A spreadsheet is a document that is usually used to store data such as numbers and descriptions (in rows and columns) as well as calculations on various aspects of the data. Spreadsheet applications are software that are used to manipulate the spreadsheet documents. Originally starting with VisiCalc and Lotus 123 which can be credited in helping to bring personal computers into the business market. Now days the most common commercial spreadsheet application for business is Microsoft Excel (which can have spreadsheets programmed all the way into full blown applications), though there are others, as well as numerous free alternatives included in packages such as Open Office. If your data collection in a spreadsheet gets too large to easily manage the next step is usually to move it to a database.

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