Spreadsheets are useful for data entry and data organization, and some
subsetting and sorting of the data as well as getting an overview of the
data. To interact with spreadsheets, we can use
LibreOffice, Microsoft
Excel,
Gnumeric,
OpenOffice.org, or other programs.
Commands may differ a bit between programs, but general ideas for
thinking about spreadsheets is the same.
For this lesson, if you don’t have a spreadsheet program already, you
can use LibreOffice. It’s a free, open
source spreadsheet program.
Windows
Download the Installer
Install LibreOffice by going to the installation
page. The
version for Windows should automatically be selected. Click
Download Version 4.4.2. You will go to a page that asks about a
donation, but you don’t need to make one. Your download should begin
automatically.
Install LibreOffice
Once the installer is downloaded, double click on it and it should
install.
Mac OS X
Download the Installer
Install LibreOffice by going to the installation
page. The
version for Mac OS X should automatically be selected. Click
Download Version 4.4.2. You will go to a page that asks about a
donation, but you don’t need to make one. Your download should begin
automatically.
Install LibreOffice
The file LibreOffice_4.4.2_MacOS_x86-64 should have been
downloaded. Double click on this file, and LibreOffice will be
installed.
Linux
Download the Installer
Install LibreOffice by going to the installation
page. The
version for Linux should automatically be selected. Click Download
Version 4.4.2. You will go to a page that asks about a donation,
but you don’t need to make one. Your download should begin
automatically.
Install LibreOffice
Once the installer is downloaded, double click on it and it should
install.