Office 2007 Bible

Chapter 19. Working with Database Tables in Excel

In This Chapter

Understanding tables and databases Working with a table or database Entering and editing records Sorting and filtering data Subtotaling data Using Excel data in a mail merge

Dictionaries are databases. Encyclopedias are databases. So are phone books, almanacs, tide tables, and the like. Most of these static databases are organized in some sort of simple ascending alphabetical or chronological sequence. Computerized databases, though, are capable of much greater flexibility. The order in which items exist in an Excel database is not important, as various operations (such as sorting and filtering by a number of factors) can be performed on the data.

Note

Although Excel is a great tool to use for simple tables and databases, you should be aware that Microsoft Office includes an application that is specialized for databases. If your database needs are large or complex, or if your database needs to be accessed by many people at once, you should use Access. For more information about Access, refer to Part VII, “Tracking Detailed Data with Access.”