Database Reference
In-Depth Information
Spreadsheets can provide an easy-to-use and easy to source (i.e., many tools
connect to it directly) platform for data visualizations if your data size is rela-
tively small and you have a need to easily combine data from multiple sources.
If you can leverage the power of Excel's functions and features to help ensure
that your data is high quality and formatted appropriately for consumption,
this might be a great option for you. Next, let's talk about using data stored
in a database for our source.
how dId we geT To exCel?
Spreadsheets (which are covered later in this chapter) form the foundation
for organizing data in the digital age. In 1978, Harvard Business School
students Daniel Bricklin and Bob Frankston came up with the idea to cre-
ate an interactive calculating program called VisiCalc. This was one of the
first programs that led to the functionality that we know as a spreadsheet
program.
Spreadsheets are wide, flat pages with columns and rows that organize
data about particular transactions for a business purpose. It spreads the
information across a sheet for the business person to analyze, hence the
name. VisiCalc came out of the original spreadsheet world developed by
Professor Richard Mattessich in 1961. He used mainframe computers and
a new programming language called LANPAR.
Lotus 1-2-3 came along in 1980 and was the first “modern” spreadsheet.
Microsoft then countered with Excel (written originally for the 512K Apple
Macintosh) in 1985. Microsoft acquired Lotus in 1995 and with the advent
of DOS and then the Windows operating system, Excel has grown to be
the most widely used spreadsheet application in personal use and by
businesses around the world.
SQ L TAB LES
SQL tables are another common source, although they are typically accessed
and leveraged differently. When the term
SQL table
is used, many times we are
specifically speaking about a table that is in a relational database. This can be
a data warehouse or data mart, CRM system, ERP solution, or simply a table
in a Microsoft Access database that a user has created to do an individual
analysis. This is a pretty common solution for many organizations that do not
have a cohesive strategy for data management and reporting. Many users are
taking the “I'll-find-it-myself” strategy and managing the extraction of data
from a number of different places in the organization.
