Pivot tables

[Tod]

I've never got the hang of pivot tables.
It's as if there's just one fundamental concept that I've missed.
Can anyone recommend a good intro on the internet.
Thanks.
Tod

 

[Dave Peterson]

Here are a few links:

Debra Dalgleish's pictures at Jon Peltier's site:
http://peltiertech.com/Excel/Pivots/pivottables.htm
And Debra's own site:
http://www.contextures.com/xlPivot01.html

John Walkenbach also has some at:
http://j-walk.com/ss/excel/files/general.htm
(look for Tony Gwynn's Hit Database)

Chip Pearson keeps Harald Staff's notes at:
http://www.cpearson.com/excel/pivots.htm

MS has some at (xl2000 and xl2002):
http://office.microsoft.com/downloads/2000/XCrtPiv.aspx
http://office.microsoft.com/assistance/2002/articles/xlconPT101.aspx

 

[Bob Umlas]

http://www.datapigtechnologies.com
find Excel, then Pivot tables.

 

[Tod]

Thanks Bob, The videos are nicely presented, and I will spend more time with
them but, for me, they plunge too quickly into the specifics before giving a
more 'philosophical or 'theoretical' overview of what pivot tables can do.
Also, as a mechanical and medical engineer, I'd love to find some other
applications (scientific, engineering, medical, statistical) of pivot
tables. All the tutorials I've ever seen seem to be based on the performance
of a team of salesmen.
Tod

 

[Tom Ogilvy]

Pivot Tables are a means of summarizing numerical data contained in a
database/table/list organization.

They will also interface to a an OLAP database.

I don't think you will find much that is special in terms of what discipline
they are used in.