to where the formula is written. In Excel, we can use formulas simply by typing “=Formula Name(Arguments)” to use predefined Excel formulas. When you write the first few characters of any formula, Excel displays a drop-down menu of formulas that match that character sequence. Some of the commonly used formulas are:
- =SUM(Arg1: Arg2): It is used to find the sum of all the numeric data specified in the given range of numbers.
- =COUNT(Arg1: Arg2): It is used to count all the number of cells(it will count only number) specified in the given range of numbers.
- =MAX(Arg1: Arg2): It is used to find the maximum number from the given range of numbers.
- =MIN(Arg1: Arg2): It is used to find the minimum number from the given range of numbers.
- =TODAY(): It is used to find today’s date.
- =SQRT(Arg1): It is used to find the square root of the specified cell.
For example, you can use the formula to find the average of the integers in column C from row 2 to row 7:
The range of values on which you want to average is defined by D2:D6. The formula is located near the name field on the formula tab.

We wrote =AVERAGE(D2:D6) in cell D9, therefore the average becomes (2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7)/6 = 27/6 = 4.5. So you can quickly create a workbook, work on it, browse through it, and save it in this manner.
Functions of SpreadSheet
In spreadsheets, the function uses a specified formula on the input and generates output. Or in other words, functions are created to perform complicated math problems in spreadsheets without using actual formulas. For example, if you want to find the total of the numeric data present in the column then use the SUM function instead of adding all the values present in the column.
Text Manipulation:
The spreadsheet provides various types of commands to manipulate the data present in it.
Pivot Tables: It is the most commonly used feature of the spreadsheet. Using this table users can organize, group, total, or sort data using the toolbar. Or in other words, pivot tables are used to summarize lots of data. It converts tons of data into a few rows and columns.
Uses of Spreadsheets
The use of Spreadsheets is endless. It is generally used with anything that contains numbers. Some of the common use of spreadsheets are:
- Finance: Spreadsheets are used for financial data like it is used for checking account information, taxes, transaction, billing, budgets, etc.
- Forms: A spreadsheet is used to create form templates to manage performance review, timesheets, surveys, etc.
- School and colleges: Spreadsheets are most commonly used in schools and colleges to manage student’s data like their attendance, grades, etc.
- Lists: Spreadsheets are also used to create lists like grocery lists, to-do lists, contact detail, etc.
- Hotels: Spreadsheets are also used in hotels to manage the data of their customers like their personal information, room numbers, check-in date, check-out date, etc.
Components of Spreadsheets
The basic components of spreadsheets are:

1. TitleBar:
The title bar displays the name of the spreadsheet and application.
2. Toolbar:
It displays all the options or commands available in Excel for use.
3. NameBox:
It displays the address of the current or active cell.
4. Formula Bar:
It is used to display the data entered by us in the active cell. Also, this bar is used to apply formulas to the data of the spreadsheet.
5. Column Headings:
Every Excel spreadsheet contains 256 columns and each column present in the spreadsheet is named by letters or a combination of letters.
6. Row Headings:
Every Excel spreadsheet contains 65,536 rows and each row present in the spreadsheet is named by a number.
In a spreadsheet, everything like a numeric value, functions, expressions, etc., is recorded in the cell. Or we can say that an intersection of rows and columns is known as a cell. Every cell has its own name or address according to its column and rows and when the cursor is present on the first cell then that cell is known as an active cell.
8. Cell referring:
A cell reference, also known as a cell address, is a way for describing a cell on a worksheet that combines a column letter and a row number. We can refer to any cell on the worksheet using cell references (in excel formulae). As shown in the above image the cell in column A and row 1 is referred to as A1. Such notations can be used in any formula or to duplicate the value of one cell to another (by using = A1).
9. Navigation buttons:
A spreadsheet contains first, previous, next, and last navigation buttons. These buttons are used to move from one worksheet to another workbook.
10. Sheet tabs:
As we know that a workbook is a collection of worksheets. So this tab contains all the worksheets present in the workbook, by default it contains three worksheets but you can add more according to your requirement.
How to Create a New Spreadsheet or Workbook
To create a new spreadsheet follow the following steps:
Step 1: Click on the top-left, Microsoft Office button and a drop-down menu appear.
Step 2: Now select New from the menu.

Step 3: After selecting the New option a New Workbook dialogue box will appear and then in Create tab, click on the blank Document.

A new blank worksheet is created and is shown on your screen.
Note: When you open MS Excel on your computer, it creates a new Workbook for you.
Saving The Workbook
In Excel we can save a workbook using the following steps:
Step 1: Click on the top-left, Microsoft office button and we get a drop-down menu:

Step 2: Now Save or Save As are the options to save the workbook, so choose one.
- Save As: To name the spreadsheet and then save it to a specific location. Select Save As if you wish to save the file for the first time, or if you want to save it with a new name.
- Save: To save your work, select Save/ click ctrl + S if the file has already been named.
So this is how you can save a workbook in Excel.
Inserting text in Spreadsheet
Excel consists of many rows and columns, each rectangular box in a row or column is referred to as a Cell. So, the combination of a column letter and a row number can be used to find a cell address on a worksheet or spreadsheet. We can refer to any cell in the worksheet using these addresses (in excel formulas). The name box on the top left(below the Home tab) displays the cell’s address whenever you click the cell.

To insert the data into the cell follow the following steps:
Step 1: Go to a cell and click on it
Step 2: By typing something on the keyboard, you can insert your data (In that selected cell).

Whatever text you type displays in the formula bar as well (for that cell).
How to Edit/ Delete Cell Contents in the Spreadsheet
To delete cell content follow the following steps:
Step 1: To alter or delete the text in a cell, first select it.
Step 2: Press the Backspace key on your keyboard to delete and correct text. Alternatively, hit the Delete key to delete the whole contents of a cell. You can also edit and delete text using the formula bar. Simply select the cell and move the pointer to the formula bar.
FAQs on SpreadSheet
1. what is spreadsheet in excel.
A spreadsheet is a file that exists of cells in rows and columns and can help arrange, calculate, and sort data . Data in a spreadsheet can be numeric values, as well as text, formulas, references, and functions.
2. Why is it called a spreadsheet?
In terms of newspapers and magazines, SpreadSheet word came into existence, i.e, it has two faces extending across the centerfold and treating the two pages as one large page.
3. How to create a spreadsheet?
Step 1: Open MS Excel. Step 2: Go to Menu and select New >> Click on the Blank workbook to create a simple worksheet. OR – Press Ctrl + N: To create a new spreadsheet. Step 3: By default, Sheet 1 will be created as a worksheet in the spreadsheet.
4. Who created Excel?
Charles Simonyi an Microsoft employee created Excel.
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Difference Between Worksheet, Workbook, And Spreadsheet
What is the Difference Between Worksheet, Workbook, and Spreadsheet?
To create or maintain our daily work report on the computer, some software’s available there which allows users to keep daily work secure in the form of a workbook, spreadsheet as well as a worksheet. Microsoft Excel is well-known software to do such kinds of tasks, apart from that nowadays Google Sheets is also the best option to maintain and create daily work-related files.
Sometimes there is confusion like situations go to create where users do not get the exact meaning of spreadsheet, worksheet, and Workbook. While some users think that all of these things are the same, though there is so much similarity between them some basic aspects differ from each other.
Here in this article, you will get to know the basic difference between a workbook, a Spreadsheet, and a Worksheet. Also, you will get to know about them like what are the file type in actual. Step by step you will get to every important aspect of them, somewhere this information will be helpful for you whenever you will need to create a file on Excel or Google Sheet.
What is the Difference Between Worksheet, Workbook, and Spreadsheet

Meaning of Spreadsheet, Worksheet, and Workbook.
Many users among you may be well versed with Microsoft Excel and Google Sheet, but some may be confused between file types on it. Here we will see them one by one so that your confusion will be clear.
1. Workbook
The workbook is a set of one or more worksheets, where you can make and save your professional as well as personal documents securely.
The workbook is also a file/book, but it is a bunch of worksheet files, where one or more files you can add. The workbook can be used on different platforms like a school assignment, Professional content files, Business related files. But every time you will get to see multiple numbers of worksheets added to the workbook file.
2. Spreadsheet.
As we told you earlier that some software allows users to create their work-related files, here a spreadsheet is one kind of software through that users can organize their data in a row and columns. With the help of a spreadsheet, users can do calculations in between that row and columns.
Users get options to edit, format and create worksheets within a spreadsheet, that’s why any user can easily fill their data into columns and rows available in a spreadsheet. While organizing and keeping data secure is much easier with the help of spreadsheets.
3. Worksheet.
Normally worksheet is a single page of the file where user can fill their data into rows and columns, the data into rows and columns is popularly known as a worksheet.
With the help of a worksheet, users can create their educational, school work-related, professional as well as business-related file. You can also handle tax forms and accounting-related work also with the help of a worksheet.
In this we have discussed the basic meaning of all these three data file-related concepts, now let’s see the difference between all of them on the basis of some important aspects.
Difference Between Worksheet, Spreadsheet, and Workbook.
Below given are some important key points with the help of them we can easily differentiate between all these three file types. As given below you can check and see all of the key points;
Conclusion:
Basically, spreadsheets , Worksheets, and workbooks are parts of data-saving tools/software like Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets. They all are somewhere dependent on each other while as per the need users can use them. Though Spreadsheet, Worksheet, and Workbook look the same there is a basic difference between all of them, as mentioned in details related to it, in this article. You may use this information if you have any kind of confusion between all of them.
In this way, we have discussed various aspects which are related to a spreadsheet, worksheet, and workbook. Also with the help of that aspects, you have a read basic difference between all of them. Hope you have well understood all of this information, while it will be somewhere beneficial for you. Try to share this article with others, Thanks for being with us.
Frequently asked questions about the Difference between Worksheet, Spreadsheet, and Workbook
Ans: A worksheet is a just single-page data file that is generally created as a specific data file, while a spreadsheet is a whole program where the user can create a worksheet or workbook. A workbook is a bundle of worksheets where generally one or more than one worksheet is available.
Ans: Yes, because without a spreadsheet you can’t create a worksheet as well as a workbook.
Ans: As many worksheets, you need to create that much you can create within a spreadsheet.
Ans: No, It is possible to worksheet easily.
Ans: Like many, you want to create a workbook and worksheet that much you can create into a spreadsheet.
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What is a Spreadsheet?
Home › Business Management › What is a Spreadsheet?
Definition: A spreadsheet, also called an electronic work sheet, is a computer program that organizes data into rows and columns in the form of a graph. Each row and column can be manipulated with formulas, commands, and formats. This tool is especially useful for accountants, financial analysts, and business people to analyze business performance numbers and results.
- What Does Spreadsheet Mean?
The most common spreadsheet program that accountants use is Microsoft Excel. This product was initially developed in the 1990s in the Office Suite program package and has since become the industry standard.
Spreadsheets allow accountants to do much more than organize data. They can manipulate it in order to test the impact that alternative strategies and performance results would have on the company’s bottom line. They can also use the software to make projections about future performance, development, and even market trends.
Without the help of accounting packages, spreadsheets are often used to prepare financial statements , budgets , and stock analysis reports. Since this tool is so versatile and easy to use, it can also increase the analysis time, review capabilities, and understandability of reports.
For example, master formulas and cells can be set up to auto calculate values. This way a budget can be made using a 10 percent increase from last year’s numbers. Once the budget is analyzed, the master cell that controls the page formulas can simply be changed to reflect a 12 percent increase in performance. Then the entire budget automatically recalculates based on the new percentages.
Basically, spreadsheet programs like Excel can do any type of data organization and manipulation. Databases and other input devices can collect data and feed it into a spreadsheet, so management can easy turn it into useful information and analyze the company results for the period . Pretty cool, huh. You might be thinking that this tool is just for nerds. Well, it kind of is. : )
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What Is A Spreadsheet? (Everything You Need To Know)
Spreadsheets are a powerful tool for organizing, storing, and manipulating data. With the ability to quickly and easily analyze, compare, and visualize data, spreadsheets have become an indispensable tool for a wide range of applications.
To put it simply, a spreadsheet is a type of software program that is used to organize, store and manipulate data in a tabular format.
Whether you are a finance professional looking to create complex financial models, a data analyst seeking to uncover trends and patterns in large datasets, or a project manager looking to track and manage multiple tasks and resources, a spreadsheet can help you get the job done.
In this article, we will explore what a spreadsheet is, how it works, and the many ways it can be used to make sense of complex data. So whether you are new to spreadsheets or an experienced user, this article will provide you with everything you need to know about this versatile and powerful tool.
What Is A Spreadsheet?

A spreadsheet is like a digital version of a paper worksheet. It’s a tool that lets you organize and manipulate data in rows and columns, kind of like a big table. Typically, a spreadsheet is a grid of rows and columns, with each cell containing a specific piece of data. This allows you to easily input, organize, and manipulate your data to get the information you need.
You can use a spreadsheet to perform calculations and operations on the data, and the results are automatically updated in real-time. This makes it a really useful tool for all sorts of things, like financial modeling, data analysis, and project management.
In addition to the built-in features I mentioned above, many spreadsheet programs also offer advanced functionality, like macros and scripting languages. This allows you to automate repetitive tasks and create custom functionality, which can save you a ton of time and effort. It’s like having your own personal assistant to help you get stuff done!
All in all, a spreadsheet is a really handy tool to have in your toolkit. Whether you’re a finance professional, data analyst, or project manager, a spreadsheet can help you make sense of complex data, and drive better decision-making. It’s like a digital Swiss Army knife – there’s almost nothing it can’t do!
Main sections of a spreadsheet
All major spreadsheet software such as Google Sheets and Excel have consistent formatting, with the main parts of a spreadsheet being the rows, columns, cells, ribbon, and work area.
Below are few main sections of a spreadsheet.

Spreadsheet Work Area
The spreadsheet work area is the area where you input and manipulate your data on a spreadsheet. It is typically made up of rows, columns, and cells, which form a grid. You can input data into the cells, and then use the rows and columns to organize and analyze that data.

Ribbon Area
The ribbon typically includes tabs for different types of tasks, such as data entry, formatting, and formulas. Each tab includes a set of related buttons and tools that you can use to perform various actions on your data. The ribbon is designed to be user-friendly and intuitive, so it can help you quickly find the tools you need to work with your data.

A sheet tab is a small tab at the bottom of the program window that represents a single sheet or worksheet in a workbook. You can click on a sheet tab to switch between sheets, and you can also use the sheet tabs to add, rename, or delete sheets in your workbook. The sheet tabs are a convenient way to manage and navigate your data in a spreadsheet program.
What Is A Spreadsheet Used For?
Spreadsheets are a really versatile tool that can be used for all sorts of things and pretty much every industry nowadays uses them on a daily basis.
It’s often used for things like budgeting , tracking expenses, and creating reports.
Here are just a few examples:
- Financial modeling: Finance professionals often use spreadsheets to create complex financial models. This can help them forecast revenues, expenses, and profits, and see how different scenarios might impact their bottom line.
- Data analysis: Data analysts use spreadsheets to explore and analyze large datasets, looking for trends, patterns, and insights that can help inform their decision-making.
- Project management: Project managers use spreadsheets to track and manage tasks, resources, and budgets. This can help them stay on top of their project, and make sure everything stays on track.
- Inventory management: Businesses that need to keep track of stock levels and inventory can use a spreadsheet to manage their inventory. This can help them see what they have on hand, and make sure they have enough to meet customer demand.
- Personal finance: People can also use spreadsheets to manage their personal finances. This can help them see where their money is going, set budgets, and track their spending.
As you can see, there are all sorts of ways you can use a spreadsheet. It’s a really powerful tool that can help you organize and manipulate data, and make sense of complex information. So whether you’re a finance professional, data analyst, project manager, or just someone looking to get a handle on their personal finances, a spreadsheet can be a really useful tool to have in your toolkit.
Read more on: What Is A Spreadsheet Used For
What Are The Three Types Of Spreadsheets?
There are many different types of spreadsheets , each with its own set of features and functions. Here are three common types of spreadsheets.
- Financial spreadsheets: Financial spreadsheets are used for managing and analyzing financial data, such as budgets, expenses, and investments. For example, a financial spreadsheet might include a list of income and expenses, with formulas to calculate the total income and expenses, and graphs to show the breakdown of expenses by category. Financial spreadsheets can be used by individuals to manage their personal finances, or by businesses to track their income and expenses.
- Statistical spreadsheets: Statistical spreadsheets are used for managing and analyzing data for statistical purposes, such as calculating averages, standard deviations, and correlations. It is normally used by researchers to analyze data from experiments or surveys, or by businesses to analyze data about their customers or products.
- Database spreadsheets: Database spreadsheets are used for organizing and managing large amounts of data, such as customer information or inventory lists. Database spreadsheets often include tools for sorting and filtering data, as well as functions for creating links between different sheets of data to enable more complex analysis. For example, a database spreadsheet might include a list of customers, with columns for their name, address, phone number, and other information, and formulas to calculate the total number of customers or the average age of customers.
What Is The Difference between a spreadsheet and a Workbook?
If you’ve been keeping in track with spreadsheets, you may have notice that words such as spreadsheet and workbook are used quite often when discussing these topics.
Spreadsheet and a workbook are both tools for organizing and managing data, but there are some key differences between the two.
A spreadsheet is a single sheet of data, typically organized into columns and rows, that can be used to input and manipulate data. Spreadsheets are often used for financial or mathematical calculations, and they allow users to perform various functions such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division on the data. Spreadsheets can also be used to create graphs and charts to visualize data.
A workbook, on the other hand, is a collection of one or more spreadsheets. Workbooks allow users to organize and manage multiple spreadsheets in a single file. This can be useful for larger and more complex data sets, as it allows users to keep related data together and easily switch between different sheets of data within the same file.
One key advantage of a workbook over a single spreadsheet is that it allows users to create links between different sheets of data. For example, users can use formulas in one sheet to reference data from another sheet, making it easier to perform calculations and analyze data across multiple sheets. This can be especially useful for large and complex data sets, as it allows users to perform calculations and analysis on data from multiple sources within the same file.
In conclusion, a spreadsheet is a powerful tool for organizing and managing data.
It allows users to input and manipulate data in a structured format, and to perform various functions such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division on the data. Spreadsheets can also be used to create graphs and charts to visualize data, making it easier to understand and analyze complex data sets.
Whether you are working with financial data, mathematical calculations, or any other type of data, a spreadsheet can be a valuable tool for organizing, managing, and analyzing your data.
Frequently Asked Questions
A spreadsheet is a digital document that contains data organized in rows and columns. It’s a bit like a big table, where you can input numbers, text, or other types of data, and then use that data to perform calculations or create graphs and charts. Spreadsheets are a valuable tool for organizing, managing, and analyzing data. They make it easy to input and manipulate data, and they can be used for all sorts of data, from personal finances to business inventory. In short, a spreadsheet is a powerful tool for organizing and understanding your data.
One example of a spreadsheet is a financial budgeting tool. A user can input their income and expenses into a spreadsheet, and then use the spreadsheet to track their spending and see how they are doing against their budget. The spreadsheet can also be used to perform calculations, such as calculating the total income and expenses, or comparing the actual spending to the budgeted amounts. The user can also create graphs and charts to visualize their spending, and see where they might be able to save money.

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Caregiver Worksheets
The caregiver worksheets can help you coordinate care and keep track of your caregiving responsibilities and needs. You can download, print, and copy the worksheets.
Worksheet: Coordinating caregiving responsibilities
Caregiving comes with many responsibilities that can be helpful to divide up among family and friends. Use this worksheet for identifying and sharing caregiving tasks with others.
View Worksheet (PDF, 161K)
Worksheet: Home safety checklist
This room-by-room checklist helps you identify and remove hazards around an older person’s home to help keep them safe.
View Worksheet (PDF, 251K)
Worksheet: Questions to ask before hiring a care provider
Before signing an agreement for home health care or geriatric care management, get as much information as you can about the services, fees, terms, and restrictions. You can use this worksheet to help you collect information about each service you’re considering.
View Worksheet (PDF, 142K)
Worksheet: Questions to consider before moving an older adult into your home
In some cases, it makes sense for an older parent, relative, or friend to move into your home so you can take care of them. Use this list of questions when thinking about whether this kind of move is the right arrangement for you.
View Worksheet (PDF, 411K)
Worksheet: Managing medications and supplements
Use this worksheet to keep track of every prescription drug, over-the-counter medicine, and supplement the older adult is taking. Keep this list handy and share it with all of the person’s other caregivers and health care providers.
View Worksheet (PDF, 158K)
Worksheet: Important documents and paperwork
This worksheet provides a checklist of important records, documents, and other information to help you determine what needs to be gathered and stored.
View Worksheet (PDF, 409K)
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This content is provided by the NIH National Institute on Aging (NIA). NIA scientists and other experts review this content to ensure it is accurate and up to date.
Content reviewed: April 11, 2023
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Error File Spreadsheet Format of Bulk Update Import Process
When the Bulk Update Import process is Completed with Errors , an Error file is generated as a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet (.xls).
Use any of the following methods to download the error file:
For more details, see Viewing Bulk Update Import Data History Details .
- Download the error file from the email notification you receive when the import process is Completed with Errors.
The error file contains the following worksheets / tabs:
The Instructions worksheet is generated automatically. Depending on the type of business processes included in the spreadsheet, the Instructions worksheet describes how to use the spreadsheet to resolve errors identified in BP records and line item data.
The Main Form worksheet is generated automatically as the second worksheet in the spreadsheet. It is recommended to not rename or reorder this worksheet. It contains a list of erroneous records identified in the Main Form.
Note : All line items associated with the erroneous record in the Main Form will not be validated. Therefore, the error file may not show all errors related to the line items for the erroneous record.
- The following columns/data elements are also read-only: Record Status , Creator, Creation Date, Currency ID , Due Date , Status in WF , BP , Formula Data Elements .
- Data elements that are set to auto-populate from the sum of all line items data elements from the Integration Validation Form.
- The line item tab order is identical to the order in the selected records.
- Custom date formats are honored in the spreadsheet.
- The name of the worksheet is translated according to the user's language preference.
Line item tabs with erroneous records are color-coded orange. Each Line Item tab worksheet contains:
- The line item records and the data elements of each tab are listed in the same order as displayed in the user interface.
- Column A in the relevant Line Item tab describes the error identified for each line item record.
- Each line item record is identified by read-only columns in the following order: Record ID , Line Item ID , Record number , and Line No . These columns cannot be renamed, reordered, duplicated, or removed from the file.
- The formula data elements and auto-populated data elements are read-only columns.
- Worksheet names do not support the following special characters: \ / ? * : [ or ]
Last Published 11/10/2023
Last Published Friday, November 10, 2023

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A worksheet or sheet is a single page in a file created with an electronic spreadsheet program such as Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets. A workbook is the name given to an Excel file and contains one or more worksheets.
A worksheet is a handy tool that helps you organize, store, and manipulate data in a tabular format. It's a great way to analyze large amounts of information, track progress, and make informed decisions. Whether you're a student, a business owner, or just someone who needs to keep track of a lot of data, a worksheet can be a huge help.
A workbook contains worksheets of rows and columns in which you can enter and calculate data. Worksheet. The primary document that you use in Excel to store and work with data. Also called a spreadsheet. A worksheet consists of cells that are organized into columns and rows; a worksheet is always stored in a workbook. Workspace file
A workbook that is available to be viewed and edited by multiple users on a network is known as a Shared Workbook. Worksheet — Within the workbook is where you'll find documents called...
Excel worksheets are made of rows, columns, and cells in which you can input data such as dates, text, numbers, and Excel formulas and functions. The data you enter in the worksheet cells, rows, and columns can also be displayed in graphs and charts . You can save Excel workbooks on your device with the file extension xlsx.
A worksheet is a cells collection divided by rows and columns, the place where we do our excel work. We can have more than one worksheets in excel and we can divide our work as we prefer with those worksheets. What is called as a worksheet in excel can be seen in the screenshot below (the one in the red box) Worksheet Function
A spreadsheet or worksheet is a file made of rows and columns that help sort, organize, and arrange data efficiently, and calculate numerical data. What makes a spreadsheet software program unique is its ability to calculate values using mathematical formulas and the data in cells.
Workbook. In Microsoft Excel, a workbook is a collection of one or more spreadsheets, also called worksheets, in a single file. Below is an example of a spreadsheet called "Sheet1" in an Excel workbook file called "Book1." Our example also has the "Sheet2" and "Sheet3" sheet tabs, which are also part of the same workbook.
Spreadsheets allow the user to make calculations with this data and to produce graphs and charts. A spreadsheet is a file that exists of cells in rows and columns and can help calculate and sort data. Data in a spreadsheet can be numeric, text, formulas, references and functions.
1 a : a sheet that is used in making preliminary plans, auxiliary computations, notes, or comments as a guide in doing some piece of work An electricity worksheet is simply a piece of paper listing all of your household appliances with their wattage. George Johnson b
A spreadsheet is a grid-based file that organizes data and performs calculations using scalable entries. These are used all over the world to create tables for personal and business purposes. ... A worksheet is a collection of cells(It is a basic data unit in the worksheet), where you can store and manipulate data. By default, every workbook ...
A spreadsheet is a digital application for data organization and calculations; a worksheet is a single tab/page within a spreadsheet. Key Differences
noun spread· sheet ˈspred-ˌshēt : a computer program that allows the entry, calculation, and storage of data in columns and rows also : the ledger layout modeled by such a program Examples of spreadsheet in a Sentence
A spreadsheet is a computer program that can capture, display and manipulate data arranged in rows and columns. Spreadsheets are one of the most popular tools available with personal computers. A spreadsheet is generally designed to hold numerical data and short text strings.
In modern spreadsheet applications, several spreadsheets, often known as worksheets or simply sheets, are gathered together to form a workbook. A workbook is physically represented by a file containing all the data for the book, the sheets, and the cells with the sheets.
A worksheet, in the word's original meaning, is a sheet of paper on which one performs work. They come in many forms, most commonly associated with children's school work assignments, tax forms, and accounting or other business environments. Software is increasingly taking over the paper-based worksheet.
Workbooks and worksheets are similar to those from traditional spreadsheet programs, with unique Spreadsheet.com features built on top. Spreadsheet.com workbooks give you the benefit of traditional spreadsheets, with additional unique features like rich Data Types, Views, database-like Related Rows, and more.. Jumpstart your work with one of 100+ pre-built templates in our Template Gallery ...
FAQs More in Worksheet Worksheets Definition & Meaning A worksheet is a specially made material used for notes and guidelines bearing data that can help achieve or accomplish something. A worksheet is a document used by teachers to practice students, a database of work guides for employees, and basically a working paper for most.
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A Spreadsheet is a computer application that is designed to add, display, analyze, organize, and manipulate data arranged in rows and columns. It is the most popular application for accounting, analytics, data presentation, etc. In other words, spreadsheets are scalable grid-based files that are used to organize data and perform calculations.
Normally worksheet is a single page of the file where user can fill their data into rows and columns, the data into rows and columns is popularly known as a worksheet. With the help of a worksheet, users can create their educational, school work-related, professional as well as business-related file.
Definition: A spreadsheet, also called an electronic work sheet, is a computer program that organizes data into rows and columns in the form of a graph. Each row and column can be manipulated with formulas, commands, and formats. This tool is especially useful for accountants, financial analysts, and business people to analyze business performance numbers and results.
A spreadsheet is a digital document that contains data organized in rows and columns. It's a bit like a big table, where you can input numbers, text, or other types of data, and then use that data to perform calculations or create graphs and charts. Spreadsheets are a valuable tool for organizing, managing, and analyzing data.
Worksheet: Managing medications and supplements. Use this worksheet to keep track of every prescription drug, over-the-counter medicine, and supplement the older adult is taking. Keep this list handy and share it with all of the person's other caregivers and health care providers. View Worksheet (PDF, 158K)
Depending on the type of business processes included in the spreadsheet, the Instructions worksheet describes how to use the spreadsheet to resolve errors identified in BP records and line item data. Main Form worksheet. The Main Form worksheet is generated automatically as the second worksheet in the spreadsheet. It is recommended to not ...