![]() There is a specific feature, called “views”, similar to the tables, in which you can do a calculation. In a database, all calculations and operations are based on the existing data and are done after its retrieval. This means, if you want to combine two integers, the result will be stored in another cell. Our main goal is to save the numbers.Īnother substantial difference is that, in a spreadsheet, different cells can contain calculations, such as functions and formulas. All you care about is the information being stored you don’t care about formatting. And that is it – you cannot pick a font colour or size. In a spreadsheet, you can store data in a cell, while in a database, you store it in a record of a table, meaning you must count the records in a table to express how long the data table is, not the number of the cells. This won’t happen in Excel – if you insert a string in the column with date values, you won’t obtain an error message and Excel will store the string value. For example, in a field containing date values, should you try to insert a string, the software will show an error and you will have the chance to correct yourself. This feature prevents inadvertent mistakes. You must pre-set the type of data contained in a certain field. It is the smallest piece of information there is. Each cell is a container of a single data value. Not only can we have diverse types of values in various cells, but we can also apply a specific format to these cells. It can store any type of information – a date, an integer value, a string name, etc. Every cell is treated as a unique entity. ![]() The Data They Contain Data in Spreadsheets The differences between the two forms of data storage lie in the way these three characteristics are implemented. What Are the Differences Between Databases and Spreadsheets? Neither spreadsheets nor databases are typically used by a single person, rather many users will work with the data.Both can use existing data to make calculations.Both can contain a large amount of tabular data.Common Things Between Databases and Spreadsheets This is why some people believe spreadsheets and databases are interchangeable, while, in reality, they aren’t. So, it is possible to create tables in a spreadsheet. It was created to facilitate people who needed to store their accounting information in tabular form digitally. Please, don’t do that! Data tables, databases, and Excel spreadsheets are different things!Ī spreadsheet is an electronic ledger, i.e., an electronic version of paper accounting worksheets. Some of you might be users and still imagine an Excel spreadsheet when we talk about tabular data. If you are familiar with spreadsheets, you might be wondering why databases are even used. Those of you who do not use Excel regularly will learn the advantages and the disadvantages of using databases or spreadsheets. It is not just Excel users who will benefit from this article. In this tutorial, we will focus on databases vs spreadsheets.
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