The electronic spreadsheet as a general-purpose programming tool.

Electronic spreadsheets computerise the traditional layout of any tabulation or complex calculation done with pencil, paper and calculator. They therefore have great potential in aiding routine calculations which might be done by these means or with a small BASIC computer program. Their simple structure and strong affinity with traditional methods make them particularly suitable for those who have not yet mastered the art of programming. However, a necessarily brief review of their application to science and technology demonstrates that this potential is not being realised in comparison with their wide-spread usage in the business world. The application of both Multiplan and Visicalc running respectively on the Macintosh and the Apple IIe microcomputers in four types of calculation is demonstrated: tabulation, curve-fitting and statistics, simulation, and numerical approximation. Advantages are found in the concurrent display of data and results, the ease of correction or modification of data and the escape from traditional linear programming methods. The spreadsheet format imposes its own constraints. It is not so flexible as BASIC, it demands more memory and may have a slower execution time than a program written in a high-level language, and it is more difficult to produce graphical output.