Block V

UNIT 4 SORTING AND FILTERS

Structure
4.0 Objective
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Sort Date (ascending and descending)
4.3 Show and Hide Column and Row
4.4 Add Filters
4.5 Remove Filters
4.6 Pivot Tables
4.7 Summary
4.8 Solutions and Answers
4.9 Further Readings

4.0 OBJECTIVES

The objective of this course is to help you understand how MS Excel can be used for
sorting and filtering the data. By the end of this practical course, you will know how to do
the following:
• recognize and understand many of the functions in Microsoft Excel;
• sort the dates in ascending and descending order;
• learn how to show and hide the rows and columns;
• how to add filters to the data;
• removing the filters from the data; and
• using pivot tables as a data summarization tool
• learn how to create, change interactively, delete or copy a pivot table

4.1 INTRODUCTION

Data Form
When a spreadsheet is designed for data the menu item Data: Data Form can be used for
data entry. Select Data Form from the Data menu. Click on the New button in the upper
right corner. Enter the data shown below. Use the Tab key to move to the next field blank.
Do NOT use the down arrow key: it will cause the Data form to "go blank." The reason for
this is because the down arrow generates a next New record.
Use of the tab key to move from one field to the next has been a standard in the data entry
industry for over 30 years. The Tab key will work in Excel, Microsoft Access, and fill-in-
the-blank fields found on the Internet and all other data entry applications.

Data Sorting
When a spreadsheet is designed for data the menu item Data: Sort will detect the field
names and offer to sort by field name. Select Sort from the Data Menu. Set up your sort as
follows:

Click on OK. A sort can be done on any column.

Arithmetic operations in cells

In the event that one needs to weight a cell differently, arithmetic operators can be used
with cell addresses to accomplish this task. The operators are:
• Addition ‘+’
• Multiplication ‘*’ (shift-* asterisk on the keyboard)
• Subtraction ‘-‘
• Division ‘/’
• Exponentiation ‘^’ (shift-6 on the keyboard)

Mathematical operators can be combined with functions to perform complex calculations.

Filtering
When the spread sheet is too long and we need to find the data in the spread sheet on the
basis of some particular fields/values, we can use the inbuilt filter option, which has
different range and criteria for filtering the data.

4.2 SORT DATE (ASCENDING AND DESCENDING)

As you might expect from their names, ascending sorts are done such that values increase,
while descending sorts result in values decreasing. How does this affect your actual data,
however?

If you choose to do an ascending sort, Excel uses the following sorting order:
1. Number values, from least to greatest
2. Date and time values, from earliest to latest
3. Text values, numbers first, then alphabetically (1, 2, 3, a, b, c, and so on)
4. Logical values, FALSE, then TRUE
5. Error values

Descending is the opposite of ascending. No matter which order you choose, Excel always
places blanks (empty fields) at the end of the final list.

Sort dates or times

1. Select a column of dates or times in a range of cells, or make sure that the active
cell is in a table column containing dates or times.
2. Select a column of dates or times in a range of cells or table.
3. On the Data tab, in the Sort & Filter group, do one of the following:
ƒ To sort from an earlier to a later date or time, click Sort Oldest to
Newest.
ƒ To sort from a later to an earlier date or time, click Sort Newest to
Oldest.
4. To reapply a sort after you change the data, click a cell in the range or table, and
then on the Data tab, in the Sort & Filter group, click Reapply.

Issue: Check that dates and times are stored as dates or times If the results are not what
you expected, the column might contain dates or times stored as text and not as dates or
times. For Excel to sort dates and times correctly, all dates and times in a column must be
stored as a date or time serial number. If Excel cannot recognize a value as a date or time,
the date or time is stored as text.

NOTE: If you want to sort by days of the week, format the cells to show the day of the
week. If you want to sort by the day of the week regardless of the date, convert them to
text by using the TEXT function. However, the TEXT function returns a text value, and so
the sort operation would be based on alphanumeric data. For more information, see Show
dates as days of the week.

4.3 SHOW AND HIDE COLUMN OR ROW

If you have a Microsoft Excel workbook that contains a column or row that you want to
hide, you can do this easily. With a few clicks, you can hide this column and row from
view. You won't be deleting the column or row, because you can redisplay it later when
you want it to be viewed.

Step 1 Start Microsoft Excel and open an existing workbook that contains a column or
row that you would like to hide. If you'd prefer, start a new workbook and enter
data into a column or row that you would like to hide.
Step 2 Click in any cell that lies in the column or row that you would like to hide. The cell
will have a thick black line around it when you have selected it, meaning that you
can move on to the next step.
Step 3 Choose the "Format" menu and click on "Column" if you want to hide a column. If
you want to hide a row, click on "Row."
Step 4 Click "Hide" in either the "Column" or "Row" submenu to hide the column or row
that contains the cell you have selected. The column or row will now be hidden
from view. You will notice that the hidden column letter or row number will be
missing from your workbook.

Tips & Warnings

• You can redisplay a hidden column or row by selecting cells on either side of the
hidden column or row, choosing the "Format" menu, selecting either "Column" or
"Row" and choosing "Unhide."

Show All
Select the rows or columns you want to hide.
 To select Do this

Text in a cell If editing in a cell is turned on, select the cell, double-click in it, and
then select the text in the cell.
If editing in a cell is turned off, select the cell, and then select the
text in the formula bar.

A single cell Click the cell, or press the arrow keys to move to the cell.

A range (range: Two or Click the first cell of the range, and then drag to the last cell.
more cells on a sheet.
The cells in a range can
be adjacent or
nonadjacent.) of cells

A large range of cells Click the first cell in the range, and then hold down SHIFT and
click the last cell in the range. You can scroll to make the last cell
visible.

All cells on a worksheet Click the Select All button.

Nonadjacent cells or cell Select the first cell or range of cells, and then hold down CTRL and
ranges select the other cells or ranges.

An entire row or column Click the row or column heading.

Adjacent rows or Drag across the row or column headings. Or select the first row or
columns column; then hold down SHIFT and select the last row or column.

Nonadjacent rows or Select the first row or column, and then hold down CTRL and
columns select the other rows or columns.

More or fewer cells than Hold down SHIFT and click the last cell you want to include in the
the active selection new selection. The rectangular range between the active cell (active
cell: The selected cell in which data is entered when you begin
typing. Only one cell is active at a time. The active cell is bounded
by a heavy border.) and the cell you click becomes the new
selection.

Cancel a selection of Click any cell on the worksheet.

cells

Display a hidden row or column

1. Do one of the following:
ƒ To display hidden rows, select the row above and below the rows you want
to display.
ƒ To display hidden columns, select the column adjacent to either side of the
columns you want to display.
2. On the Format menu, point to Row or Column, and then click Unhide.

NOTES:
If the first row or column of a worksheet is hidden, click Go To on the Edit menu. In the
Reference box, type A1, and then click OK. On the Format menu, point to Row or
Column. and then click Unhide.

Instead of being hidden, the height or width of the first row or column of a worksheet may
have been set to zero. In this case, point to the border of the Select All button until the
cursor changes to or , and then drag to widen the row or column.

How do I automatically hide columns?

You can do this with some simple VBA code:

Sub AAA()
Dim Rng As Range
Dim Found As Boolean
For Each Rng In Range(Cells(1, 1), Cells(1, Columns.Count)).Cells
If Rng.Value = Date Then
Found = True
Exit For
End If
Next Rng
If Found = True Then
Range(Rng(1, 2), Cells(1, Columns.Count)).EntireColumn.Hidden
= True
End If
End

Check Your Progress 1

1- Excel use same sorting order for both ascending & descending
a- True
b- False

2- The sorting order Excel uses for ascending short are:

a- Number, Date & Time, Text, Logical, Error
 b- Date & Time, Number, Text, Error, Logical
c- Number, Text, Date & Time, Error, Logical
d- Number, Text, Date & Time, Logical, Error

3- For Excel to sort Date & Times correctly, all Date & Times in a column must be stored
as:
i- Text
ii- Date & Time
iii- None

4- Excel can hide

a. Single cell or row
b. Multiple cell or row
c. Column or row

Which options are correct?

i- a,b.
ii- a,c.
iii- a,b,c.
iv- c.

5- Excel provides the flexibility to automatically hide columns

a- True
b- False

4.4 ADD FILTERS

Displaying specific parts of data in Excel can be accomplished by simply applying filters
with Excel's AutoFilter command.

Here are some examples to show you how easily you can apply data filtering. Let's say
you have a spreadsheet with the title in Row 1 and column headings in Row 2 and your
data looked something like this:
Click in any cell in row 2 and go to the Data Menu and select Filter, then AutoFilter and
you will see dropdown arrows in every cell in row 2:

Click the dropdown arrow in the Department Cell and see a list of everything that is
included in that column. Choose "B" from the list:

Now your data has been filtered to only show the people in Department B:

Click the Department dropdown arrow again and select All to remove the filter.

Click the Q1 Sales dropdown arrow and select Custom. In this box, choose is greater
than from the first dropdown box and type 25000 in the second box. Click OK.
Your data has now been filtered to show only those salespeople whose sales are greater
than $25,000.

Remove the filter by returning to the Q1 Sales dropdown and select All. You could also
filter this data to show only those sales people in Dept B whose sales are greater than
$25,000. Simply apply one filter, then apply the second one without removing the first.
Excel will continue to filter your data, with the second filter being applied to the results of
the first filter.

To remove all filters, click on the appropriate column dropdown arrows and select All.
Then go back to the Data Menu and click on AutoFilter to remove the dropdown arrows
completely.

Apply an Excel Advanced Filter

1. Set up the database

1. The first row (A1:D1) has headings.
2. Subsequent rows contain data.
3. There are no blank rows within the database.
4. There is a blank row at the end of the database, and a blank column at the right.
2. Set up the Criteria Range (optional)
In the criteria range for an Excel advanced filter, you can set the rules for the data that
should remain visible after the filter is applied. You can use one criterion, or several.
1. In this example, cells F1:F2 are the criteria range.
2. The heading in F1 exactly matches a heading (D1) in the database.
3. Cell F2 contains the criterion. The > (greater than) operator is used, with the
number 500.

After the Excel advanced filter is applied, orders with a total greater than 500 will remain
visible.
Other operators include:
< less than
<= less than or equal to
>= greater than or equal to
3. Set up the Extract Range (optional)
If you plan to copy the data to another location, you can specify the columns that you want
to extract. If you want to extract ALL columns, you can leave the extract range empty for
the Excel advanced filter.
1. Select the cell at the top left of the range for the extracted data.
2. Type the headings for the columns that you want to extract. These must be an
exact match for the column headings, in spelling and punctuation. The column
order can be different, and any or all of columns can be included.
<> not equal to

4. Apply the Excel Advanced Filter

1. Select a cell in the database.
2. From the Data menu, choose Filter, Advanced Filter. (In Excel 2007, click the Data
tab on the Ribbon, then click Advanced Filter.)
3. You can choose to filter the list in place, or copy the results to another location.
 4. Excel should automatically detect the list range. If not, you can select the cells on
the worksheet.
5. Select the criteria range on the worksheet
6. If you are copying to a new location, select a starting cell for the copy
Note: If you copy to another location, all cells below the extract range will be
cleared when the Advanced Filter is applied.
7. Click OK.

Filter Unique Records

You can use an Excel Advanced Filter to extract a list of unique items in the database. For
example, get a list of customers from an order list, or compile a list of products sold:

1. Select a cell in the database.

2. From the Data menu, choose Filter, Advanced Filter.(In Excel 2007, click the Data
tab on the Ribbon, then click Advanced Filter.)
3. Choose 'Copy to another location'.
4. For the List range, select the column(s) from which you want to extract the unique
values.
5. Leave the Criteria Range blank.
6. Select a starting cell for the Copy to location.
7. Add a check mark to the Unique records only box.
8. Click OK.

Note: The list must contain a heading, or the first item may be duplicated in the
results.
Extract Data to another Worksheet
If the database is on Sheet1, you can extract data to Sheet2, by using an Excel Advanced
Filter:
1. Go to Sheet 2
2. Select a cell in an unused part of the sheet (cell C4 in this example).
3. From the Data menu, choose Filter, Advanced Filter.(In Excel 2007, click the Data
tab on the Ribbon, then click Advanced Filter.)
4. Choose Copy to another location.
5. Click in the List Range box
6. Select Sheet 1, and select the database.
7. (optional) Click in the Criteria range box.
8. Select the criteria range
9. Click in the Copy to box.
10. Select the cell on Sheet 2 in which you want the results to start, or select the
headings that you have typed on Sheet 2.
11. (optional) Check the box for Unique Values Only
12. Click OK.
Using Wildcards in Criteria
Use wildcard characters to filter for a text string in a cell.
The (*) wildcard .
The asterisk (*) wildcard character represents any number of characters in that position,
including zero characters.
In this example, any customer whose name contains "mart" will pass through the Excel
advanced filter.

Setting up the Excel Advanced Filter Criteria Range

AND vs OR
If a record meets all criteria on one row in the criteria area, it will pass through the Excel
advanced filter. In example 1, customer must be MegaMart AND product must be Cookies
AND total must be greater than 500.

Criteria on different rows are joined with an OR operator. In the second example,
customer must be MegaMart OR product must be Cookies OR total must be greater than
500.
By using multiple rows, you can combine the AND and OR operators. In the third
example customer must be MegaMart AND product must be Cookies
OR
product must be Cookies AND total must be greater than 500.

Excel Advanced Filter Criteria Examples

Extract Items in a Range
To extract a list of items in a range, you can use two columns for one of the fields (e.g.
Date). If you enter two criteria on the same row in the criteria range, you create an AND
statement. In this example, any records that are extracted must be greater than the first date
AND less than the second date.

Create Two or More Sets of Conditions

If you enter criteria on different rows in the criteria range, you create an OR statement.
In this example, extracted records must meet both conditions in row 2 OR both conditions
in row 3.

Extract Items with Specific Text

When you use text as criteria with an Excel advanced filter, Excel finds all items that
begin with that text. For example, if you type "Ice" as a criterion, Excel finds "Ice", "Ice
Cream" and "Ice Milk"
To extract only the records for Ice, use the following format:
="=Ice"

4.5 REMOVE FILTERS

To remove a filter applied to one column in a range or a list, click the arrow next to the
column, and then click All.

To remove filters applied to all columns in a range or list, point to Filter on the Data
menu, and then click Show All.

To remove the filter arrows from a range or list, point to Filter on the Data menu, and
then click AutoFilter.

To remove the filter, and leave AutoFilter turned on:

In each column in which a filter has been applied, choose (All), the first item in the
dropdown list
OR
From the Data menu, choose Filter, Show All

To remove the current filter, and turn off AutoFilter:

From the Data menu, choose Filter, AutoFilter

Check Your Progress 2

1- Auto filter command is used to display specific parts of data in excel

a- True
b- False

2- Which step are followed to apply filters

i- Data Menu→ Choose Filter→ Auto Filter
ii- Tools Menu→ Choose Filter→ Auto Filter
iii- Tools Menu→ Auto Filter
iv- Data Menu →Auto Filter

3- Criteria range is mandatory for applying advanced filter.

a- True
b- False
4- Extract Range is optional for applying advanced filter.
a- True
b- False

5- How many operators can be included in criteria range?

6- Wildcard characters are used to filter

i- Text string
ii- Number
iii- Number or Text both
iv- None

7- Give usage of AND vs OR for setting up advanced filter criteria range.

8-Turn off auto filter option is used of:

i- To remove the filter applied to one column.
ii- To remove the filter applied to all columns.
iii- To remove the filter & leave auto filter turned on.
iv- To remove the current filter.

4.6 PIVOT TABLES

Pivot tables provide a way to easily summarize, analyze, consolidate, filter, prepare data
for charting, and report on large quantities of raw data in a flexible, ad hoc manner. They
are called pivot tables because you can change their layout by rearranging, or pivoting, the
row and column headings quickly and easily.

Creating a Pivot Table

1. Create the data that will be summarized. Be sure each column (field) in the data
has a column header, e.g., Date, Name, Mean.
2. If you select the first cell of the range before starting the wizard, Excel will
automatically search down and to the right to find the range's extent and use that
range in the pivot table. The easiest option is to click on the upper-leftmost cell of
the range. Then, choose Data/Pivot Table. Excel displays a dialog for step 1 of the
Pivot Table Wizard.
3. In step 1 of the Wizard, you specify the location of the source data. Assuming your
data is in a single range of cells in Excel, choose Microsoft Excel List or Database.
If you chose Microsoft Excel List or Database in step 1 then your data
range must include only one set of columns. You'll choose Multiple
Consolidation Ranges in Step 1 if your data is not contained in one set of
columns. In step 2 of the Wizard, you define the cells to be included in the
pivot table's range. If you selected the upper-leftmost cell in the range, the
Range text box will be filled in for you. If not, just click and drag in the
spreadsheet to highlight the range (all cells) to be included.
4. Step 3 of the Wizard is where things happen. The data fields are represented by
buttons at the right of the dialog box. Drag and drop the buttons to create the
 desired layout. If you place the wrong field onto the table you can remove it by
dragging it anywhere outside the table.
Row: contains the field(s) to be used as row titles
Column: contains the field(s) to be used as column titles
Page: used to filter the row and column data for a particular Page field
value. A Page dropdown will contain all the unique values for the field(s)
contained in Page.
Data: at least one field must be placed in the data area. This will be the
summary data that is reported inside the rows and columns of the pivot
table. The same field can be placed in the data area more than once.
Numeric fields will default to Sum and non-numeric fields will default to
Count for the summary statistic. You can change the default summarization
type by double-clicking on the button in the data area and selecting a
different calculation type.
5. In step 4 of the Wizard you specify whether the pivot table is to be placed in a new
worksheet or specify an upper-left corner for the pivot table to start in an existing
worksheet.

Fig. 4.1 Step-1 of creation of pivot table

Fig. 4.2 Step-2 of Creation of pivot table
Fig. 4.3 Step-3 of Creation of pivot table
Fig. 4.4 Pivot Table is created on new work sheet

Now the user can choose the field and can add as per requirement either on row or
column

Refreshing a Pivot Table

Pivot tables do not automatically recalculate when the source data changes. To refresh a
pivot table, select any cell inside the table, then choose Data | Refresh Data or right-click
on any cell inside the table and choose Refresh Data.

Understanding the Four Data Sources

1. Microsoft Excel List or Database: used when the data is contained in one Excel
worksheet range
2. External Data Source: used when the data source is an external text file or database
such as Microsoft Access, dBase, or Oracle
Before you can create the pivot table, however, you must have installed
Microsoft Query and the appropriate Open Database Connectivity (ODBC)
drivers to read the external data. To install Microsoft Query or the required
ODBC drivers you go through the Office Setup program. In Add/Remove
click on Converters, Filters and Data Access, then click Change Option.
Click on Data Access and click Change Option again. You'll find Microsoft
Query and the ODBC drivers in the list.
 3. Multiple Consolidation Ranges: used to consolidate data that is located in more
than one worksheet range on the same sheet or different sheets
Each of the ranges must be identical in structure with the same row and
column names.
4. Another Pivot Table: used to create a pivot table using one that already exists in
the same workbook, an important way to optimize memory for situations where
you need to create several pivot tables using the same data set
Both tables are linked to the same source data. Updating one pivot table
causes the other to be updated as well.

Changing a Pivot Table Interactively

You could right-click on any cell inside the table and choose to return to the Wizard... but
most users prefer to change the table interactively using drag and drop techniques. You
can change the layout by simply dragging the field buttons within the table to another part
of the table. The best way to learn is through experimentation.

To remove a field from the table simply drags the field button outside the table range.
When the large X appears release the mouse button.

Deleting a Pivot Table

Highlight the entire pivot table and choose Edit | Clear | All. This will delete the data and
also the cell formatting and gridlines.

Copying a Pivot Table

If you highlight the entire pivot table, including any page fields, and use Copy/Paste then
you will copy the actual pivot table. Sometimes it's useful to Copy/Paste only selected
cells in the table because the result will be normal cells rather than an actual pivot table.
If you aren't able to highlight only selected cells in the table, you may need to enable
selection by right-clicking on a cell in the table and choosing Select | Enable Selection.

Setting Pivot Table Options

Right-click on any cell in the table and choose Options to access a dialog box of selectable
options. As in any Office 97 dialog box, right-clicking on an option and choosing "What's
This" will give you some explanation of the option. One option deserving a bit of
explanation is "Save Data With Table Layout." This option determines whether or not the
pivot table's data is stored with the spreadsheet. If you clear this check box and save the
file, you'll have to refresh the data the next time you open the file. Although this requires
an additional step, it helps keep the size of your spreadsheet files to a minimum.

Selection Feature On/Off

The ability to select parts of a pivot table is dramatically affected by whether Selection is
enabled or not. Selection is turned on and off by right-clicking on a cell in the table and
choosing Select | Enable Selection. This is a global setting that affects your interactions
with all pivot tables, not just the active one.

Data Field Adjustments

Field Names -- Changing the field name (even if it looks like a button) is as simple as
clicking on the cell and typing in the new name you want to use. Unfortunately you need
to remember that the name must be unique within the table AND within the row and
column names in the underlying source data.
Orientation -- When multiple data fields appear in a pivot table they are arranged
vertically by default. Like any other field button in the table you can use Drag and Drop to
change the data fields to horizontal orientation.
Summarization -- To change the summary function used for a data field, right-click any
cell in the data field, then choose Field. Select a summary function from the list and click
OK.
Details -- You can double-click on any data cell in the table to view the detail behind the
cell in a new worksheet in the current workbook.

Formatting Data Fields

Because the exact cells included in the Pivot Table will change as you interact with your
Pivot Table, you shouldn't (although you could) directly format the cells using the
techniques you would use with normal cells. Instead right-click on the field label in the
table and choose Field... Click on the Number button to display the Format Cells dialog
box. This will format the entire field rather than just specific cells.

Page Field Options

Showing Pages -- You can use the Page drop down to view the pivot table page for each
value in the page field. If you decide that you really want to create the individual pivot
tables you can do it quickly by right-clicking a cell in the Table and choosing Show
Pages... Be careful when showing pages for a field consisting of a large number of values
since a new worksheet will be added to the active workbook for each value page.
Page Field Layout -- By default the page fields are stacked one on top of another. Right-
clicking anywhere in the table and choosing Options will let you set the "Fields Per
Column" and more esoteric the "Page Layout." Right-clicking the options and choosing
What's This? can give you additional explanation of these options.

Sorting
By default data is sorted in ascending order within a data label. Sort order can be changed
by right-clicking on a data label and choosing Field, or by double-clicking on a data label.
In the Field dialog box click Advanced to display the Advanced Options dialog box where
you can select the field and sort order desired.

Grouping
Grouping is useful when the data reported in the pivot table is too detailed for what you
need. Maybe with too much detail the table shows all the days in each month or you want
to report the data in histogram fashion using ranges. Right-click on the data label of the
data you wish to group. Choose Group and Outline | Group (and note the Ungroup option).

Dynamic Charting
There are two things to remember in dynamic charting. First, chart the entire data area of
the table. Second, typically you should not include totals as they will cause scaling
problems.

Adding Calculated Fields

Right-click on any cell inside the data area and choose Insert | Calculated Field. When a
field name needs to be inserted in your formula, you can select the desired field in the list
(could be another calculated field), then click Insert Field.
Summarization Type -- Calculated fields SUM the underlying data and this cannot be
changed.
Delete a Calculated Field -- Display the Insert | Calculated Fields dialog box. Select the
field from the Name drop down list, then click Delete.
Modify a Calculated Field -- Display the Insert | Calculated Fields dialog box. Select the
field from the Name drop down list. Modify the formula then click OK.

Check Your Progress 3

1- Which statement is true for PIVOT Tables?

i- Provide a way to analyze & prepare data for charting
ii- Provide a way to summarize, consolidate prepare data for charting
iii- Provide a way to summarize, analyze, consolidate , filter, prepare data for charting &
reporting
iv- Provide a way to report on large quantities of raw data.

2- Pivot tables automatically recalculate when the source data changes.

a- True
b- False

3- Two tables can be linked to same data source

a- True
b- False

4- Name the options/steps to delete a pivot table.

5-
a- Refreshing a pivot table
b- Changing a pivot table interactively
c- Deleting & changing a pivot table
d- Hiding a pivot table

Which options are correct?

i- a,b.
ii- a,c.
 iii- a,b,c.
iv- a,b,d.

6- Selection feature on/off in pivot table performs the

i- Global setting
ii- Local Setting

7- When data fields are multiple, its arrangement is ------------- by default

i- Horizontal
ii- Vertical

8- Name the page field options.

9- When grouping is required in pivot tables.

10- What measures are taken to perform the dynamic charting?

11- ------------ is a data summarization tool found in data visualization programs.

4.7 Summary

When you sort information in a worksheet, you have control over the order in which that
information is sorted. Sorting in Excel lets us easily reorder our data based on the type of
sorting that we choose. This chapter had shown us how to do a ascending and descending
sort on date. Hiding rows and columns can be very helpful in keeping worksheet users
focused on important details or to keep them from straying into areas that you don’t want
them to see. The filtering tools provided in Excel make it easy to filter a data list so that
only certain rows are displayed. Excel, when used to store data, follows a database
paradigm that equates rows with records and columns with fields in each record. Classical
filtering is done by examining values in columns (fields) and thereby determining which
rows (records) should be displayed based on what is found there.

A pivot table is a data summarization tool found in data visualization programs such as
spreadsheets. Among other functions, they can automatically sort, count, and total the data
stored in one table or spreadsheet and create a second table displaying the summarized
data. Pivot tables are also useful for quickly creating cross tabs. The user sets up and
changes the summary's structure by dragging and dropping fields graphically. This
"rotation" or pivoting of the summary table gives the concept its name. The term pivot
table is a generic phrase used by multiple vendors. However, the specific form PivotTable
is a trademark of the Microsoft Corporation.

4.8 SOLUTIONS AND ANSWERS

Check Your Progress 1
1. False
2. a
3. ii
4. ii
5. True

Check Your Progress 2

1. True
2. i
3. False
4. True
5. <, >, >=, <=
6. i
7. AND / OR – Criteria on different rows are joined with an OR operator.
8. iv

Check Your Progress 3

1. iii
2. False
3. True
4. Edit/Clear/All
5. iii
6. i
7. ii
8. Showing Pages and Page field layout
9. When data reported in the pivot table is too detailed
10. First, chart the entire data area of table. Second, not to include totals.
11. Pivot Table

4.9 FURTHER READINGS

1. Gene Weisskopf (1999), “Excel 2000 No Experience Required”, BPB

Publication
2. John Walkenbach and Allen L. Wyatt Sr. (1999), “Excel 2000 Programming
for Dummies”, Wiley Publishing
3. Mark Dodge (2007), “Microsoft Office Excel 2007 Inside Out”, Microsoft
Press
4. Curt Fyre (2003), “Excel Pocket Guide”, O’Reilly Media, Inc.