excel tutorialWorking with Excel Tables
One important note before you start with Excel tables is to tell that you can do everything with Excel without using tables. Why using Excel tables then? Because tables allow you to analyze your data in Excel very easily. In this chapter, learn how to create a table, format a table, analyze data with tables and how to convert a table back to a normal range of cells.
Create a Table
To create an Excel table, open the Excel file and execute the following easy steps.
1. Click any cell within the data range.
2. On the Insert tab, click on Table.
3. Excel automatically selects the data for you. Check 'My table has headers' and click on OK.
Excel creates a nicely formatted table for you. It also activates the Table Tools contextual tab. This may still seem like a normal data range to you but many powerful features are now just a click of a button away.
Note: the Table Tools contextual tab (with the underlying Design tab selected) is the starting point for working with tables. If at any time you lose this tab, simply click any cell within the table and it will activate again.
Format a Table
You can easily format the table by clicking on one of the many table styles available. Excel gives you a life preview when scrolling over a table style.
Working with Tables
Time to analyze the data. Here we go.
1. To display a total row at the end of the table, simply check Total Row.
Next, you can click any cell in the last row to calculate the total (Average, Count, Max, Min, etc.) of that column.
2. For example, calculate the average of the Sales column by clicking on Average from the drop-down list.
Note: in the formula bar see how Excel uses the SUBTOTAL function to calculate the average. 101 is the argument for Average when you use the SUBTOTAL function. Excel uses this function (and not the standard AVERAGE function) so that it can correctly calculate table totals when you filter the table.
3. For example, only show sales in the USA by clicking on the arrow in the Country header and selecting USA.
Result:
Voila, that's your list of sales in the USA with the correct average of the filtered sales. The filter icon appears in the Country header to show you that you filtered the table on that column.
When working with tables, you can use structured references to make your formulas easier to understand.
4. First, clear the filter from "Country" by clicking on the arrow next to Country and clicking on 'Clear Filter From Country'.
5. In cell E1, type Bonus. Excel automatically formats this column for you.
6. Select cell E2 and type =0.02*[
7. A list of structured references (the columns) appears. Select Sales from the list.
8. Close with a square bracket ] and press Enter.
Result:
Excel automatically copied the formula down the column for you. Not bad huh!?
Convert to a Range
To convert this table back to a normal range of cells, execute the following steps.
1. Click on Convert to Range (If necessary first active the Table Tools Contextual tab (and Design tab), by selecting any cell within the table).
The filter boxes are removed from the headers. All off the data including the formatting style is preserved. To remove the table style, execute the following steps.
2. First, select the range of cells.
3. Next, on the Home tab, click on Normal under the Styles group.
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