Lotus 1-2-3

Lotus 1-2-3

A popular spreadsheet for Windows and OS/2, which is part of the IBM Lotus SmartSuite package. 1-2-3 was introduced for DOS in 1983 and later ported to many other platforms, including minis and mainframes.

The 1-2-3 name was chosen because it integrated spreadsheet, database and graphics. It was the first innovative spreadsheet for the PC and was launched with a superior marketing campaign. Its ability to function like a simple database was unique, and turning data into a chart with a single keystroke was dazzling for its time. The Lotus macro language was the first to be widely used in a spreadsheet. It has since been supplemented with LotusScript, a BASIC-like language that supports Notes manipulation.

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(tool, product)

Lotus 1-2-3 - A spreadsheet for MS-DOS from Lotus Development Corporation. It can be programmed using "macros" and comes with a separate program to produce graphs and charts but this cannot be run at the same time as the spreadsheet. It has keyboard-driven pop-up menus as well as one-key commands, making it fast to operate. Lotus 1-2-3 supported EGA and later VGA graphics. Early versions used the filename extension "WK1". Version: 4. Lotus 1-2-3 has been the subject of several user interface copyright court cases in the US. http://nyweb.com/lotus/123.html. 1-2-3's successor, Symphony, had simultaneous update of spreadsheet, graph and word processor windows.