If you are new to Excel you may not understand the Excel and/or spreadsheet terminology. Here to help you is a list of the most-used common terms and what they mean:
- Spreadsheet – paper or electronic document with columns and rows used for entering and utilizing data (think columnar pad)
- Worksheet – an electronic spreadsheet with columns and rows. Each column is identified by an alpha character and each row is numbered.
- Workbook – the file that holds a collection of worksheets. In Excel you can have as many worksheets as you need.
- Cell – the intersection of a row and a column in a worksheet
- Cell address – the alpha character of the column and the row number of the cell. The column reference is always first. For example, A1 is the cell address of the first cell in a worksheet and is the intersection of the first column (A) and the first row (1). Cell E10 is the cell address of the cell in column E and the 10th row.
- Value – data that is stored in a cell
- Label – describes something such as a row or column of data
- Formula – calculates values
- Function – an internal ‘formula’ on steroids that perform simple and complex calculations or gives you back certain data that meets the condition(s)
- Autofill Handle – the lower right corner of a cell that copies either cell contents or fills a series
I hope this helps! Be sure to let me know if you found it helpful. Feel free to contact me via the Contact Me page at any time.
Until the next post, ~live life, not work!
