Spreadsheet concepts and terminology

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Spreadsheet concepts and terminology

• CRP 507 Computer-aided Planning
• Jan 2004

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• Cell
• Cell address
• columns use alphabetic ids, rows use numbers
• Things we put in cells
• alpha characters, numbers, formulas

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Formula Syntax

• Syntax is the structure and/or order of the
  elements in a formula. Excel follows a specific
  syntax
• An equal sign () followed by the elements to be
  calculated
• Excel calculates a formula using algebra laws

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Spreadsheet concepts and terminology

• Data tables
• What are alternative names for columns?
• In Excel, columns
• In SPSS (a statistical Package), variables
• In Access and ArcView, fields
• What are alternative names for rows?
• In Excel, rows
• In SPSS, cases
• In Access and ArcView, records

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When do we use Excel vs. other application
software?

• Repetitive mathematics required (e.g., budgets
  other bookkeeping applications)
• Planning models that make use of matrix
  manipulation and complex mathematical functions
  (e.g., input-output models) using VB or other
  programming languages.

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• Simple statistical analysis
• Data entry, and computation of fields using
  complex formulas
• Import and export of various file formats from
  acquired data

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When should we NOT use Excel?

• Completing statistical analyses, including
  multiple regression
• In such cases, we should use SPSS or SAS or a
  specialized statistical package.
• Controlling the quality of data entry
• Designing and querying more than a single simple
  data table
• In such cases we should use a RDBMS.