XL97: How to Use the GetPivotData Worksheet Function

ID: Q161538

The information in this article applies to:

SUMMARY

Microsoft Excel 97 has a new worksheet function, GetPivotData, that allows you to work with PivotTable data outside of a PivotTable.

This article contains an example that uses the GetPivotTable function to retrieve data from a PivotTable.

MORE INFORMATION

The GetPivotData function allows you to retrieve summary data from a PivotTable, provided that the data is visible in the PivotTable.

The syntax for the GetPivotData function is as follows: 

   =GETPIVOTDATA(pivot_table, name)
where the "pivot_table" argument is a reference to a cell in the PivotTable you want to analyze. The "pivot_table" argument can also be a range of cells in the PivotTable, a name for the range that contains the PivotTable, or a label stored in a cell above the PivotTable. The "name" argument is a text string that is enclosed in quotation marks and describes the data you want to summarize.

Using the GetPivotData Function

 1. Save and close any open workbooks, and then create a new workbook.

 2. Type the following data in Sheet1:

       A1: Name    B1: Sales    C1: Region
       A2: bob     B2: 1        C2: east
       A3: sue     B3: 2        C3: west
       A4: bob     B4: 3        C4: west
       A5: mary    B5: 4        C5: west
       A6: sue     B6: 5        C6: north
       A7: bob     B7: 6        C7: south
       A8: sue     B8: 7        C8: east

 3. Select A1:C8, and click PivotTable Report on the Data menu.

 4. In the PivotTable Wizard - Step 1 of 4 dialog box, select "Microsoft
    Excel list or database" if it is not selected, and then click Next.

 5. In the PivotTable Wizard - Step 2 of 4 dialog box, click Next.

 6. In the PivotTable Wizard - Step 3 of 4 dialog box, drag the Name button
    into the ROW field, drag the Sales button into the DATA field, and drag
    the Region button into the COLUMN field. Click Next.

 7. In the PivotTable Wizard - Step 4 of 4 dialog box, click Existing
    Worksheet, click cell A10 on Sheet1 (this step places the reference
    Sheet1!$A$10 in the RefEdit box), and then click Finish.

 8. Select cell A10 (this step selects the entire PivotTable), point to
    Name on the Insert menu, and then click Define.

 9. In the Define Name dialog box, type "PT1" (without the quotation marks)
    in the Names In Workbook box, and then click OK.

    This step defines the range for the PivotTable as "PT1" (without the
    quotation marks).
10. In cell E1, type the following formula: 

      =GETPIVOTDATA(PT1,"bob east")

    The result is a value of 1, because the total for "bob" in the "east"
    region is 1.
11. In cell E2, type the following formula: 

      =GETPIVOTDATA(PT1,"west")

    The result is a value of 9, because the total of "west" region is 9.
12. In cell E3, type the following formula: 

      =GETPIVOTDATA(PT1, "sum of sales")

    The result is a value of 28, because the total of all the sales in all
    regions is 28.

REFERENCES

For more information about the GETPIVOTDATA worksheet function, click the Index tab in Microsoft Excel Help, type the following text 

   getpivotdata
and then double-click the selected text to go to the "GETPIVOTDATA" topic.

Additional query words: 97 

Keywords          : kbualink97 xlformula xlpivot 
Version           : WINDOWS:97
Platform          : WINDOWS
Issue type        : kbhowto

Last Reviewed: July 12, 1999