(1) On a
display screen in
character mode, a column is a vertical line of
characters extending from the top to the bottom of the screen. The size of a
text display is usually measured in rows and
columns.
(2) In spreadsheets, a column is a vertical row of cells. Spreadsheet columns are usually identified by letters.
(3) In database management systems, column is another name for field.
(4) In documents, a column is a vertical area reserved for text. Most newspapers, for example, contain four or more columns per page. Modern word processors and desktop publishing systems enable you to automatically divide a page into columns.
