Spreadsheets

Unit 1: Introducing the Spreadsheet

Lesson 2: Entering Data

How do you plan a simple spreadsheet?

The steps you follow to create a spreadsheet will depend on what it is you want to accomplish. This objective uses an example to explain the most common steps in creating a simple spreadsheet.

The first step is to know what it is you want to accomplish. You may want to track some data (e.g., expenses) or answer a specific question (e.g., is it better to buy or lease a new car?). For this example, let's assume we are running a retail outlet and want to record and track the sales figures for the first quarter. We would also like to know the the salary expense by employee and for all employees.

The next step is to identify the input data you have to work with. The input data for most problems consists of raw data and reference values. Raw data is normally the data you want to record and track. Examples of raw data include, course grades, personal expenses, and investments. Reference values are usually constant values used in calculations with the raw data. Examples of reference values are monthly income, interest rate, and commission rate. The raw data for our example are the monthly sales figures per employee. The reference values are base pay and commission rate.

The next step is to decide how to organize and format the data on the page. As you are deciding on the layout of the data, keep in mind any charts you may want to make from the data. This will have an influence on how your data is organized into rows and columns. The more experience you have with charting data the easier it will be to determine what a good layout is. The layout should also make it easy to add/change data and find the information you are looking for. The following figure shows the layout for our example:

Part of formatting a spreadsheet is deciding how to label your data and results. Labels should be clear and easy for someone else to understand (and easy for you to understand when you look at it again in three months!). Labels are also important because, as the figure to the right shows, they show up on any charts you make from the data.

To summarize, the following steps are used to develop a simple spreadsheet:

1. Decide what it is you want to accomplish.
2. Determine what your input data is (raw data, and reference values).
3. Format and label the information.