What is the table function in excel

Overview of Excel tables

To make managing and analyzing a group of related data easier, you can turn a range of cells into an Excel table (previously known as an Excel list).

Note: Excel tables should not be confused with the data tables that are part of a suite of what-if analysis commands. For more information about data tables, see Calculate multiple results with a data table.

Learn about the elements of an Excel table

A table can include the following elements:

Header row By default, a table has a header row. Every table column has filtering enabled in the header row so that you can filter or sort your table data quickly. For more information, see Filter data or Sort data.

You can turn off the header row in a table. For more information, see Turn Excel table headers on or off.

Banded rows Alternate shading or banding in rows helps to better distinguish the data.

Calculated columns By entering a formula in one cell in a table column, you can create a calculated column in which that formula is instantly applied to all other cells in that table column. For more information, see Use calculated columns in an Excel table.

Total row Once you add a total row to a table, Excel gives you an AutoSum drop-down list to select from functions such as SUM, AVERAGE, and so on. When you select one of these options, the table will automatically convert them to a SUBTOTAL function, which will ignore rows that have been hidden with a filter by default. If you want to include hidden rows in your calculations, you can change the SUBTOTAL function arguments.

Sizing handle A sizing handle in the lower-right corner of the table allows you to drag the table to the size that you want.

For other ways to resize a table, see Resize a table by adding rows and columns.

Create a table

You can create as many tables as you want in a spreadsheet.

To quickly create a table in Excel, do the following:

Select the cell or the range in the data.

Select Home > Format as Table.

Pick a table style.

In the Format as Table dialog box, select the checkbox next to My table as headers if you want the first row of the range to be the header row, and then click OK.

Working efficiently with your table data

Excel has some features that enable you to work efficiently with your table data:

Using structured references Instead of using cell references, such as A1 and R1C1, you can use structured references that reference table names in a formula. For more information, see Using structured references with Excel tables.

Ensuring data integrity You can use the built-in data validation feature in Excel. For example, you may choose to allow only numbers or dates in a column of a table. For more information on how to ensure data integrity, see Apply data validation to cells.

If you have authoring access to a SharePoint site, you can use it to export an Excel table to a SharePoint list. This way other people can view, edit, and update the table data in the SharePoint list. You can create a one-way connection to the SharePoint list so that you can refresh the table data on the worksheet to incorporate changes that are made to the data in the SharePoint list. For more information, see Export an Excel table to SharePoint.

Need more help?

You can always ask an expert in the Excel Tech Community or get support in the Answers community.

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Use Excel built-in functions to find data in a table or a range of cells

Summary

This step-by-step article describes how to find data in a table (or range of cells) by using various built-in functions in Microsoft Excel. You can use different formulas to get the same result.

Create the Sample Worksheet

This article uses a sample worksheet to illustrate Excel built-in functions. Consider the example of referencing a name from column A and returning the age of that person from column C. To create this worksheet, enter the following data into a blank Excel worksheet.

You will type the value that you want to find into cell E2. You can type the formula in any blank cell in the same worksheet.

Term Definitions

This article uses the following terms to describe the Excel built-in functions:

The whole lookup table

The value to be found in the first column of Table_Array.

Lookup_Array
-or-
Lookup_Vector

The range of cells that contains possible lookup values.

The column number in Table_Array the matching value should be returned for.

3 (third column in Table_Array)

Result_Array
-or-
Result_Vector

A range that contains only one row or column. It must be the same size as Lookup_Array or Lookup_Vector.

A logical value (TRUE or FALSE). If TRUE or omitted, an approximate match is returned. If FALSE, it will look for an exact match.

This is the reference from which you want to base the offset. Top_Cell must refer to a cell or range of adjacent cells. Otherwise, OFFSET returns the #VALUE! error value.

This is the number of columns, to the left or right, that you want the upper-left cell of the result to refer to. For example, «5» as the Offset_Col argument specifies that the upper-left cell in the reference is five columns to the right of reference. Offset_Col can be positive (which means to the right of the starting reference) or negative (which means to the left of the starting reference).

Functions

LOOKUP()

The LOOKUP function finds a value in a single row or column and matches it with a value in the same position in a different row or column.

The following is an example of LOOKUP formula syntax:

The following formula finds Mary’s age in the sample worksheet:

The formula uses the value «Mary» in cell E2 and finds «Mary» in the lookup vector (column A). The formula then matches the value in the same row in the result vector (column C). Because «Mary» is in row 4, LOOKUP returns the value from row 4 in column C (22).

NOTE: The LOOKUP function requires that the table be sorted.

For more information about the LOOKUP function, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

VLOOKUP()

The VLOOKUP or Vertical Lookup function is used when data is listed in columns. This function searches for a value in the left-most column and matches it with data in a specified column in the same row. You can use VLOOKUP to find data in a sorted or unsorted table. The following example uses a table with unsorted data.

The following is an example of VLOOKUP formula syntax:

The following formula finds Mary’s age in the sample worksheet:

The formula uses the value «Mary» in cell E2 and finds «Mary» in the left-most column (column A). The formula then matches the value in the same row in Column_Index. This example uses «3» as the Column_Index (column C). Because «Mary» is in row 4, VLOOKUP returns the value from row 4 in column C (22).

For more information about the VLOOKUP function, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

INDEX() and MATCH()

You can use the INDEX and MATCH functions together to get the same results as using LOOKUP or VLOOKUP.

The following is an example of the syntax that combines INDEX and MATCH to produce the same results as LOOKUP and VLOOKUP in the previous examples:

The following formula finds Mary’s age in the sample worksheet:

The formula uses the value «Mary» in cell E2 and finds «Mary» in column A. It then matches the value in the same row in column C. Because «Mary» is in row 4, the formula returns the value from row 4 in column C (22).

NOTE: If none of the cells in Lookup_Array match Lookup_Value («Mary»), this formula will return #N/A.
For more information about the INDEX function, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

OFFSET() and MATCH()

You can use the OFFSET and MATCH functions together to produce the same results as the functions in the previous example.

The following is an example of syntax that combines OFFSET and MATCH to produce the same results as LOOKUP and VLOOKUP:

This formula finds Mary’s age in the sample worksheet:

The formula uses the value «Mary» in cell E2 and finds «Mary» in column A. The formula then matches the value in the same row but two columns to the right (column C). Because «Mary» is in column A, the formula returns the value in row 4 in column C (22).

For more information about the OFFSET function, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

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Tips by Joe (Proe, Excel. )

Tips and tutorials related to Pro/Engineer, Excel (primarily) and others like Tcl/tk (occasionally). I had started another topic on Arduino as well. Here I try to explore the underestimated and uncommon options.

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Excel Function :TABLE

Its been a while since I have done some posting. This option in excel is something which I thought would be very useful for many.

Its the TABLE Function in MS Excel. This is especially useful in the following scenarios.

Assume you have a very lengthy calculation to arrive at a value. And you want to see how one (or two) input variables affect the output. One way to do this is to have each calculation in adjacent columns and populate the rows with varying input value. Also, if you want two inputs to be changed, its even more difficult. Using TABLE, you can do this very easily.

I even remember that I had written a whole set of VBA codes to manage what TABLE could do!

Enough of introduction.

(A) How to do a 1D TABLE (one variable is changed).

Step 1: Basic Calculation

Setup your basic calculation with the variable value in separate cell(s).
In the Eg, Input is in [C2] and output is in [C3]

Step 2: Prepare the Table

Prepare the frame for the Table. Different possible values of the variable is arranged in a column ( assume [E3:E10] ). Immediate to the right of these values ( [F3:F10] ) will be the place for the results. Link the result cell of Step1 to the cell just above it [F2] (for eg, =C3).

Step 3: Populate the Table

Select the full table. ( [E2:F3] ).
Go to Data -> Table.
Select the input variable cell as Column Input Cell ([C2])
Select OK.

(B) How to do a 2D TABLE (two variables are varied).

Step 1: Stays the same.

Step 2: Populate the possibilities of variable 1 in the 1st column and variable 2 as 1st row. The output cell should be linked to the Top-Left Corner.

Step 3: Select the two variable reference cells in the dialog. Click OK and you should be DONE.

If there is some mismatch, please repeat the step 3 with the reference cells interchanged.

Hope its useful.. Any questions?, let me know.

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Data Tables

Instead of creating different scenarios, you can create a data table to quickly try out different values for formulas. You can create a one variable data table or a two variable data table.

Assume you own a book store and have 100 books in storage. You sell a certain % for the highest price of $50 and a certain % for the lower price of $20. If you sell 60% for the highest price, cell D10 below calculates a total profit of 60 * $50 + 40 * $20 = $3800.

One Variable Data Table

To create a one variable data table, execute the following steps.

1. Select cell B12 and type =D10 (refer to the total profit cell).

2. Type the different percentages in column A.

3. Select the range A12:B17.

We are going to calculate the total profit if you sell 60% for the highest price, 70% for the highest price, etc.

4. On the Data tab, in the Forecast group, click What-If Analysis.

5. Click Data Table.

6. Click in the ‘Column input cell’ box (the percentages are in a column) and select cell C4.

We select cell C4 because the percentages refer to cell C4 (% sold for the highest price). Together with the formula in cell B12, Excel now knows that it should replace cell C4 with 60% to calculate the total profit, replace cell C4 with 70% to calculate the total profit, etc.

Note: this is a one variable data table so we leave the Row input cell blank.

Conclusion: if you sell 60% for the highest price, you obtain a total profit of $3800, if you sell 70% for the highest price, you obtain a total profit of $4100, etc.

Note: the formula bar indicates that the cells contain an array formula. Therefore, you cannot delete a single result. To delete the results, select the range B13:B17 and press Delete.

Two Variable Data Table

To create a two variable data table, execute the following steps.

1. Select cell A12 and type =D10 (refer to the total profit cell).

2. Type the different unit profits (highest price) in row 12.

3. Type the different percentages in column A.

4. Select the range A12:D17.

We are going to calculate the total profit for the different combinations of ‘unit profit (highest price)’ and ‘% sold for the highest price’.

5. On the Data tab, in the Forecast group, click What-If Analysis.

6. Click Data Table.

7. Click in the ‘Row input cell’ box (the unit profits are in a row) and select cell D7.

8. Click in the ‘Column input cell’ box (the percentages are in a column) and select cell C4.

We select cell D7 because the unit profits refer to cell D7. We select cell C4 because the percentages refer to cell C4. Together with the formula in cell A12, Excel now knows that it should replace cell D7 with $50 and cell C4 with 60% to calculate the total profit, replace cell D7 with $50 and cell C4 with 70% to calculate the total profit, etc.

Conclusion: if you sell 60% for the highest price, at a unit profit of $50, you obtain a total profit of $3800, if you sell 80% for the highest price, at a unit profit of $60, you obtain a total profit of $5200, etc.

Note: the formula bar indicates that the cells contain an array formula. Therefore, you cannot delete a single result. To delete the results, select the range B13:D17 and press Delete.

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What are Excel Tables?

Tables in Excel helps group related data into one or more rows and/or columns. Once a table is created, Excel assigns a unique name to the columns and the table itself. Such names are used as structured references, which make it easy to apply Excel formulas. Therefore, tables eliminate the need to create named ranges in Excel.

For example, the following image shows a usual data range on the left side and an Excel table on the right side. Notice the alternately colored excel rowsThe two different methods to add colour to alternative rows are adding alternative row colour using Excel table styles or highlighting alternative rows using the Excel conditional formatting option.read more and structured references (in cell J2) of the latter.

The purpose of creating tables is to make the data manageable, organized, and fit for analysis. Apart from structured references, tables offer several benefits like quick sorting and filtering, automatic expansion, easy formatting, readable formulas, and so on. Tables are extremely helpful when working with large databases.

How to Create Tables in Excel?

You can download this Excel Tables Template here – Excel Tables Template

How to Customize Tables in Excel?

A table can be customized by changing its name and/or the default color (or table style). Let us learn how this is done.

#1–Change the Name of the Table

When a table is created, Excel assigns a default name like “table1,” “table2,” etc., depending on whether it is the first or the second table of the current workbook.

Working with such default names may become confusing, especially when there are lots of tables. So, the solution is to assign unique names to each table.

The steps for changing the name of the Excel table are listed as follows:

Step 1: Select the entire table. Once selected, the Design tab appears on the Excel ribbonRibbons in Excel 2016 are designed to help you easily locate the command you want to use. Ribbons are organized into logical groups called Tabs, each of which has its own set of functions.read more. This tab is shown within a red box in the following image.

Note: In place of the entire table, even if a single cell is selected, the Design tab will become visible.

Step 2: In the Design tab, perform the following tasks:

• Click inside the box under “table name.” This box is displayed in the “properties” group at the leftmost side of the ribbon.
• Enter the desired name in this box.
• Press the “Enter” key.

Our table has been named “Sales_Table.” This is shown in the following image.

Rules Governing the Table Names

While naming a table, the following points should be considered:

• The name should always begin with a letter, a backslash () or an underscore (_).
• The name cannot be the single letter “r” (or “R”) or “c” (or “C”).
• The name should not consist of any spaces. Instead, one can use an underscore (_) or a period (.) to separate the words.
• The name can contain numbers, but cell references should be avoided.
• The name can contain a maximum of 255 characters.
• The name of the table should be unique. In case of a duplicate name, a message will be displayed saying that a unique name should be chosen.

Note: A name is said to be duplicate if two tables within the same workbook have the same names. Further, Excel does not distinguish between the uppercase and lowercase letters in the name of a table. So, the names “abc” or “ABC” are considered the same by Excel.

#2–Change the Color of the Table

When a table is created, Excel assigns it a default color. To change the color of the table, its style needs to be changed. Excel displays a list of different table styles from which one can choose the desired option.

The steps to change the color (or style) of a table are listed as follows:

Step 1: Select either a cell of the table or the entire table. We have selected the latter. The Design tab becomes visible, as shown in the following image.

Step 2: Choose the desired color (or style) from the “table styles” group of the Design tab. To expand the list of table styles, click the “more” button displayed at the bottom right side. One can also click “new table style” to view more styles.

The following image shows the expanded list of table styles. Once the desired style is chosen, it will be applied to the entire table.

Note: The default table style of the workbook can be changed by the user. For making this change, perform the listed steps:

• Select the desired table style from the list of table styles.
• Right-click the selected table style and choose “set as default” from the context menu.

What are the Advantages of Creating Tables in Excel?

Let us discuss eight advantages of creating tables in Excel.

#1–Creates Structured References Automatically

An Excel table uses structured referencesIn Excel, structured references define data sets in columns by giving names instead of cell address. You may use the column name instead of the cell address in the formula; this makes work easier.read more for referencing one or more cells. This is in contrast with the direct cell addresses used in a normal data range. A structured reference is a combination of table and column names that are used in Excel formulasThe term «basic excel formula» refers to the general functions used in Microsoft Excel to do simple calculations such as addition, average, and comparison. SUM, COUNT, COUNTA, COUNTBLANK, AVERAGE, MIN Excel, MAX Excel, LEN Excel, TRIM Excel, IF Excel are the top ten excel formulas and functions.read more.

The major benefits of using structured references are listed as follows:

1. They automatically update when new entries are added or deleted from the table.
2. They are automatically created when one or more cells of the table are selected.
3. They can be used both within and outside the table, thus making it easy to locate tables in a workbook.
4. They are used to autofill the calculated columns. A calculated column is an additional column added to the existing Excel table. It uses a single formula that expands on its own in the remaining part of the column. This implies that when a formula is entered in one cell of a calculated column, it need not be dragged to the remaining cells of the column. Rather, the formula is automatically entered in all cells (called autofill), unlike a usual data range which requires one to drag the fill handleThe fill handle in Excel allows you to avoid copying and pasting each value into cells and instead use patterns to fill out the information. This tiny cross is a versatile tool in the Excel suite that can be used for data entry, data transformation, and many other applications.read more.

Example of point “d”: The range A2:B7 is an Excel table containing random numbers. To create column C as a calculated column, enter the SUM formula in cell C3, which adds the numbers of cells A3 and B3. Use structured references in this formula. Once the formula is entered, press the “Enter” key. The outcomes are stated as follows:

• The table (A2:B7) automatically expands to include column C.
• The range C4:C7 is automatically filled with the totals of each row of the table. 

The preceding results will be obtained with both structured and regular references. This is because autofilling is a feature of Excel tables. However, with structured references, it is easy to read and understand the formula.

Note that if the user makes a change to the formula of the calculated column, the change is automatically replicated in the entire column.

Example of structured references: In the following image, structured references have been used in the SUMIF formula. The “Calls_Table” is the name of the Excel table. “Day” and “duration” are the names of columns A and E respectively. The cell G2 is a direct cell referenceCell reference in excel is referring the other cells to a cell to use its values or properties. For instance, if we have data in cell A2 and want to use that in cell A1, use =A2 in cell A1, and this will copy the A2 value in A1.read more.

Note: In the following image, the black line pointing to cell G2 has been incorrectly placed. It should have pointed to “day,” which is the name of column A. So, please ignore the misplacement.

#2–Is Dynamic in Nature

Any new insertions to the cells below or to the right of the table are automatically included in the Excel table. This implies that the table expands to include such insertions. Likewise, the table contracts when one or more rows and/or columns are deleted from it. Due to automatic expansion and contraction, an Excel table is often considered a dynamic tableDynamic tables in Excel are ones in which the table automatically adjusts its size when a new value is inserted. It can be done in one of two ways: by using the offset function or by creating a data table from the table section.read more.

Expansion implies that the style, formatting, and formulas of the table are automatically applied to the new entries as well. This eliminates the need to format and edit the formulas of individual cells. By default, the formatting stays uniform throughout an Excel table.

Note that the formulas of the table are adjustable as they take into account structured references. In contrast, the formulas of a normal data range do not adjust with insertions or deletions of entries.

Note: To undo table expansion, press the keys “Ctrl+Z” together.

#3–Makes it Easy to Work With PivotTables

It is advised to create a PivotTableA Pivot Table is an Excel tool that allows you to extract data in a preferred format (dashboard/reports) from large data sets contained within a worksheet. It can summarize, sort, group, and reorganize data, as well as execute other complex calculations on it.read more from an Excel table. The major reasons the source data should be an Excel table are listed as follows:

• A PivotTable automatically updates with any changes in the source table. Since Excel tables are dynamic, the data range of the PivotTable also becomes dynamic.
• A single cell of the source table can be selected prior to inserting a PivotTable. In contrast, when the source data is a usual data range, the entire range (or dataset) needs to be selected prior to inserting a PivotTable.

For instance, in the following image, a single cell of the source table has been selected before clicking the “PivotTable” option from the Excel Insert tabIn excel “INSERT” tab plays an important role in analyzing the data. Like all the other tabs in the ribbon INSERT tab offers its own features and tools. Under Insert Tab we have several other groups including tables, illustration, add-ins, charts, Power map, sparklines, filters, etc.read more. Notice that in “table/range,” the name of the source table is reflected.

When one scrolls downwards in a worksheet, the table headers are visible at all times. This is because these headers are automatically fixed or frozen at their respective places.

Fixed headers prevent the user from going back to the top row (row 1) again and again. Such frozen headers can be seen within a red rectangle in the following image.

Notice that the user has scrolled downwards such that rows 4 to 13 are visible along with the header row.

Note: To see the frozen header row, ensure that a cell of the table is selected before scrolling.

#5–Helps add a Total Row Containing Functions

An Excel table shows various functions in the total row. For displaying this row, perform the following steps:

• Select any cell of the Excel table. The Design tab appears on the Excel ribbon.
• From the Design tab, select the checkbox of “total row” displayed in the “table style options” group.

The total row is added immediately below the Excel table. Select any cell of this row to see a drop-down arrow on the right side. When this arrow is clicked, a list containing functions appears, as shown in the following image.

Once a function is selected from the list, the respective formula is automatically entered and the output is shown in a cell of the total row.

Notice that row 9 of the following image is the total row. Further, if a function is selected in cell D9, the corresponding output will also be displayed in this cell. The formula will be visible in the formula bar of the worksheet.

#6–Eases Restoring to Usual Data Range Without Losing the Table Style

An Excel table can be quickly converted to a usual data range. This serves as a benefit when the user requires only the table style and not the functionality of the table. For such conversion, follow either of the listed steps:

• Select any cell of the table. From the Design tab, click “convert to range” in the tools group.
• Select any cell of the table and right-click it. From the context menu, choose “table” followed by “convert to range.”

The “convert to range” feature of the first pointer is shown in the following image. Once an Excel table is converted to a usual data range, the existing structured references are replaced with the regular cell references. However, the data and formatting of the table are retained in the usual data range.

Note: The “convert to range” feature can be used only when the data to be converted is in the form of an Excel table.

#7–Helps add Slicers for Filtering Data

A slicer helps filter the data of an Excel table. It displays buttons that can be selected or deselected to indicate whether an item is included or excluded from the filter.

Slicers are available in Excel 2013 and the newer Excel versions. The steps to add a slicer to a table are listed as follows:

1. Select either a cell within the table or the entire table.
2. From the Design tab, select “insert slicer” from the “tools” group.
3. The “insert slicer” dialog box opens. Next, select the checkboxes of the columns for which the slicer needs to be created.
4. Click “Ok.”

One can have a slicer for each column of the Excel table. Once slicers appear in the worksheet, they can be moved, resized, and formatted according to the requirement.

With a slicer, one can filter and view only particular items (or entries) of the table. To view multiple items of a column, press and hold the “Ctrl” key while selecting the items in the respective slicer.

The following image shows the “insert slicer” option of the Design tab.

Note 1: A slicer can also be added from the “filters” group of the Insert tab of Excel. Click “slicer” in this group and thereafter follow the steps “c” and “d” listed above.

Note 2: A slicer can be used only if the data is in the form of an Excel table.

#8–Assists in Creating Reports in Power BI

Excel tables serve as a source from which data is entered in the Power BI tool. Power BI is a business intelligence tool that helps convert unrelated sources of data into meaningful reports and dashboards. The process of creating reports works as follows:

• Create and upload Excel tables to Power BI. 
• Create a report in Power BI by adding visualizations.
• Share the report with other Power BI users or office colleagues.

Excel tables are a preferred data source in Power BI due to the following reasons:

• They allow quick access to the tabular format of the dataset.
• They help ease comparisons within a dataset.
• They can be easily edited and organized prior to being uploaded in Power BI.

How to Turn off Structured References in Excel?

The steps to turn off structured references in Excel are listed as follows:

Step 1: Click the File tab of Excel. It is displayed within a red box in the following image.

Step 2: Select “options” shown in the following image.

Step 3: The “Excel options” dialog box opens. Click “formulas” appearing on the left side of the window. Deselect the checkbox of “use table names in formulas.” This is shown in the following image.

Next, click “Ok.” The structured references will be turned off in Excel.

Note: By changing this setting, the structured references used in the existing formulas of the Excel table are not removed. However, the new formulas applied to the table will contain regular cell references instead of structured references. If regular cell references are required in existing formulas too, they will have to be edited manually.

Further, whether the structured references are turned on or off, the changed setting will be applied to all workbooks that the user is working on.

Frequently Asked Questions

Recommended Articles

This has been a guide to tables in Excel. Here, we explain how to create/insert/customize Excel tables along with examples and advantages. You may also look at these useful functions of Excel–

• Delete Pivot Table ExcelTo delete a pivot table in Excel, you must first select it. Then go to the Analyze menu tab under the Design and Analyze menu tabs and select actions. Then, from the Select option’s drop-down option, select Entire Pivot Table to delete it.read more
• Refresh Pivot Table in ExcelTo refresh pivot tables, you may use the following methods — refresh pivot table by changing data source, refresh pivot table using right click option, auto-refresh pivot table using VBA Code, refresh pivot table when you open the workbook.read more
• Data Table in Excel
• Excel Merge Tables We can use a number of different methods to merge tables in Excel, including the VLOOKUP function, the INDEX function, and the MATCH function.read more