1. A computer-readable storage device having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for performing a process comprising: opening a spreadsheet file at a first client, the spreadsheet file also being open at a second client such that both the first client and the second client collaborate on the spreadsheet file; providing at the first client a first private view of the spreadsheet file comprising less than the entire spreadsheet file, wherein one or more operations performable by the first client within the spreadsheet file are synchronized with the host machine and one or more other operations performable within the spreadsheet file by the first client are not synchronized with the host machine; performing a first operation by the first client within the spreadsheet file; determining, by the first client, whether the first operation is one of the one or more operations performable by the first client within the spreadsheet file that are synchronized with the host machine or one of the one or more other operations performable by the first client within the spreadsheet file that are not synchronized with the host machine; synchronizing the first operation with the host machine when the first operation is determined to be one of the one or more operations performable by the first client within the spreadsheet file that are synchronized with the host machine; and determining not to synchronize the first operation with the host machine when the first operation is determined to be one of the one or more other operations performable by the first client within the spreadsheet file that are not synchronized with the host machine.