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What is a spreadsheet?

2:02 with Michael Watson

A spreadsheet is an electronic document that arranges data in a table by using columns and rows. Among other things, spreadsheets let you store, manipulate, share and analyze data. Spreadsheets are used for both business and personal use all over the world, every day.

Example Google Spreadsheet

To get started with Google Sheets

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    [MUSIC]

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    Hi I'm Mike Watson, I'm the CFO here at Treehouse and I'm super excited to be

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    teaching you about spreadsheets today because I use them all the time.

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    A spreadsheet is an electronic document that arranges data

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    in a table by using columns and rows.

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    Among other things, spreadsheets let you store, manipulate, share and analyze data.

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    Spreadsheets are used for both business and

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    personal use all over the world, everyday.

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    This is because the spreadsheet is a fairly simple,

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    accessible way to store, analyze, collaborate and present information.

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    People use spreadsheets to help analyze data to make well informed decisions, for

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    things as complicated as where to open new restaurant locations or build wind farms.

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    Sometimes simpler tasks like what type of television to buy.

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    If you've been tracking your household expenses from month to month

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    in a spreadsheet.

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    You'll be able to see what purchases fit within your monthly budget.

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    That's a simple example, but

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    utilizing spreadsheets can help you bring clarity, and insights,

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    to decisions much more quickly than if spreadsheets weren't around.

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    Knowing how to use spreadsheets will make you a more valuable and

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    productive team member.

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    That's not just in business either.

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    You can actually use spreadsheets to analyze gaming strategies for

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    academic research, or administration.

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    Unlike some other very valuable skills, with a little bit of practice and

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    learning, working with spreadsheets is actually pretty easy.

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    Let's open up a spreadsheet right now and learn the basic format.

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    There's a link to an example spreadsheet that includes data on Amazon's

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    2016 stock price in the teacher's notes.

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    If you're unfamiliar with how to use Google Sheets,

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    we've also included a link to a video with instructions on how to get started.

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    Right now we're looking at a spreadsheet.

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    You can see data organized in a table format.

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    A collection of columns going from left to right of the screen and

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    rows going from top to bottom.

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    At the top there are column titles, also known as data header rows.

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