# 2.2 An introduction to spreadsheet software

At this point, since we need to get our data into a machine readable format, it is useful to become familiar with the tools for accessing those formats: spreadsheets. Spreadsheets are computer applications used to store, analyze, organize and manipulate data in the rows and columns of a grid. The program operates by taking in data, which can be numbers or text, into the cells of tables.&#x20;

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If the data is numbers, the program will compute it for you depending on the function you need to be completed.&#x20;
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In this lesson we will explore common features of different spreadsheet software, including Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel, and Libre Office, and give a brief introduction to spreadsheet rows, columns, cells and tabs.&#x20;

For the purposes of demonstration we will use examples based on Google Sheets.

