Answer: proprietary Updated: 11/06/2021 by Computer Hope Show
Excel is a spreadsheet application developed and published by Microsoft. It is part of the Microsoft Office suite of productivity software. Unlike a word processor, such as Microsoft Word, Excel organizes data in columns and rows. Rows and columns intersect at a space called a cell. Each cell contains data, such as text, a numerical value, or a formula. Excel was originally code-named Odyssey during development. It was first released on September 30, 1985. Excel is a tool for organizing and performing calculations on data. It can analyze data, calculate statistics, generate pivot tables, and represent data as charts or graphs. For example, you could create an Excel spreadsheet that calculates a monthly budget, tracks associated expenses, and interactively sorts the data by criteria. Below is an example of Microsoft Excel with each of its major sections highlighted. See the formula bar, cell, column, row, or sheet tab links for further information about each of these sections. Where do you find or start Excel?If you have Excel or the entire Microsoft Office package installed on your Windows computer, you can find Excel in the Start menu. Keep in mind that new computers do not include Excel. It must be purchased and installed before running it on your computer. If you do not want (or cannot afford) to purchase Excel, you can use a limited version for free at the Microsoft Office website. If Excel is installed on your computer but isn't in your Start menu, use the following steps to launch Excel manually.
Tip If there is no root folder, look for and open the folder with Office in the folder name.
How to open Microsoft Excel without using a mouse
How can Excel be formatted?Each of the rows, columns, and cells can be modified in many ways, including the background color, number or date format, size, text font, layout, etc. In our example above, you can see that the first row (row 1) has a blue background, bold text, and each cell has its text centered. Download an example of a spreadsheet fileWe created a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet that you can download and open in any spreadsheet program, including Microsoft Excel. This spreadsheet illustrates some of the capabilities of a spreadsheet, formulas, and functions, and allows you to experiment more with a spreadsheet. Why do people use Excel?There are many reasons people use Excel. For example, someone might use Excel and a spreadsheet to keep track of their expenses. See our spreadsheet definition for a complete list of reasons and examples of how people use a spreadsheet. Why would someone use Excel over another spreadsheet program?Today, there are many free spreadsheet programs that someone could use instead of Excel. However, even with the available free options, Excel remains the most-used spreadsheet because of all its available options, features, and because many businesses still use the program. Tip Even with all Excel's options, a free spreadsheet program like Google Sheets is often all most users need. Note If you want to get Excel because it's a job requirement, it's still okay to learn all the basics in a free spreadsheet program. However, there are still many differences between Excel and a free spreadsheet program. Excel file extensionsMicrosoft Excel supports the following file extensions. The default format for saving a Microsoft Excel workbook is .xlsx in all modern versions and .xls in early versions.
What are the different versions of Microsoft Excel?Microsoft Excel has had many versions throughout its history. The different releases with their release dates are listed below. Windows versions
Mac versions
What came before Excel?Microsoft Excel was not the first spreadsheet program. Lotus 1-2-3 and VisiCalc were popular spreadsheet programs released before Excel.
Conditional formatting, Formula, Function, Google Docs, Lookup, Multiplan, Office, Office 365, Office Online, Spreadsheet, Spreadsheet terms |