Spreadsheet Skills

Google Sheets Versus Excel (desktop and Office 365): Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel are both powerful spreadsheet applications.

• Excel is the gold standard for spreadsheets in the business industry and is a powerful tool used by most corporations and businesses as well as many schools. It comes in a desktop version and a cloud version in Office 365. Excel Office 365 is very similar to Google Sheets but is not as developed as the Desktop version of Excel. To access many of the powerful, time-saving functions of Excel, you must be in the desktop version.

• Sheets is a web-based tool in the Google Workspace Suite and performs all of the major functions of Excel extremely well. With its many advanced features and continual updating, there is very little you should need to use Excel for. The biggest advantage of using Sheets is its ability to automatically save your files and the ability to easily collaborate on spreadsheets. You can work in one environment and not have to worry about which version to use.

• Article comparing Sheets and Excel from Google

Common Spreadsheet Terms

• Cell: A single data point or element in a spreadsheet

• Column: A vertical row of cells

• Row: A horizontal row of cells

• Range: A selection of cells extending across a row, a column, or both

• Function: A built-in operation from the spreadsheet application (Sheets or Excel) which can be used to calculate values, manipulate data, and more.

• Formula: The combination of functions, cells, rows, columns, and ranges used to obtain a specific result

• Worksheet: The names sets of rows and columns making up your spreadsheet; One Workbook (or spreadsheet) can have multiple sheets. Google calls these Sheets.

• Workbook (Also called Spreadsheet): The entire document containing your worksheet

Basic Google Sheets Skills: Click on this link or open the document below to access written directions, screenshots, and videos for all Google Sheets Basic Skills. Skills covered include:

(The links below will take you to the video how-tos for each skill. You will find additional written information and pictures in the document above.)

• Importing data into Sheets

• Sharing Worksheets

• Adding and Renaming a Sheet

• Sheets Interface

• Navigating Google Sheets

• Autofit Column

• Cell Reference Number

• Working with Cells

• Selecting Data

• Working with Rows and Columns

• Freezing Rows and Columns

• Working with Data

• Sorting Data

• Index Column

• Copying and Pasting Data in Sheets (Linking Data)

• Protecting Sheets and Ranges

• Printing Sheets

• Explore Tool in Sheets