ICDL Spreadsheets (ICDL) key terms

A spreadsheet file that can hold one or more worksheets, together with their data, formulas, charts and formatting. When you save or open a file in a spreadsheet program, you are saving or opening a workbook.

The strip of tabs and command buttons across the top of the application window. Each tab groups related tools, such as Home for formatting or Formulas for functions.

The full-screen area opened by the File tab. It contains file-level commands such as Open, Save, Print, Export and Options rather than worksheet editing tools.

A ready-made workbook with a preset layout, formatting and sometimes formulas or sample data. Opening a template creates a new workbook that you can adapt.

The small box at the left end of the Formula Bar that shows the address of the active cell and can be used to jump quickly to a cell or range.

The rectangular box where a single column and row meet. It is the basic storage unit of a worksheet and can hold text, numbers, dates or formulas.

The address of a cell, made from its column letter and row number, such as C5. Formulas use references to read values from other cells.

A rectangular block of cells selected or treated as one unit, written with its top-left and bottom-right addresses separated by a colon, for example A1:D20.

A descriptive name given to a cell or range, such as TaxRate, so that formulas can refer to it by name instead of an address that is hard to read.

The small square in the bottom-right corner of a selected cell or range. Dragging it copies the content or continues a recognised series into neighbouring cells.

The behaviour that lets the fill handle extend patterns automatically, for example weekday or month names, number sequences, or a formula adjusted for each row.

Rearranging the rows of a list into ascending or descending order based on the values in one or more columns, while keeping each record's data together.

A temporary view that hides rows not matching criteria you set, so only the records you want to see are displayed; the hidden rows are not deleted.

A single grid of columns and rows inside a workbook, displayed on its own tab. A workbook may contain many worksheets.

The label at the bottom of the workbook window that shows a worksheet's name and lets you switch to it, rename it, or move, copy and colour it.

A view setting that locks chosen rows or columns in place so that headings stay visible while you scroll to other parts of a large worksheet.

An instruction typed into a cell that begins with = and calculates a result from values, cell references, operators and functions, such as =B2*C2.

A built-in calculation with a name, such as SUM or AVERAGE, that returns a result when it is given arguments inside brackets.

A value, cell reference, text string or condition placed between a function's brackets that tells the function what to calculate.

A command that inserts a SUM formula automatically for the nearest continuous column or row of numbers above or to the left of the active cell.

A function that returns the arithmetic mean of the numbers in its arguments, ignoring blank cells and cells that contain text.

A logical function that tests a condition and returns one result when the condition is true and a different result when it is false.

A cell address such as A1 that changes automatically when a formula is copied or filled, because it is stored as a position relative to the formula's own cell.

A cell address locked with dollar signs, such as $B$2, that stays fixed when the formula is copied to other cells; useful for a constant rate or limit.

A code shown in a cell, such as #DIV/0!, #REF! or #NAME?, when a formula cannot be calculated because of a division by zero, a deleted cell or an unknown name.

The setting that controls how a value appears, for example with decimal places, thousands separators or a currency symbol, without changing the value stored in the cell.

A command that combines selected cells into a single larger cell, keeping only the top-left content; commonly used for titles and headings.

A cell option that makes long text continue on several lines within the same cell instead of overflowing into neighbouring cells or requiring wider columns.

Rules that change a cell's appearance automatically - such as fill colour, data bars or icons - when its value meets a condition you define.

A named combination of formatting options - font, size, colour, borders and number format - that can be applied to cells with a single click.

A tool that copies the formatting of a selected cell or range and applies it to another selection, leaving the actual data unchanged.

A visual representation of worksheet data, such as a column, line or pie chart, that makes comparisons and trends easier to see.

The set of related values from one row or column that a chart plots, usually shown as one line, one set of bars or one colour.

The key beside or below a chart that explains which colour, pattern or marker represents which data series.

The chart axis that shows the numerical scale and against which plotted values are measured; it is usually vertical in a column chart.

Text attached to chart points, bars or slices that shows the actual value or category name, making exact numbers readable on the chart.

One or more ranges selected and marked for printing, so that other content on the same worksheet is not included in the printed output.

A page setup choice that prints pages upright as portrait (taller than wide) or turned as landscape (wider than tall).

Text or fields printed in the top and bottom margins of each page, such as page numbers, the file name, the date or a title.

A fixed-layout file format used to share a workbook so it displays the same on any device and is not easily edited; created through Save As or Export.