In today’s digital age, the need for efficient and collaborative tools has become more crucial than ever. Whether you’re manageing finances, scheduling meetings, or brainstorming with a team, spreadsheets have proven to be indispensable.
The Power of EtherCalc
EtherCalc offers a seamless web-based alternative to Google Sheets, allowing multiple users to edit the same document simultaneously. No more version control issues or waiting for someone to finish editing before you can access the file. Your data is securely stored on the web, and all changes are instantly reflected on all screens, making teamwork more efficient than ever.
Versatile and Accessible
If you’re self-hosting, you can download the code, get it through Sandstorm.io, or use npm (the Node.js package manager) to install it on a server. But what if you don’t have a server? You can use one of the many hosted instances of EtherCalc—for example, at EtherCalc.org, the instance hosted by the folks at Framasoft, or use it through Sandstorm Oasis.
Endless Possibilities
Just about everything you’d use a desktop spreadsheet for. That could be to balance your budget, track your savings, record your income, schedule meetings, or take an inventory of your possessions. How you use EtherCalc is up to your needs and your imagination.
Getting Started
The first step is to create a spreadsheet. If you’ve used a desktop or web-based spreadsheet before, EtherCalc will look somewhat familiar. As with any spreadsheet, you type what you need to type in the cells on the sheet. This includes column headings, labels, and functions (more on those in a moment).
Formating Made Easy
To add formating to your spreadsheet, highlight the cell or cells that you want to format and click the Format menu. You can add borders and padding, change fonts and their attributes, align text, and change the format of numbers, for example to dates or currency formats. When you’re done, click the Save button to apply the formating.
Empowering with Functions
Functions enable you to add data, manipulate data, and make calculations in a spreadsheet. They can do a lot more, too. To add a function to your spreadsheet, click a cell. Then, click the Function button on the toolbar. That opens a list all of the functions EtherCalc supports, along with a short description of what each function does. Select the function you want to use, then click Paste. EtherCalc adds the function, along with an opening parenthesis, to the cell.
Seamless Collaboration
Collaborating with EtherCalc starts with sharing your spreadsheet’s URL with your collaborators. You can tell when someone else is working on the spreadsheet by the blue border that appears around one or more cells. You and your collaborators can enter information into the spreadsheet simultaneously. All you need to remember is to respect the sanctity of those blue borders.
Comments for Clarity
The Comment tab comes in handy when you need to ask a question, include additional information, or make a note to follow up on something. To add a comment, click the tab, and type what you need to type. When you’re finished, click Save. You can tell when a cell has a comment by the small red triangle in the top-right corner of the cell. Hold your mouse pointer over it to view the comment.
Final Thoughts
EtherCalc doesn’t do everything that, say, LibreOffice Calc or Gnumeric can do. And there’s nothing wrong with that. In this case, the 80/20 rule applies. If you need a simple spreadsheet and one that you can work on with others, EtherCalc is a great choice. It takes a bit of getting used to, but once you do, you’ll have no problems using EtherCalc.
Key Features
- Simultaneous, multiple-user editing of web-based spreadsheets
- Accepts numerous mathematical formulae and other functions, dates, and text
- Text formating options
- Advanced editing and formating options (e.g., text/background colours, etc.)
- Conditional formating of cells
EtherCalc – Your Web-Based Spreadsheet Solution
EtherCalc is an excellent tool for editing spreadsheets on the web for teamwork. The program allows not only document editing but also chart insertion, formating, and sorting. It also has functions for counting data, links, and summaries.
EtherCalc is similar to Google Sheets, since all your data is saved on the web, and people can edit the same document simultaneously. It’s also compatible with GNU/Linux, FreeBSD, Mac OS X, and Windows.
EtherCalc is a web spreadsheet that’s designed to let you work remotely and collaborate with others. It’s the spreadsheet equivalent of a wiki document, without logins and without editing locks. People can collaborate on a spreadsheet-like page simultaneously. It’s sort of a Google Sheets alternative, open-source style.
Your data is saved on the web, and people can edit the same document at the same time. Everybody’s changes are instantly reflected on all screens.
Work together on inventories, survey forms, list management, brainstorming sessions, and more!
EtherCalc is free and open-source software.
Additional Information
- Many standard desktop spreadsheet features are supported, including formating cells, functions, and more.
- Comment tab – which lets you ask questions to others involved in the spreadsheet.
- Create forms.
- Export your calc in CSV or XLSX format.
- Uses randomly generated URLs.
- Cross-platform support – runs on Linux, FreeBSD, Mac OS X, and Windows.
- Website: ethercalc.net
- Support: GitHub Code Repository
- Developer: Audrey Tang and many contributors
- License: Common Public Attribution License Version 1.0
EtherCalc is written in LiveScript, a language that compiles JavaScript. It has a straightforward mapping to JavaScript and allows you to write expressive code devoid of repetitive boilerplate.
The application Ethercalc is a web-based collaborative spreadsheet editor that allows you to work on tables together with your colleagues, friends, or fellow students.
Your data is saved in Ethercalc, and people can edit the same document at the same time. Everybody’s changes are instantly reflected on all screens. Work together on inventories, survey forms, list management, brainstorming sessions, and more!
Ethercalc on UCS After installation via the Univention App Centre, you will find Ethercalc ready to go on your UCS portal page. You don’t need any additional software or user accounts – just click on the app and start by either uploading an existing table or creating an empty document. The link to the table can be sent to colleagues or friends.
Export and Import Documents Created tables can be exported to common formats such as ODS, HTML, CSV, or Excel. Ethercalc thus offers good compatibility with standard Office programs. After the export, you can further edit your text in an Office software like LibreOffice.
But not only the Ex- but also the import of tables is possible by default via CSV, ODS, or Excel formats.
EtherCalc is a collaborative spreadsheet that can be edited in real-time. Each spreadsheet has its own URL. It has the basic functionalities: formating, mathematical functions, graphics, adding comments, version history, and export in HTML or in CSV. EtherCalc is a decentralised software: different instances allow the use of the service, and they are made available by several organisations (for example, the eponymous site or the FramaCalc service). This makes it possible to avoid concentrating all the data in the hands of the same actor. Instances can be personalised (limitation of the duration of hosting of the spreadsheet, modification of the design, etc.).