Modelling software

From Yacapaca wiki

A computer can be used to model situations in all sorts of ways. There are many types of modelling program. There are those that are specially designed to model expensive or dangerous situations, such as the design of chemical or biological industrial processes. Designing and modelling a process on a computer can show up problems, which can be corrected before the process is built in reality and creates a real hazard to the factory or local community.

The other main type of modelling is done using spreadsheets. Quite often, financial departments of businesses use a spreadsheet. They are used to predict rises in sales, or financial predictions, or - in some cases - doing the accounts.

Spreadsheets are, effectively, very large pieces of squared paper (they are actually rectangles). These rectangles, or cells, are capable of carrying text, numbers or calculations called formulae. This allows the spreadsheet to act like a gigantic and very powerful programmable calculator.

A small sheet showing a simple formula.

In a modern spreadsheet, individual sheets can be linked to give a much more complex Workbook. Often, there is a front sheet that is used to collate the data, with a number of other sheets that either contain data or have intermediate sets of formulae in them. An example is a spreadsheet invoice: