Excel 2013 Formulas

Chapter 9: Working with Tables and Lists

In This Chapter

• Using Excel's table feature

• Basic information about using tables and lists

• Filtering data using simple criteria

• Using advanced filtering to filter data by specifying more complex criteria

• Understanding how to create a criteria range for use with advanced filtering or database functions

• Using the SUBTOTAL function to summarize data in a table

A list is a rectangular range of data that usually has a row of text headings to describe the contents of each column. Excel 2007 introduced a new twist by letting you designate such a range as an “official” table, which makes common tasks much easier. More importantly, this table feature may help eliminate some errors.

This chapter discusses Excel tables and also covers what I refer to as lists, which are essentially tables of data that have not been converted to an official table.

Tables and Terminology

It seems that Microsoft can't quite make up its mind when it comes to naming some of Excel's features. Excel 2003 introduced a feature called lists, which is a way of working with what is sometimes called a worksheet database. In Excel 2007, the list features evolved into a much more useful feature called tables, and that feature was enhanced a bit in Excel 2010. To confuse the issue even more, Excel also has a feature called data tables, which has nothing at all to do with the table feature. And don't forget about pivot tables, which are not actual tables, but can be created ...