Understanding Application Software - Computing Fundamentals - page 139

Spreadsheet data is entered into cells in rows and columns. You can enter
text, numbers, or a combination of the two. If you enter numbers, you
can apply number formatting that makes the numbers appear as currency,
percentages, or any of several other number types.

cell The intersection of a row and a column in a
worksheet.

Spreadsheet software does more than just record lists of text and data,
however. It also supports formulas that calculate and manipulate the
numeric data. For example, in Figure 6.4, each of the expense figures in
column B is summed in the formula in cell B9: =SUM(B3:B7).

formula A mathematical calculation to be per-
formed in an Excel cell. It may refer to other cells
for its values.

Figure.6 4 A formula is used in cell B9 to sum
the values in cells B3 through B7.

Spreadsheets can produce a range of charts and graphs based on the data
they contain, like the one shown in Figure 6.3. These charts can then be
exported and used in a report such as a word processing document or a
presentation.

Data Analyst
Accountants, tax advisors, business owners, and managers all depend on spreadsheets for their work. However, as
with word-processing skills, it's likely you'll need to use spreadsheets in almost any type of job. The ability to “crunch
numbers” comes in useful for analysis, planning, and forecasting, too.

Spreadsheets are incredibly useful when working with a large amount of data. A data analyst must have the ability
to categorize and process large volumes of information and draw meaningful conclusions from them. Databases and
spreadsheets are both used to process and draw out information.

Data analysts may have a degree in statistics, mathematics, or business, but they also need an in-depth knowledge
of spreadsheets in order to work with such large amounts of information and variables.

Understanding Databases
A database is a structured collection of data, such as the inventory of
a store or a collection of personnel files. A database contains one or
more tables , each of which contains records. For example, you might
have a table called Employees that contains a record for each employee.

database A collection of data stored in a struc-
tured format, with the same facts stored about
each instance. A database stores data in a way
that enables you to search and locate it quickly.

table A collection of records, arranged in a
row-and-column format.