The Excel® Analyst's Guide to Access®

Chapter 12. Using Pivot Tables and Pivot Charts in Access

A pivot table is one of the most robust analytical tools found in Excel. With a pivot table, you can group, summarize and perform a wide variety of calculations in a fraction of the time it takes to do so by hand. The most impressive functionality of a pivot table is the ability to interactively change its content, shape data, and alter its overall utility. You can drag and drop fields, dynamically change your perspective, recalculate totals to fit the current view, and interactively drill down to the detail records.

If pivot tables are your passion and the reason you use Excel, then you had better lean in close as I tell you a secret: You have the power of pivot tables at your fingertips right there in your Access database. That's right. Access comes with its own version of the pivot table, allowing you to customize your analysis on the fly without re-writing your queries or turning to code.

In this chapter, you will discover that you can apply your knowledge of Excel pivot tables to Access, creating both pivot table and pivot chart analyses. You will learn how leveraging these powerful tools to change the way you analyze your Access data and the way you create your Excel exports.

Tip

This chapter focuses on using the power of pivot tables and pivot charts in Access. We assume that you are familiar with both the mechanics and the benefits of using pivot tables and pivot charts in Excel. If you are new to pivot tables altogether, ...