XL97: Using PivotTable Calculated Fields and Calculated Items (161882)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
This article was previously published under Q161882

SUMMARY

Microsoft Excel 97 introduces two new features for customizing PivotTables; these features are calculated fields and calculated items. This article describes the function of each feature and provides examples for using the features in PivotTables.

MORE INFORMATION

Calculated Fields

A Calculated Field is a user-defined field in a PivotTable that can perform calculations using the contents of other fields in the PivotTable. Calculated field formulas can refer to one or more fields. For example, a calculated field named "Profit" that you define as:

=Sales-Expense

refers to two fields in the PivotTable named "Sales" and "Expense."

The following example uses a calculated field in a PivotTable. This example subtracts the two fields Sales and Expense to give a subtotal for the new field named "Profit."

  1. In a new workbook type the following data: 
       A1 : Month   B1 : Region   C1 :Sales   D1 : Expenses
   A2 : Jan     B2 : East     C2 : 1100   D2 :      400
   A3 : Jan     B3 : West     C3 : 2400   D3 :      700
   A4 : Jan     B4 : North    C4 : 3700   D4 :      900
   A5 : Jan     B5 : South    C5 : 2800   D5 :      800
   A6 : Feb     B6 : East     C6 : 2300   D6 :      700
   A7 : Feb     B7 : West     C7 : 2400   D7 :      800
   A8 : Feb     B8 : North    C8 : 3100   D8 :     1100
   A9 : Feb     B9 : South    C9 : 2000   D9 :      600
   A10: Mar     B10: East     C10: 1500   D10:      300
   A11: Mar     B11: West     C11: 2600   D11:      500
   A12: Mar     B12: North    C12: 2200   D12:      400
   A13: Mar     B13: South    C13: 3900   D13:     1300
  2. Select cell A1. On the Data menu, click PivotTable Report. In step 1 of the wizard, click Microsoft Excel list or database and click Next.
  3. In step 2 of the wizard, click Next for the Range $A$1:$D$13. In step 3 of the wizard, drag the field Month to the COLUMN area. Drag the field Region to the ROW area and drag the fields Sales and Expenses to the DATA area. Click Finish. The PivotTable appears on a new worksheet and resembles the following table. 
                                             Month
      Region   Data                Jan    Feb    Mar    Grand Total

      East     Sum of Sales       3700   3100   2200           9000
               Sum of Expenses     900   1100    400           2400
      North    Sum of Sales       1100   2300   1500           4900
               Sum of Expenses     400    700    300           1400
      South    Sum of Sales       2400   2400   2600           7400
               Sum of Expenses     700    800    500           2000
      West     Sum of Sales       2800   2000   3900           8700
               Sum of Expenses     800    600   1300           2700

      Total Sum of Sales         10000   9800  10200          30000
      Total Sum of Expenses       2800   3200   2500           8500
  4. After the PivotTable appears, click any item under Region. On the PivotTable toolbar, click PivotTable, point to Formulas and click Calculated Field.
  5. In the "Insert Calculated Item in 'Region'" dialog box, in the Name box, type Profit.
  6. In the Formula box, type =Sales-Expenses and click Ok.

    You may alternately select the field name in the Fields box. To insert the selected field in the formula, click Insert Field.
The PivotTable displays the calculated field Profit as a new field under Data. This PivotTable resembles the following table. 
    Month
   Region   Data                Jan    Feb    Mar    Grand Total

   East     Sum of Sales       3700   3100   2200           9000
            Sum of Expenses     900   1100    400           2400
            Sum of Profit      2800   2000   1800           6600
   North    Sum of Sales       1100   2300   1500           4900
            Sum of Expenses     400    700    300           1400
            Sum of Profit       700   1600   1200           3500
   South    Sum of Sales       2400   2400   2600           7400
            Sum of Expenses     700    800    500           2000
            Sum of Profit      1700   1600   2100           5400
   West     Sum of Sales       2800   2000   3900           8700
            Sum of Expenses     800    600   1300           2700
            Sum of Profit      2000   1400   2600           6000

   Total Sum of Sales         10000   9800  10200          30000
   Total Sum of Expenses       2800   3200   2500           8500
   Total Sum of Profit         7200   6600   7700          21500
 6600   7700          21500

Calculated Items

A calculated item is a user-defined item in a PivotTable field that can perform calculations using the contents of other fields and items in the PivotTable. Calculated item formulas can each include only items from the field in which you create the calculated item. For example, you can define a calculated item named "NorthWest" as "=North+West" in the field named "Region."

The following example uses a calculated item in a PivotTable. This example totals two items, North and West, in the Region field to give a total for the new region named "NorthWest."

  1. In a new workbook type the following data: 
          A1 : Month   B1 : Region   C1 :Sales
      A2 : Jan     B2 : East     C2 : 1100
      A3 : Jan     B3 : West     C3 : 2400
      A4 : Jan     B4 : North    C4 : 3700
      A5 : Jan     B5 : South    C5 : 2800
      A6 : Feb     B6 : East     C6 : 2300
      A7 : Feb     B7 : West     C7 : 2400
      A8 : Feb     B8 : North    C8 : 3100
      A9 : Feb     B9 : South    C9 : 2000
      A10: Mar     B10: East     C10: 1500
      A11: Mar     B11: West     C11: 2600
      A12: Mar     B12: North    C12: 2200
      A13: Mar     B13: South    C13: 3900
  2. Select cell A1. On the Data menu, click PivotTable Report. In step 1 of the wizard, click Microsoft Excel list or database and click Next.
  3. In step 2 of the wizard, click Next for the Range $A$1:$C$13. In step 3 of the wizard, drag the field Month to the COLUMN area. Drag the field Region to the ROW area and drag the field Sales to the DATA area. Click Finish. The PivotTable should appear on a new worksheet and resembles the following table: 
          Sum of Sales      Month
      Region            Jan    Feb    Mar    Grand Total

      East             3700   3100   2200           9000
      North            1100   2300   1500           4900
      South            2400   2400   2600           7400
      West             2800   2000   3900           8700

      Grand Total     10000   9800  10200          30000
  4. After the PivotTable appears, click any item under Region. On the PivotTable toolbar, click PivotTable, point to Formulas, and click Calculated Item.
  5. In the "Insert Calculated Item in 'Region'" dialog box, in the Name box, type NorthWest.
  6. In the Formula box, type =North+West and click OK.

    You may alternately select the items for each field by clicking the field name in the Fields box, and then clicking the corresponding item for that field in the Items box. To insert the selected item into the formula, click Insert Item.
The PivotTable displays the calculated item as a new region. The table resembles the following table. 
       Sum of Sales      Month
      Region            Jan    Feb    Mar    Grand Total

      East             3700   3100   2200           9000
      North            1100   2300   1500           4900
      South            2400   2400   2600           7400
      West             2800   2000   3900           8700
      NorthWest        3900   4300   5400          13600

      Grand Total     13900  14100  15600          43600

REFERENCES

For more information about performing calculations in PivotTables, click the Index tab in Microsoft Excel 97 Help, type the following text

pivottables, calculated fields

-or-

pivottables, calculated items

and then double-click the selected text to go to the "Create a calculated field in a PivotTable" or "Create a calculated item in a PivotTable" topic.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:10/22/2000
Keywords:kbhowto kbualink97 KB161882
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