Tables

Insert a Table | Format a Table | Working with Tables | Convert to a Range

Tables (or lists in Excel 2003) allow you to analyze your data quickly and easily.

Our data set consist of four fields. Last Name, Sales, Country and Quarter.

Data Set

Insert a Table

To insert a table, execute the following steps.

1. Click any single cell inside the data set.

2. On the Insert tab, click Table.

Insert Table

3. Excel automatically selects the data for you. Check 'My table has headers' and click on OK.

Select Data

Result. Excel creates a nicely formatted table for you. This may still seem like a normal data range to you but many powerful features are now just a click of a button away.

Excel Table

Format a Table

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.

1. Format the table by clicking on one of the many table styles available. Excel gives you a life preview when you scroll over a table style.

Format Table

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.

Check Total Row

2. Click any cell in the last row to calculate the total (Average, Count, Max, Min, etc) of a column. For example, calculate the average of the Sales column.

Average

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) to correctly calculate table totals of filtered tables.

3. For example, only display the sales in the USA by clicking on the arrow in the Country header.

Result. The correct average of the sales in the USA.

Filtered Table