Power PivotTables and Power PivotCharts

Power PivotTables and Power PivotCharts are powerful tools in Microsoft Excel that allow you to analyze and visualize large data sets. With Power PivotTables, you can combine data from multiple sources and create interactive pivot tables with advanced calculations and data models. With Power PivotCharts, you can create a variety of dynamic charts and graphs that update automatically based on changes to your pivot table.

Getting Started with Power PivotTables

To get started with Power PivotTables, you first need to install the Microsoft Power Pivot add-in for Excel. Once installed, you can access Power PivotTables by clicking on the "Power Pivot" tab in the Excel ribbon.

To create a Power PivotTable, you need to import data from one or more external sources, such as a database or Excel workbook. You can then use the Power PivotTable tools to analyze and manipulate this data, including creating calculated fields, grouping data, and filtering data by various criteria.

One powerful feature of Power PivotTables is the ability to create slicers, which are interactive filtering controls that allow users to quickly and easily filter the data in the pivot table. You can also create timelines, which allow users to filter data by different time periods.

Getting Started with Power PivotCharts

To get started with Power PivotCharts, you first need to create a Power PivotTable, as described above. Once you have a Power PivotTable, you can create a Power PivotChart by selecting the chart type you want from the Excel ribbon.

Like with Power PivotTables, you can customize your Power PivotChart by adding or removing data series, changing the chart type or style, and adding or removing chart elements like axes and labels. You can also create multiple charts based on the same Power PivotTable, all of which update automatically based on changes to the pivot table.

One cool feature of Power PivotCharts is the ability to create dynamic charts, which allow users to interact with the chart and change the underlying data. For example, you could create a chart that shows sales data by region, and allow users to filter the chart to show data for a specific period or product line.

Conclusion

Power PivotTables and Power PivotCharts are powerful tools for data analysis and visualization in Microsoft Excel. By combining data from multiple sources and creating dynamic pivot tables and charts, you can gain insights into your data and communicate those insights effectively to others.