What is Excel: an Overview

Excel: Introduction, Definition, Uses, Excel file extensions and Releasing of Excel Spreadsheet Programs
Excel: Introduction, Definition, Uses, Excel file extensions and Releasing of Excel Spreadsheet Programs

Excel is part of Microsoft Office suite of the productivity software made by Microsoft. Its first version released in the year 1985 for Macintosh.

Excel is increases office productivity and is the most widely used spreadsheet program across the world.

There are many formula and functions available in Excel to make work easier and quicker. Excel formula also make work fun and easy.

To begin with basics of excel, it has multiple rows and columns. Each Excel file can store multiple sheets, each sheet can be named, renamed and color coded as per convenience of the user. Each sheet is a worksheet and the combination of many sheets called a workbook.

There are multiple Excel versions, each more advanced than the earlier version. Although, basic functions of all the versions remain the same barring a few specific features. There are 1048576 Rows and 16384 columns in MS Excel 2007, 2013, 2016 and 2019 but in MS Excel 2003 and earlier version there are 65536 Rows and 256 Columns only.

Excel Definition

Excel is spreadsheet software which is developed by Microsoft. Excel contains data in cells and columns in the form of numbers and characters. We can create databases and process data in excel easily. Excel is also used a tool for Data Analysis.


Uses of Excel


Excel can be used for the following-


  •  Management Information System,
  • Office Report Making,
  •  Database Creation,
  •  Data Analysis,
  •  Financial Analysis,
  •  To Make Charts and Graphs,
  •  To Analysis Daily, Weekly, Monthly and Yearly Sales Reports etc. 


Excel File Extensions

When we save a excel document then we have to give a specific name to file Like officereport.xlsx. In that name .xlsx is a excel file extension. There are many excel Extensions listed below –
  • .xlsx  (Excel Workbook)
  • .xlsm (Excel Macro-enabled Workbook)
  • .xlsb (Excel Binary Workbook)
  • .xltm (Excel Macro-enabled Template)
  • .xlam (Excel Add-in)

In above list we listed MS Excel 2007, 2013, 2016 and 2019 file extensions.
In MS Excel 2003 and earlier version there are many excel Extensions like
  •  .xls,
  •  .xla,
  • .xlb,
  • .xlc,
  • .xld,
  • .xlk,
  • .xll,
  • .xlt,
  • .DLL,
  • .xlw.

Releasing Of Excel Spreadsheet Programs For Windows 

·                 Name-Version-Releasing year
  • Excel 2-2.0-1987
  • Excel 3-3.0-1990
  • Excel 4-4.0-1992
  • Excel 5-5.0-1993
  • Excel 95-7.0-1995
  • Excel 97-8.0-1997
  • Excel 2000-9.0-2000
  • Excel 2002-10.0-2002
  • Excel 2003-11.0-2003
  • Excel 2007-12.0-2007
  • Excel 2010-14.0-2010
  • Excel 2013-15.0-2013
  • Excel 2016-16.0-2016

Releasing Of Excel Spreadsheet Programs For Macintosh

·                      Name-Version-Releasing year
  • Excel 1-1.0-1985
  • Excel 1.5-1.5-1988
  • Excel 2-2.2-1989
  • Excel 3-3.0-1990
  • Excel 4-4.0-1992
  • Excel 5-5.0-1993
  • Excel 98-8.0-1998
  • Excel 2000-9.0-2000
  • Excel 2001-10.0-2001
  • Excel 2004-11.0-2004
  • Excel 2008-12.0-2008
  • Excel 2011-14.0-2011
  • Excel 2016-16.0-2016