2.2.5 PivotTables

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A PivotTable is a mechanism for summarizing source data (section 2.2.5.3.2) to get an overview of the distribution of that data. In a PivotTable, applicable columns of the source data become fields that can be used to summarize data.

When the source data of the PivotTable is OLAP source data, OLAP hierarchies and some other OLAP entities become fields in the PivotTable.

A PivotTable has two major parts, a PivotCache (section 2.2.5.3) and a PivotTable view (section 2.2.5.4). These parts are described in the following sections. There can be multiple PivotTable views based on a single non-OLAP PivotCache (section 2.2.5.3.4). An OLAP PivotCache MUST have exactly one associated PivotTable view (section 2.2.5.3.3).

The values produced by a PivotTable are placed in cells of a sheet (2) and these cells make up a PivotTable report.

The PivotTable structures are not needed to obtain values from a PivotTable report because those values are available in the sheet (2) cells. The structures are needed for the following purposes:

  • To show extra information related to a PivotTable report in an application, such as sort and filter information.

  • To recalculate a PivotTable view, to incorporate changes such as sorting and filtering made to it, and to update the corresponding PivotTable report accordingly.

  • To refresh a PivotCache, to incorporate changes made to the source data, and then recalculate any PivotTable views associated with the PivotCache and to update the corresponding PivotTable reports accordingly.