Step 3: Customize a PivotTable Report

You've now created a PivotTable report, but that's only the first step. Remember all the questions you had about your data? A PivotTable report is more than just a static summary; you can use it to interactively explore the data's significance. Zero in on the details or pull back for an overview. View sales by region or over time. You decide the type of customizations you want:

·         Add or remove data.

·         Quickly rearrange the layout.

·         View a subset of the data by using page fields.

·         Show just the details you want.

Add or Remove Data

Do you want to view more or fewer categories of data in your PivotTable report? You can easily add or remove a field - including a row, column, or page field.

To add a field, drag a field button on the PivotTable toolbar to the appropriate area on the PivotTable report. To remove a field, drag a field outside the PivotTable report. To see a demonstration, click the Start button:

Note   You can't directly edit the data in a PivotTable report. Instead, you need to edit the source data and then refresh the PivotTable report.

Quickly Rearrange the Layout

Do you want to reorganize the PivotTable report to get a different perspective on the data? You can quickly "pivot" the report by moving a field or reordering the items within a field.

To move a field, drag the field to the appropriate area on the PivotTable report. To reorder items within a field, drag an item to a new location in the field. To see a demonstration, click the Start button:

View a Subset of the Data by Using Page Fields

Did you include a page field in your PivotTable report? If so, you now have a three-dimensional report that consists of multiple "pages." Each page contains a subset of the data that's summarized in the report.

Show Just the Details You Want

In a PivotTable report, you can drill down on the details or hide information for a "big picture" view.

Show or hide items in a row or column   Click the arrow beside a field, and then select or clear the check boxes you want.

Show or hide specific details for an item   Click a field item, and then click the Show Detail or Hide Detail button on the PivotTable toolbar. If prompted, click the field with the detail you want to show.

Display the underlying source data for a specific data cell   Just double-click a cell to see its details.