Excel: Crosstab Fails If Field Name Left Blank or Is Numeric

ID: Q87287

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 3.0, 4.0
Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, versions 3.0, 4.0

SUMMARY

If you attempt to use Crosstabs in Microsoft Excel with a database that includes a blank field name, you may encounter one of the following problems depending on the version of Microsoft Excel that you are using.

Version of

Microsoft Excel Behavior


4.0a for Windows  If your database contains a blank field name or a
                  numeric field name, and you choose the Crosstab
                  command from the Data menu, you receive the
                  following error message:

Fieldnames must not be numeric or blank


4.0 for Windows   If you choose a field with a blank field name or a
                  numeric field name as one of the value fields, the
                  Crosstab ReportWizard returns the following error
                  message:

No data records retrieved


                  The crosstab report is not created.

4.0 for the       When you choose the Create a New Crosstab button
Macintosh         in the Crosstab Wizard dialog box, you receive the
                  following error message:

Fieldnames must not be numeric or blank


3.0 for both      When you choose Crosstab from the Data menu, you
Windows and       receive the following error message:
Macintosh

Database cannot contain blank fieldnames


                  The crosstab report is not created.

NOTE: Even if you enter field names are entered in the form "=1992", the Crosstab command will fail.

MORE INFORMATION

The CROSSTAB.XLA file (Crosstabs) is an add-in supplied with Microsoft Excel that creates a cross tabulation table of database information.

REFERENCES

"User's Guide 1," version 4.0, pages 346-356

Additional query words: Cell Cells


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Last Reviewed: March 26, 1999