Terminology and Interface

Key Terms:

• Cell: A specific location in which information is stored on a spreadsheet

• Range: A group of cells on a spreadsheet, including entire columns (denoted by letters) and rows (denoted by numbers)

• Filter: A feature that allows for the sorting and slicing of data

• Function: A method that calculates some quantity based on inputs that can be applied to a range of data

• Workbook: The entire file in which a spreadsheet is contained

• Sheet: Each “grid” with its own coordinate system within a workbook

Google Sheets has a fairly approachable and self-explanatory interface. There are various areas of note that group features by their purpose and frequency of use.

Main Toolbar

The main toolbar houses the most commonly used features, with a mix of visual and functional options. Various text formatting options are available to alter the appearance of a spreadsheet, including automatic formatting of numbers in various formats (for example, scientific notation, accounting notation, or dates and times). These features can be applied to individual cells as well as entire ranges of data. Text can be aligned in many ways to facilitate readability, including options to have text wrapping so that all text in a cell is visible, even if it doesn’t initially fit within the set width of a column.

The final 5 icons are less visually oriented, and can be used for adding basic functionalities to a spreadsheet, including adding links, comments (an annotation for a specific cell or range), charts (such as line graphs, bar charts, and pie charts), filters, and functions, which will be elaborated on later in Basics of Manipulating Data.

Sheet Management Bar

The sheet management bar is located at the bottom of the window and allows you to manage multiple sheets within a single workbook. Features include reordering, renaming, adding, copying, and deleting sheets. In particular, pivot tables create new sheets based on existing data, and the sheet management bar provides easy access to changing the layout of these additional tables.