WebProNews

A round of updates at Google Docs & Spreadsheets added some handy features to users of the spreadsheet side of the service. Google provided a handful of additions to their Spreadsheets product, and fixed a couple of issues.

Speaking of addition, Google coded a new feature called Quicksum into the Spreadsheets. By selecting cells, Quicksum displays their total in the lower right corner of the page. Garett Rogers at Googling Google noted how this allows for calculations without having to write a formula first, which should benefit new spreadsheet users.

Google also added what they call a 'sortbar' to Spreadsheets. The sortbar is a draggable, horizontal break between column headers and data, they noted, with each column having a place in the sortbar for fast sorting without leaving the Edit tab.

By dragging that sortbar down, users have the option to freeze rows in Spreadsheets, a feature that makes editing a lengthy spreadsheet document much easier. Dragging and releasing the sortbar performs the freeze, with rows below the sortbar able to scroll freely.

Collaborative editing will be color-coded by user. As multiple people edit a spreadsheet, each cell a person edits will be assigned a color, making it easier to tell who has done something on a sheet.

Google expanded the viewability of Spreadsheets to any browser, but only supported browsers will be able to edit a spreadsheet. Their product team also fixed uploading issues with data and graphs that had been reported by users of the service.