A '''spreadsheet''' provides a table view of data, where rows represent
individual records, and columns represent fields of the records.  A field value
can be computed from other field values by attaching a '''formula''' to the
field.


** See Also **

   [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spreadsheet%|%Wikipedia]:   

   [Demand-driven computation]:   [AM]: The way spreadsheets work (with formulae for a cell that reference other
cells) made me think of developing a different kind of programming.


** Description **

A spreadsheet in the physical world is a piece of paper with a ''grid'' of
boxes drawn on it, used to attempt to convey in some fashion a relationship
between at least two vectors of information.  These vectors are typically
referred to as ''rows'' and ''columns'' of data, and the basic unit of
information for the spreadsheet, the intersection of a row and column, is a
''cell'' of data.

For instance, the vectors may represent columns of months/weeks/days/hours and
rows of data (money spent, sales achieved per individual, etc.).  

A spreadsheet presents data in table form, a general format that has probably
been around since about the time humans started recording information.  Because
of this generality, spreadsheets are the most broadly used class of data
analysis program.  They are almost universally used by business managers for
tracking and reporting business activity.  The flexibility of spreadsheets
often makes them the tool of choice, particularly for non-programmers,  to
develop quick solutions to daily data management problems.

If considered a user interface, spreadsheets are probably the second most
popular user interface in computing history, surpassed only by the filesystem
file-directory interface.  In a sense, spreadsheets are the closest anything
has come to bringing computer programming to the masses, as spreadsheet users
over time become more adept at leveraging spreadsheet functionality to meet
various computing needs.  

The generality and easy initial learning curve of spreadsheets can lead to
overuse of spreadsheets when other, and better, tools are available.   See
[http://www.burns-stat.com/pages/Tutor/spreadsheet_addiction.html%|%Spreadsheet
Addiction] ,Burns Statistics.



** History **

One of the early spreadsheet programs was Visicalc.  It provided more than just
an input grid for one to type in numbers and words. It also provided the means
to associate calculations (known as formula) to specific cells, and even link
ranges of cells to a specific formula.

The most popular spreadsheet under DOS was Lotus 123 programmed by Mitch Kapor. 

When Dos was replaced by Windows 95, [Excel] replaced Lotus 123 and Excel is to
this day the most popular spreadsheet for Windows.



** List of [Spreadsheets in Tcl-Tk%|%spreadsheets written in Tcl-Tk] ** 


See [Spreadsheets in Tcl-Tk]



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