Introduction to spreadsheets

1. SPREADSHEETS

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Objectives
• Understand the use of spreadsheets and Excel
• Learn the parts of the Excel window
• Scroll through a worksheet and navigate
between worksheets
• Create and save a workbook file
• Enter text, numbers, and dates into a
worksheet
• Resize, insert, and remove columns and rows
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Objectives(Cont’d)
•Select and move cell ranges
•Insert formulas and functions
•Insert, delete, move, and rename
worksheets
•Work with editing tools
•Preview and print a workbook
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Definition and History
• A spreadsheet is a program that lets users
enter data in a two-dimensional grid of
individual cells.
• They are commonly used for storing data in a
simple database and for financial and
numerical calculations
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History of Spreadsheet software
• One of the first spreadsheet programs was
VisiCalc, released for Apple computers in
1979. it helped to show how personal
computers could be useful as business tools
rather than just for hobbyists to play with.
• Later popular spreadsheets include today’s
MS Excel and Google sheets, as well as other
programs previously popular, especially
1980s favorite Lotus 1-2-3
• Spreadsheets have consistently been one of
the most popular types of business software
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History of Spreadsheet software(Cont..)
• While Spreadsheet software has gained new
features, users of older tools like VisiCalc
would quickly recognize the layout of a
modern spreadsheets program
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Limitations of Spreadsheets
• Vulnerable to fraud: There is inherent lack of
controls, which makes it so easy to alter
either formulas or values without being
detected.
• Susceptible to trivial human errors like
missed negative signs and misaligned rows
• Obstructive to regulatory compliance: There
are a number of regulations that have a
serious impact on the use of spreadsheets.
E.g. EU Data Protection
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Limitations of Spreadsheets(Cont.)
• Unfit for agile business practices: We’re now
in an age when major changes are shaping
and reshaping the business landscape. Since
spreadsheets are normally highly
personalized user developed applications
when it’s time for a new person to take over
as part of large scale business change , the
newcomer may have to start from scratch.
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Limitations of Spreadsheets(Cont.)
• Not designed for collaborative work. Plans,
forecasts, budgets and reports require
information from different individuals
belonging to different departments, making
the final documents a result of multiple
exchanges of data and ideas. If individuals
are separated by long distances, the only
way to exchange data in spreadsheets will be
via email. Such method of exchange is
susceptible to duplicate and even erroneous
data
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Limitations of Spreadsheets(Cont..)
• Incapable of supporting quick decision
making: in a spreadsheet-based environment,
extracting data from different departments,
consolidating them and summarizing the
information to aid making sound decisions
can be very time consuming.
• Scales poorly: As an organization grows,
spreadsheet data get more distributed;
subsequently compounding the issues
outlined above. Spreadsheets are therefore
not suitable for large organizations
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Features of Spreadsheets
• Built-in-support for complex mathematical calculations
and formulas
• Ability to generate graphs from data
• Ability to customize what types of data are stored in
which rows and columns
• Ability to adjust column width and row heights, hide
rows and columns and freeze panes
• Ability to create, edit, save and retrieve worksheets
• Have data formatting: both text and numeric data can
be formatted using predefined formats. E.g. decimal,
scientific integer
• Have data sorting and filtering capability
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Introduction to Spreadsheets
• A spreadsheet is essentially a ledger sheet that lets
you enter, edit and manipulate numeric data.
• Often used in business for budgeting,
inventory management, and decision
making
•Two types of spreadsheets namely;
• Manual spreadsheets
• Electronic spreadsheets
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• A manual spreadsheet is used by book keepers as a
ledger book with many sheets of papers divided into
rows and columns on which various amounts of money
are entered manually using a pen or a pencil
• Electronic spreadsheet on the other hand is prepared
using a computer program that enables the user to
enter values in rows and columns similar to the ones of
a manual spreadsheet and to manipulate them
mathematically using a formula
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Types of Spreadsheets

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Examples of spreadsheet software
MS Excel
VisiCalc
Lotus 1-2-3
Etc
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Introduction to MS Excel
Microsoft Excel is a computer program
used to enter, analyze, and present
quantitative data

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Loading the application and looking at
the features
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Description of Excel window elements
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Terms Associated with Spreadsheets(Excel)
• Cell: Refers to the intersection between rows and
columns.
• Range: This is a group of adjacent cells.
• Worksheet: Refers to a grid of rows and columns, in
which you can enter, edit and view data
• Workbook: Refers to a collection of various
worksheets
• Cell Address: Refers to reference to a particular cell.
It is the format of column number, row number. E.g
B20
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Terms Associated with Excel(Cont.)
• Range Address: Refers to a range reference
which has a format of top-left cell address:
bottom-right cell address. E.g. C10:G15, etc
• Home Cell: Refers to the first cell in a
spreadsheet. It has the address A1.
• Cell Pointer: Thick dark rectangle that indicates
the currently selected cell
• Active Cell: Refers to the cell that is indicated by
the cell pointer. Or the cell that the user is
currently working in .
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Terms Associated with Excel(Cont.)
• Name Box: Contains the address of the
active cell in a particular worksheet
• Formula Bar: Used to enter or edit data in
worksheet cells.
• Worksheet Area: Main working area in a
spreadsheet in which data is entered or
viewed.
• Sheet Tabs: They indicate worksheets
present in the spreadsheet. They are usually
labeled Sheet1, sheet2, sheet3.
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Navigating a Worksheet
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Operations with Excel
• Making entries, editing and deleting entries
• Inserting new sheets, renaming, moving and
deleting worksheets
• Inserting, deleting rows and columns
• Editing worksheets (select, copy and paste, cut
and paste)
• Formatting(number, alignment, font, borders),
auto formatting
• Resizing, inserting and removing columns and
rows
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Operations with Excel(Cont..)
• Creating and saving a work book file
• Previewing and printing a worksheet
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Performing calculations in Excel
• Operators can be used to manipulate data in Excel.
Excel supports many types of operators which
include:
• Arithmetic operators
• Logical operators
• Comparison operators
• Etc.
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Arithmetic Operators
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Logical Operators
Operator Description
AND Local and; returns true if
both expressions are true
OR Logical or; returns true if
either of the expressions is
true
NOT Logical not; returns false if
the expression is true and
true if the expression is false
() Parentheses used for
grouping
TRUE Returns logical value True
FALSE Returns logical value False
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Comparison Operators
Operator Description
< Less than
> Greater than
= Equal to
<> Not Equal to
<= Less or equal to
>= Greater or equal to
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Entering Text, Numbers, and Dates
in Cells
• The formula bar displays the content of the active
cell
• Text data is a combination of letters, numbers, and
some symbols
• Number data is any numerical value that can be
used in a mathematical calculation
• Date and time data are commonly recognized
formats for date and time values
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Entering a Formula
• A formula is an expression that returns a value
• A formula is written using operators that combine
different values, returning a single value that is
then displayed in the cell
• The most commonly used operators are arithmetic
operators
• The order of precedence is a set of predefined
rules used to determine the sequence in which
operators are applied in a calculation
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Entering a Formula
•Click the cell in which you want the
formula results to appear
•Type = and an expression that calculates
a value using cell references and
arithmetic operators
•Press the Enter key or press the Tab key
to complete the formula
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Introducing Functions
• A function is a named operation that returns a
value
• For example, to add the values in the range A1:A10,
you could enter the following long formula:
=A1+A2+A3+A4+A5+A6+A7+A8+A9+A10
Or, you could use the SUM function to accomplish
the same thing:
=SUM(A1:A10)
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• Average(): Calculates and returns the
average of numeric values in the range of
cells. E.g.
=Average(A1:A10)
• Max(): Returns the larges value in the range.
E.g. =Max(A1:A10)
• Min(): Returns the smallest value in the
range. E.g. =Min(A1:A10)
• Count(): Counts the number of cells that
contain numbers in the specified range. E.g.
=Count(A1:A10)
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Functions (Cont..)

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• Today(): Returns the current date.
E.g. =Today()
• Now(): Returns the serial number of the the
current time and date.
E.g. =Now()
• If function(): It is a logical function used to
determine whether a condition is true or false.
One value is returned if the condition is true and
a different value is returned if the condition is
false
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Functions (Cont..)

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Exercise
Calculate the Amount column
Item Description Cost Quantity Amount
1. Yogurt 800 6
2. Cakes 600 7
3. Ice Cream 2000 3
4. Chocolate 2400 5
5. Crisps 1000 4
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MOLLY CORNER

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Given the following information
Name Basic
Pay
HA Gross NSSF Net Pay
Samuel. G 400000
Sophie. B 750000
Angela. K 950000
James. H 800000
Margaret. Y 4800000
Jack. E 450000
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Enter the above information in the spreadsheet
program and add borders

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Suppose Housing Allowance(HA) is a quarter of
basic pay, NSSF is 5% of the Gross pay and
PAYE is computed based on the following
information:
15% of Gross pay if Gross pay is less than 500000
25% of Gross pay if Gross pay is more than
500000.
Required:
 Insert a PAYE column between NSSF and Net
pay
 Compute the NSSF, PAYE (use if statement)
Gross pay and Net pay for each employee in the
above table
 Format data using UGX Currency

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Examples
Names Scores Comment
Babangida 69
Komboti 45
Nalumansi 90
Mabirizi 48
Okalebo 80
Nakasi 36 37
Using the IF statement, Fill in the Comment
Column given that if the score is less than
50 FAIL is written against a student and
PASS is displayed otherwise