Generally, you can use either one to store and organize information. However, a spreadsheet is the preferred choice when you primarily want to do computations or when you want to do simple numeric or alphabetic sorts. A database is the preferred choice when you want to report your information in varied layouts and/or do complex sorting and selections (although computations are also possible in a database).
A table in a word processing document is organized as a series of rows and columns with the items in each row separated by tabs; the tabs stops “form” the columns. A spreadsheet is a series of rows and columns. The difference is that the columns are already formed, whereas in a word processor you must set the tabs stops to form the columns. Unless extensive calculations are required, the choice of one over the other may simply be a matter of personal preference.
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last updated
August 13, 2003