Data Types that can be Entered into a Spreadsheet Cell

  • A cell may contain (i)  labels or  (ii) values.
  • A label is a text entry, such as TOTAL, that cannot be numerically manipulated by the spreadsheet.
  • A value can be a number, a date, the answer of a formula, currency, time, percentage, fraction, a logical value, error value e.t.c.
  • If the ####### symbols appear in the cell, it means that the column is not wide enough.

ERRORS IN SPREADSHEET CELLS

If you create a formula in Excel that contains an error or circular reference, Excel lets you know about it with error messages below.

ErrorMeaning
#DIV/0!Trying to divide by 0
#N/A!A formula or a function inside a formula cannot find the referenced data
#NAME?Text in the formula is not recognized
#NULL!A space was used in formulas that reference multiple ranges; a comma separates range references
#NUM!A formula has invalid numeric data for the type of operation
#REF!A reference is invalid
#VALUE!The wrong type of operand or function argument is used

ADVANTAGES OF USING ELECTRONIC SPREADSHEETS OVER MANUAL SPREADSHEETS

  1. It is Easy to make changes and corrections (to edit) data on the worksheet.
  2. Electronic spreadsheets can quickly perform mathematical, statistical, and financial calculations.
  3. The rest of the worksheet is recalculated whenever data in one place changes.
  4. Spreadsheets have in-built functions and macros which make work easy.
  5. Calculations are always accurate, provided that the data and formulae entered are correct.
  6. They offer different options of data presentation by using charting tools such as pie charts, bar graphs, etc.
  7. They are very useful for applications that require modeling and what-if analysis. When you revise the contents of one or more cells in a worksheet and observe the effect this change has on all the other cells, you are performing a what-if analysis.
  8. They easily filter, sort, and arrange data in alphabetical order for better organization.
  9. Workbooks can be saved in soft copies that can be easily modified and reused in future.
  10. Electronic spreadsheets are much larger than manual worksheets. They are not limited by paper size like in manual workbooks.

DISADVANTAGES (DEMERITS) OF USING ELECTRONIC SPREADSHEETS

  1. Electronic spreadsheets require special software and hardware which is expensive.
  2. Spreadsheets require enough time for training and practicing before use.
  3. There is a lot of complexity surrounding formulas, functions and their arguments.
  4. Computers can get system errors, and virus infections. These problems also can lead total loss of data.
  5. Electronic spreadsheets cannot be used in areas without Electricity.
  6. There is Difficulty in finding Data Mistakes since Electronic spreadsheets have many fields, making it look like a screen full of small boxes.
  7. Difficult printing: Obtaining hard copies becomes very hard especially when the worksheets are too wide as compared to the available page sizes.