By the end of this lesson you will be able to
- Name the parts of a spreadsheet window: cells, rows, columns, the Name Box, the formula bar and the sheet tabs.
- Refer to a cell by its address, such as B3, and move around with the mouse and keyboard.
- Enter text, numbers, dates and currency amounts, and explain why the type of data matters.
- Format cells, widen columns and save a workbook as .ods and as .xlsx.
A Spreadsheet is a grid for keeping lists and doing sums. People use it for budgets, class marks, stock lists, rotas and savings plans, because the grid keeps everything tidy and the program does the sums for you. It looks like a table in a word processor, but it behaves very differently, and the difference is the key to this module. On Ubuntu the spreadsheet program is LibreOffice Calc. If you later use Microsoft Excel on Windows, almost everything here works in the same way, and we point out the differences as we go. All names and amounts in this module are fictional.
What a spreadsheet is, and when to use one
Imagine a very large sheet of squared paper in which every square can hold a word, a number or a calculation. The calculations can point at other squares, so when you change one number, every answer that depends on it updates by itself. That one idea, a grid that recalculates, is why people use spreadsheets rather than a calculator and a notebook.
Use a spreadsheet when you have lists of things with numbers attached: money coming in and going out, marks for pupils, stock in a shop. Use a word processor for writing and a table in a document for a small, fixed table that never needs sums. The two programs have free and paid versions. LibreOffice Calc is free and open source; Excel is part of the paid Microsoft 365 suite, although a smaller version runs free in a web browser.
| Idea | LibreOffice Calc | Microsoft Excel |
|---|---|---|
| A whole file | A spreadsheet document, default type .ods | A workbook, default type .xlsx |
| Controls | Menu bar (File, Edit, View, Insert, Format, Data) and toolbars | A ribbon with tabs (Home, Insert, Formulas, Data) |
| Where you see the contents of a cell | Formula bar (called the Input line in some versions) | Formula bar |
| Go to cell A1 | Ctrl+Home | Ctrl+Home |
| Edit the selected cell | F2 | F2 |
| Format cells | Ctrl+1 | Ctrl+1 |
| Save | Ctrl+S | Ctrl+S |
Opening Calc and meeting the grid
Open a blank spreadsheet
Windows 11 does not come with LibreOffice. If you use a Windows laptop you can install it free from libreoffice.org, or use Excel if it is installed.
On Ubuntu 24.04
Step 1: Search for Calc
Click Activities (top left) or press the Super key (the key with the Windows logo), type
calc, and click LibreOffice Calc.You should see: A window opens with an empty grid of cells and a tab at the bottom called Sheet1.
Step 2: Use the Start Centre
If the Start Centre appears first instead, click Calc Spreadsheet in it.
You should see: A blank spreadsheet opens.
On Windows 11
Step 1: Start Calc or Excel
Click Start, type
calc, and open LibreOffice Calc. If you use Excel, typeexceland choose Blank workbook on its opening screen.You should see: A blank grid opens, with a tab at the bottom called Sheet1 (Excel names it Sheet1 too).
The grid is made of columns, which run up and down and are named with letters (A, B, C and so on), and rows, which run across and are numbered (1, 2, 3 and so on). A cell is the box where one row and one column cross. Its address is the column letter followed by the row number, so the cell in column B and row 3 is B3. A single file is a workbook, and it can hold several worksheets (also called sheets), each shown as a tab at the bottom. Modern versions of Calc have more than a million rows and 16,384 columns on each sheet, far more than you will ever need.
| Row | A | B | C |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Item | Planned | Actual |
| 2 | Rent | 350 | 350 |
| 3 | Food | 120 | 135 |
| 4 | Transport | 40 | 38 |
- Marker 1: Selected cell B3 (column B, row 3)
- Marker 2: Heading row: names each column
- Marker 3: A column of numbers
- Marker 4: A text label
Read this figure as text
A simulated spreadsheet showing a monthly budget with a selected cell, the formula bar and the column and row labels.
A simulated spreadsheet containing a small monthly budget. Row 1 holds the headings Item, Planned and Actual in columns A, B and C. Rows 2 to 4 hold Rent 350 and 350, Food 120 and 135, and Transport 40 and 38. Cell B3 is selected, holding 120, and the formula bar shows 120. Marker 1 points at the selected cell B3. Marker 2 points at the heading row, row 1, which labels each column. Marker 3 points at the Actual column, column C, a column of numbers. Marker 4 points at A2, the text Rent, which is a label. The column letters run across the top and the row numbers run down the left.
Above the grid, a small box called the Name Box shows the address of the selected cell, and the formula bar beside it shows what is really inside that cell. You will soon see why these can differ: a cell may display 135 while holding a calculation that produced it. In Excel, both are in the same place.
Moving around
Step 1: Select a cell
Click cell B3 with the mouse.
You should see: A thick border appears around B3 and the Name Box shows B3.
Step 2: Move with the keys
Press the arrow keys to move one cell at a time. Press Tab to move right and Enter to move down.
You should see: The border moves and the Name Box changes with it.
Step 3: Jump to the start and end
Press Ctrl+Home to jump to A1. Press Ctrl+End to jump to the last cell that holds data.
You should see: On an empty sheet both keys go to A1.
Step 4: Use the Name Box
Click in the Name Box, type
D20, and press Enter.You should see: The selection jumps straight to D20.
Text, numbers and dates: why the type matters
A cell can hold different kinds of data, and the spreadsheet treats each differently. Text (words, names, codes) can be sorted but not added up. Numbers can be added, averaged and charted. Dates are numbers in disguise: the program stores a day as a count from a starting date, which is why you can subtract one date from another to find the days between them. A data type matters because the sums only work on numbers, and a number typed as text is the most common beginner problem.
The spreadsheet guesses the type from what you type, and shows you its guess by alignment: text is left-aligned and numbers are right-aligned. If you type 120 and it sits at the left of the cell, something is wrong, and it is probably being treated as text. A common cause is a leading space or an apostrophe typed before the number.
| You type | Read as | Usual look |
|---|---|---|
| Rent | Text | Left-aligned |
| 350 | Number | Right-aligned |
| 350.50 | Number with decimals | Right-aligned |
| 12/03/2026 | Date (day, month, year in the UK) | Right-aligned, shown as a date |
| KSh 350 | Text, because of the letters before the number | Left-aligned: it cannot be added |
| 007 | A number: the leading zeros disappear | Shows as 7 |
| Row | A | B |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | What you typed | How it is read |
| 2 | Rent | Text |
| 3 | 350 | Number |
| 4 | KSh 350 | Text |
| 5 | 3 Apr 2026 | Date |
- Marker 1: Text: left-aligned
- Marker 2: Number: right-aligned
- Marker 3: Looks numeric but is text
Read this figure as text
A simulated spreadsheet showing text at the left, numbers at the right and one number-like entry stored as text.
A simulated spreadsheet with two columns: What you typed and How it is read. Row 2 is the text Rent, read as Text. Row 3 is 350, read as a Number. Row 4 is KSh 350, read as Text because of the letters, and is the entry that cannot be added. Row 5 is 3 Apr 2026, read as a Date. Marker 1 points to A2, a text entry that sits on the left. Marker 2 points to A3, a number that sits on the right. Marker 3 points to A4, a number-like entry that sits on the left because it is really text, so a SUM would skip it.
Entering data and formatting it
Type directly into a selected cell and press Enter to finish. Press Esc to cancel. To change something already there, select the cell and press F2, or double-click it. To remove the contents, select the cell and press Delete. Typing over a cell replaces what was there, which is why undo (Ctrl+Z) is a useful friend.
Formatting changes how a cell looks without changing its value. A cell that holds 1500 can be shown as 1,500, 1,500.00 or KSh 1,500.00, and the number underneath stays the same. Select the cells, press Ctrl+1 (in both Calc and Excel) to open the Format Cells window, and pick a category such as Number, Currency, Percent or Date. The toolbar has quick buttons for currency, percent and decimals.
Build a small budget
Step 1: Type the headings
In A1 type
Item, press Tab, typePlanned, press Tab, typeActual, and press Enter.You should see: Three headings sit in A1, B1 and C1. After Enter on a Tab row, the selection returns to A2.
Step 2: Fill in the rows
Fill in the rows below: Rent 350 and 350, Food 120 and 135, Transport 40 and 38, Airtime 15 and 20. Use Tab between cells and Enter at the end of each row.
You should see: The words sit on the left and the numbers on the right. A figure at the left would mean it is stored as text.
Step 3: Make the headings bold
Select A1:C1 by dragging, then press Ctrl+B for bold.
You should see: The headings turn bold.
Step 4: Format the amounts
Select B2:C5, press Ctrl+1, choose Currency or Number, and set two decimal places.
You should see: The numbers now show as, for example, 350.00. The Name Box still reports the same cells.
Step 5: Auto-fit a column
Double-click the line between the column letters A and B at the top of the grid.
You should see: Column A widens or shrinks to fit its longest entry. This is called auto-fit.
Saving your workbook
Press Ctrl+S, choose a folder, give the file a clear name such as budget-march and keep the default type. Calc saves as .ods (OpenDocument Spreadsheet), which every LibreOffice version opens and which preserves everything. If you will send the file to someone who uses Excel, choose Save As (Ctrl+Shift+S), set the file type to Excel 2007-365 (.xlsx) and, when Calc asks, choose Use Excel 2007-365!. In Excel the default is already .xlsx, and you can choose OpenDocument Spreadsheet (.ods) in the Save as type list when saving.
- Keeps formulas, formats and charts
- Best inside LibreOffice
- Free standard
Your working copy
- Keeps formulas, formats and charts
- Opens in Excel and Calc
- Some rare features may change
For sharing with Excel users
- Plain values of one sheet only
- No formulas, colours or charts
- Opens almost anywhere
For moving data between programs
Read this figure as text
A comparison of .ods, .xlsx and .csv file types showing what each keeps and who it suits.
Three columns compare file types. The .ods column, OpenDocument Spreadsheet, keeps everything in LibreOffice including formulas and formatting, and suits you and other LibreOffice users. The .xlsx column, Excel workbook, keeps formulas and formatting and opens in Excel and in Calc, so it suits sharing with Excel users, although a few unusual features can change. The .csv column, comma-separated values, stores only the plain values of one sheet with no formulas, colours or charts, and suits moving data between programs.
Common mistakes
✖ Instead of: Typing
KSh 350into the cell.✔ Do this: Type
350and apply a currency format. The cell stays a number.✖ Instead of: Using a spreadsheet like a typed page, with blank rows and merged cells everywhere.
✔ Do this: Keep one heading row, then one record per row, with no empty rows in the middle.
✖ Instead of: Typing a total by hand and changing it every time a figure changes.
✔ Do this: Use a formula (next lesson) so the total updates by itself.
✖ Instead of: Saving only as .xlsx and losing track of which copy is newest.
✔ Do this: Keep one working file, give it a clear name and save with Ctrl+S often.
If something goes wrong
- A cell shows ##### instead of a number.
- The column is too narrow. Double-click the line to the right of the column letter, or drag it wider.
- A number or date will not behave like one and sits at the left of the cell.
- It is probably text. Select the cell, press F2 and check for a leading space or apostrophe, then remove it. Check the cell format is not set to Text.
- The date has been turned into the wrong date.
- The spreadsheet reads dates by your region settings. Type the month as a word, such as 3 Apr 2026, or check the region and language in Settings.
- I cannot find Calc on Ubuntu.
- Open Activities and type
LibreOffice. If it is not there, open App Center, search for LibreOffice and install it.
Key terms
- Spreadsheet
- A grid of rows and columns for keeping numbers and text and doing sums on them.
- workbook
- A workbook is one spreadsheet file, which can hold several worksheets.
- worksheet
- A worksheet is one grid of rows and columns inside a workbook.
- cell
- A cell is one box in a spreadsheet, where a row and a column cross.
- data type
- A data type is the kind of thing a cell holds, such as text, a number or a date.
- number format
- A number format changes how a value looks in a cell without changing the value.
Practise it for real
Reading is not the same as being able to do it. Complete these on your own computer, then tick only what you have actually done. These ticks are your own honest record: nothing checks them for you.
Build and save a monthly budget
Open Calc (or Excel). In A1 to C1 type the headings Item, Planned and Actual. Add at least five rows for fictional spending such as Rent, Food, Transport, Airtime and Savings. Make the headings bold, show the numbers with two decimal places, widen the columns to fit, and save the file as budget-practice in your practice folder, first as .ods and then again as .xlsx. Close it and open it again from the folder.
Challenge: find the number that is really text
In column E type 100 in E1, then in E2 type a single space followed by 200 (so the cell begins with a space), and in E3 type 300. Look at the alignment. Decide which cell is being treated as text and fix it without retyping the others. Then explain in one sentence why it matters for sums.
Knowledge check
6 questions. You need 80% to pass. Mistakes here are part of learning, and you can retry as often as you like.
Summary
- A spreadsheet is a grid of cells that can recalculate when you change a value.
- A cell address is the column letter then the row number, such as B3.
- Text is left-aligned and numbers are right-aligned. A number stored as text will not add up.
- Formatting changes how a value looks, not what it is.
- Save as .ods for your own use and as .xlsx for Excel users.
Checklist: can you do these?
Marking a lesson as read does not prove you can do it. Skills count as demonstrated when you pass the quiz (not yet) and complete the practical tasks (not yet).
Related lessons
References and further reading
Official sources for details that can change between versions.
- LibreOffice Calc Guide (The Document Foundation)
- LibreOffice Help (The Document Foundation)
- Excel help and learning (Microsoft)