Spreadsheets were basically designed as works in progress, where math and other functions can be setup to change the total sum or answer with the changes of the ranges in a given formula.  In short, you can build a template spread sheet where the variables of information can change, and the cell with the given formula or function will change with those variables, where “2 + 2 = 4” the variables are the number two, that can be changed, the addition sign is the math function, and the total sum would be the cell with the formula in it, adding to four in this case. Instead of it looking like this, the chosen cell that will show the results might state, “=SUM(B1:B2)”, and this formula would expect the numbers that can change be in cells B1 and B2 on the spread sheet. In the table below, the math formula would not be seen in cell E3, only the sum of cells B1 and B2. Then, the numbers can always change in B1 and B2, and the sum would automatically change in E3.

This allows the spreadsheet to be very diverse in its purpose. And in any version of the spreadsheets, functions are not restricted the spreadsheet it is written in, but the formula can pull numbers from any other spreadsheet, in another workbook, or even off the internet, based on what result you are looking for. So, not all the solutions have to be based on the same spreadsheet as the variables. I keep using the word variables, since the function can do equations based on many forms of changing data entered, whether it be a date or time change, and a given word. It is the function written in the cell that gives the results or math, Finance, Lookup searches, and error types (which is more advancing on how it can be used).

Building tables can be done in many other programs, but so far, I have found that like hyperlinks, in the Microsoft Office Excel, for as long as the workbooks are in the same parent folder, the link and path of the functions will stay linked, when moving the parent folder to another location, or backing on DVD. Still, like how I define the spreadsheet as a “work in progress”, like any linked files, always check your work, and the links.