spreadsheet
     n : a screen-oriented interactive program enabling a user to lay
         out financial data on the screen

	

	spreadsheet
     
         (Or rarely "worksheet") A type of
        application program which manipulates numerical and string
        data in rows and columns of cells.  The value in a cell can be
        calculated from a formula which can involve other cells.  A
        value is recalculated automatically whenever a value on which
        it depends changes.  Different cells may be displayed with
        different formats.
     
        Some spreadsheet support three-dimensional matrices and cyclic
        references which lead to iterative calculation.
     
        An essential feature of a spreadsheet is the copy function
        (often using drag-and-drop).  A rectangular area may be
        copied to another which is a multiple of its size.  References
        between cells may be either absolute or relative in either
        their horizontal or vertical index.  All copies of an absolute
        reference will refer to the same row, column or cell whereas a
        relative reference refers to a cell with a given offset from
        the current cell.
     
        Many spreadsheets have a "What-if" feature.  The user gives
        desired end conditions and assigns several input cells to be
        automatically varied.  An area of the spreadsheet is assigned
        to show the result of various combinations of input values.
     
        Spreadsheets usually incorporate a macro language, which
        enables third-party writing of worksheet applications for
        commercial purposes.
     
        In the 1970s, a screen editor based calculation program
        called Visi-Calc was introduced.  It was probably the first
        commercial spreadsheet program.  Soon Lotus Development
        Corporation released the more sophisticated Lotus 1-2-3.
        Clones appeared, (for example VP-Planner from Paperback
        Software with CGA graphics, Quattro from Borland) but
        Lotus maintained its position with world-wide marketing and
        support - and lawyers!  For example, Borland was forced to
        abandon its Lotus-like pop-up menu.
     
        While still developing 1-2-3, Lotus introduced Symphony,
        which had simultaneously active windows for the spreadsheet,
        graphs and a word processor.
     
        Microsoft produced MultiPlan for the Macintosh, which
        was followed by Excel for Macintosh, long before Microsoft
        Windows was developed.
     
        When Microsoft Windows arrived Lotus was still producing the
        text-based 1-2-3 and Symphony.  Meanwhile, Microsoft
        launched its Excel spreadsheet with interactive graphics,
        graphic charcters, mouse support and cut-and-paste to and
        from other Windows applications.  To compete with Windows
        spreadsheets, Lotus launched its Allways add-on for 1-2-3 -
        a post-processor that produced Windows-quality graphic
        characters on screen and printer.  The release of Lotus 1-2-3
        for Windows was late, slow and buggy.
     
        Today, Microsoft, Lotus, Borland and many other companies offer
        Windows-based spreadsheet programs.
     
        The main end-users of spreadsheets are business and science.
     
        Spreadsheets are an example of a non-algorithmic programming
        language.
     
        [Dates?]
     
        (1995-03-28)