Kibby M R
Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK.
Comput Appl Biosci. 1985;1(2):73-8.
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.
电子表格将使用铅笔、纸张和计算器进行的任何列表或复杂计算的传统布局计算机化。因此，它们在辅助可能通过这些方式或小型BASIC计算机程序完成的常规计算方面具有巨大潜力。它们简单的结构以及与传统方法的紧密联系使其特别适合那些尚未掌握编程技术的人。然而，对它们在科学技术中的应用进行的简要回顾表明，与它们在商业世界中的广泛使用相比，这种潜力尚未得到实现。展示了分别在Macintosh和Apple IIe微型计算机上运行的Multiplan和Visicalc在四种类型的计算中的应用：制表、曲线拟合与统计、模拟和数值逼近。在数据和结果的同时显示、数据的轻松校正或修改以及摆脱传统线性编程方法方面发现了优势。电子表格格式有其自身的限制。它不如BASIC灵活，需要更多内存，执行时间可能比用高级语言编写的程序慢，并且生成图形输出更困难。
