T103.11b - GSheets
This will start out very similar to the write up for Google Docs.
Google Sheets is Google's version of a Spread Sheet.
In general the interface and the functionality is very similar to Microsoft Excel 2002 or so (which isn't a bad thing in my opinion as I really liked the setup before MS Excel got overly bloated and added a crazy navigation ribbon).
While the interface looks familiar, the way it works and the things you can do with Google Sheets is a quantum leap ahead of Microsoft.
Google sheets offers the ability to share documents in real time and and the ability to co-create on them at the same time. This is far different than syncing an excel document. You are basically working on a mainframe which compiles each keystroke into the data stored in the cloud, and microsoft will never be able to "match this" as MS Excel is based on file systems where as Google Sheets is based on a cloud based database technology. That means that what you are calling a Google Sheet "file" is really just a bunch of database records assimilated to look like a "file".
Pros
Compatibility Features
Cons
When it comes to using a spread sheet for a To-do list, which I've been doing since the early 2000's this is in fact the Holy Grail for that use. More on this in a separate section.
Google Sheets is Google's version of a Spread Sheet.
In general the interface and the functionality is very similar to Microsoft Excel 2002 or so (which isn't a bad thing in my opinion as I really liked the setup before MS Excel got overly bloated and added a crazy navigation ribbon).
While the interface looks familiar, the way it works and the things you can do with Google Sheets is a quantum leap ahead of Microsoft.
Google sheets offers the ability to share documents in real time and and the ability to co-create on them at the same time. This is far different than syncing an excel document. You are basically working on a mainframe which compiles each keystroke into the data stored in the cloud, and microsoft will never be able to "match this" as MS Excel is based on file systems where as Google Sheets is based on a cloud based database technology. That means that what you are calling a Google Sheet "file" is really just a bunch of database records assimilated to look like a "file".
Pros
- The ability to edit the documents from multiiple machiens simultaneously does not exist in any other commercial solutions.
- The ability to share documents privately and publically in real time is unique to google
- The ability to edit real time docs via mobile devices is exceptional
- The speed of opening, auto-saving and renaming can't be touched by Microsoft Products
- The interface simplicity is a welcome and appreciated relief for me
Compatibility Features
- You can upload .xlsx files to Gdrive and save them as .gsheet
- You can save gsheets as .xlsx files for opening in MS Excel
- You can save as pdfs and many other file formats
Cons
- There are not a lot of cons for this.
- There may be some related to graphing and very complex uses of spreadsheets, but most of the basic programmable aspects of this have been well thought out.
- Some of the advanced features for showing and hiding rows and outline view do not exist in Google Sheets yet, and many may never exist
When it comes to using a spread sheet for a To-do list, which I've been doing since the early 2000's this is in fact the Holy Grail for that use. More on this in a separate section.
Spreadsheets-for-all.weebly.com
Much of Google For Business ultimately relies on various uses of Google Sheets. For a more complete introduction to that, please see http://spreadsheets-for-all.weebly.com
GSheets Version History
This is nothing short of amazing. It just saved my bacon on a strange hiccup.
In a google sheet:
It saves a version after some period of inactivity and you can revert back at any time. You can also name versions... the odd part is you can not see activity details between -- and it seems you can only restore over an existing version... so if you want to see what changed... make a copy of the existing file and then restore a previous over top of that -- just be sure to be careful with file naming.
To view a log of activities related to a file you must do that in gDrive. Not avail from the file level.
For more on versioning
In a google sheet:
- File > Version History > See version history
It saves a version after some period of inactivity and you can revert back at any time. You can also name versions... the odd part is you can not see activity details between -- and it seems you can only restore over an existing version... so if you want to see what changed... make a copy of the existing file and then restore a previous over top of that -- just be sure to be careful with file naming.
To view a log of activities related to a file you must do that in gDrive. Not avail from the file level.
- Select the file and then click on the i for information ...
For more on versioning
- https://support.google.com/drive/answer/2409045?co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop&hl=en
- https://support.google.com/docs/answer/190843