Pivoting the fields in the table

As the name pivot implies, the real fun of pivot tables comes from changing how and what data appears in the table at any time. Because the pivot table remains dynamic, you can quickly and easily change what data the table contains as well as how the table presents the data by manipulating its fields.

For example, suppose that, after making the Dept field the pivot table's Column Field and the Location field the Row Field, you decide that you now want the Location field to be the Column Field and the Dept field to be the Row Field? No problem: All you do is drag the Dept Field label from the top row of the table and drop it in the first column and then drag the Location Field label from the first column and drop it on the first row. Presto! - Excel rearranges the totaled salaries so that the rows of the pivot table show the departmental grand totals and the columns now show the location grand totals.

Pivoting existing fields within a table is not the only change you can make: You can also add new data items to the body of the pivot table or assign more fields to its Column Field and Row Field areas.