How to Create a Pivot Table From External Data in an Excel File

A spreadsheet is an electronic version of an accounting work-sheet grid that allows users to create complex calculations in a matter of seconds. The most popular spreadsheet software is Microsoft Excel. One ready-made report within Microsoft Excel 2003 is called the PivotTable. The PivotTable allows the user to organize large amounts of data. You can either enter your data directly into the spreadsheet or import from an external source.

Instructions

1. Save your external data into a file. The most common type of file is an external database.

2. Pull up a blank spreadsheet within Excel 2003. Click "Data" in the drop-down menu and scroll down to "PivotTable."

3. Click "External Data Source" and select "PivotChart Report with PivotTable Report." Once you make these selections, another pop-up menu will appear.

4. Select "Get Data," which will bring up another window. Select the file or database you will be choosing from. These include Access, Excel, dBase, and ODBC.

5. Click OK and close. Use default value for all other prompts and click Finish. The pivot table will automatically appear.

References

• Microsoft: Overview of connecting (importing) data
• Microsoft Office Online: Create or delete a PivotTable or PivotChart report