AOS 1. What is the Pivot table?

The Pivot table is a tool to summarize, analyze, explore, and present summary data. Pivot charts complement Pivot tables by adding visualizations to the summary data in a Pivot table and allow you to easily see comparisons, patterns, and trends. Both the Pivot table and Pivot chart enable you to make informed decisions about critical data in your enterprise. In the Pivot table, they are four main components:

1. Columns - When a field is chosen for the column area, only the unique values of the field are listed at the top.

2. Rows - When a field is chosen for the row area, it populates as the first column. Similar to the columns, all row labels are unique values, and duplicates are removed.

3. Values - Each value is kept in a pivot table cell and displays the summarized information. The most common values are sum, average, minimum, and maximum.

4. Filters - Filters apply a calculation or restriction to the entire table.

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As you can see above, the pivot table is able to show data filtered by our preference. You can apply a filter to a row, column, or values field. Each time we change our filter preference, the pivot chart is also updated, to reflect the change in our data.