XL: How PivotTables Differ from Version 4.0 Crosstab Tables

• Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 5.0, 5.0c
• Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, versions 5.0, 5.0a
• Microsoft Excel for Windows NT, version 5.0
• Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, versions 7.0, 7.0a
• Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
• Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition

SUMMARY

In Microsoft Excel versions 5.0 and later, you can use PivotTables to quickly summarize large amounts of data as well as analyze and display it using calculation methods and formats that you choose. In version 4.0, the Crosstab add-in provided similar functionality although it was less easy to use and edit, and it did not provide custom format options. In PivotTables you can "pivot" your row and column headings around the core data to get a different view of your source data.

While PivotTables provide more features, power, flexibility, and ease of use, there are some features available in crosstab tables that are not available in PivotTables. The following is a list of these features:

• In a crosstab table, you can use the same field for both your row heading and your column heading. PivotTables will not use the same field for both headings; if you attempt to do this, the column heading will be ignored.



• When a criteria range is defined on a worksheet, the crosstab table will include only the data that meets the criteria. A PivotTable will use all of the data in a list, ignoring any ranges named "criteria" or the result of an AutoFilter. To create a PivotTable from selected records in database, use the Advanced Filter to copy the result set to a different location and specify a criteria range. Then, create the PivotTable from the result.



• With the Crosstab command, you have the option to total all of the data in the database or total only the data in the crosstab table. Totals in PivotTables include all of the data in the PivotTable view.



• When you create a crosstab table, an outline is created on the sheet so that you can display different levels of detail in your data. When you create a PivotTable, an outline is not automatically created and you won't be able to apply an outline to the table.

Additional query words: 5.00a 5.00c 7.00a 97 98 XL98 XL97 XL7 XL5 pivot tables

Keywords          : 
Version           : WINDOWS:5.0,5.0c,7.0,7.0a,97; MACINTOSH:5.0,98
Platform          : MACINTOSH WINDOWS 
Issue type        : 

Last Reviewed: April 7, 1999