Getting the most out of your data with pivot tables
The Power of the Pivot
© Lead Image © vectordivider, 123RF.com
Pivot tables let you sort, rearrange, group, and perform calculations on your spreadsheet data. We help you get started with this powerful tool.
Almost everyone today works with spreadsheets from time to time. While most users are familiar with spreadsheet formulas, not everyone is familiar with another power feature, the pivot table. In this article, I show what a pivot table looks like in LibreOffice Calc and then explain what they do. Even if you are just a basic spreadsheet user, you won't regret learning about pivot tables.
A pivot table lets you automatically process the raw data from a spreadsheet (or part of it). It groups all the data in one column according to the values in another column or columns and then makes a calculation on each group and presents the data in the most compact way possible. As an example, take the simple spreadsheet in Figure 1; it has three columns: Area, Year, and Contacts. The pivot table in Figure 2 is created by grouping all the data from the Contacts column according to the values in the Areas column.
The Pivot Table Wizard
LibreOffice Calc provides a handy wizard for creating pivot tables (Figure 3). To get started, you first need to select the data from the spreadsheet around which you are going to pivot. If the cluster of cells that you want to use is recognizable without ambiguities because it is surrounded by empty columns and rows, or because there are simply no other data in the spreadsheet, you can click on any of those cells to start creating the pivot table. Otherwise, you will have to select all the cells that must be processed. Once you've selected the cell or cells you want to process, open the wizard by clicking on either Insert | Pivot Table or Data | Pivot Table | Insert or Edit… in the main menu.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Dutch Government Turns to Open Source for Digital Sovereignty
Following in the footsteps of European countries, the Netherlands is looking to increase its sovereign digital infrastructure with open source software.
-
Linux May Soon Work on Snapdragon X2-Based PCs
If you're thinking about buying a Snapdragon X2-based desktop or laptop, Linux may soon be an option.
-
KDE for People Initiative Calls for AI Ban in Plasma
A new community of KDE wants the project to adopt a strict no-AI policy for KDE Plasma.
-
KDE Sets Ambitious Goals for 2026 and Beyond
KDE Connect reveals the goals for the Linux desktop darling, with one of those goals long overdue.
-
It’s Time to Test Fedora 45 Beta
Fedora 45 beta has been released with updated Gnome, KDE Plasma, and kernel.
-
Ubuntu Stonking Stingray Gets Even Rustier
Ubuntu 26.10 has completed its migration to the Rust-based coreutils.
-
AI Fixes Linux Bottlenecks Using “Hideous” Code
A Linux developer used AI to fix bottlenecks that caused problems when building the kernel. The resulting AI-generated code needed a lot of work.
-
Advanced Video Coding Still Under Patent
Brazilian patent BRPI0109962B1 has expired, which means that DivX and Xvid are no longer problematic for Linux, but it doesn’t mean that video is all of a sudden fully unleashed.
-
2,000 Vulnerabilities per Linux Release
Thanks to AI bug hunters, the Linux kernel is seeing record numbers of vulnerabilities, and it's overwhelming developers.
-
Linux Exempt from California’s Age Verification Law
So long as Linux is distributed under the GPL, MIT, BSD, and Apache licenses, the OS is exempt from being required to verify the age of its users in California.