Create a New Table

In the PowerPivot window, a new tab is created automatically for you whenever data is pasted or imported from another data source. You do not create new, empty PowerPivot tables directly. Each tab contains one table of data, which can include the following:

  • A single table or view from a relational database, or from other non-relational sources, such as an Analysis Services cube.

  • Data that is linked to tables in an Excel workbook.

  • Data that has been copied and pasted from an Excel workbook or another source, such as Microsoft Word. The data that you paste from the Clipboard must be in HTML format.

  • A tabular set of data imported from a feed or text file.

For more information about the types of data that you can add to a PowerPivot workbook, see Adding Data to PowerPivot.

Combining Multiple Data Sources

When you import data, each table or view, sheet, or file of data is added as a table to its own tab in the PowerPivot window. You typically add data from various sources onto separate tabs, but you can combine data in a single table by using Paste and Paste Append. For more information, see Copy and Paste Data.

After you have added the data that you need, you can create relationships between the tables, look up or reference related values in other tables, or create derived values by adding new calculated columns. For more information about using calculations to combine data values or look up related values, see Create a Calculated Column. When you import data, PowerPivot will also detect and create relationships automatically for you. For more information about creating relationships, see Creating Relationships Between Tables

Differences Between a PowerPivot Table and an Excel Worksheet

  • You cannot add a row to a PowerPivot table by directly typing in a new row like you can in an Excel worksheet. But you can add rows by using Paste Append and by refreshing data.

  • Data in an Excel worksheet is often variable and ragged: that is, one row might contain numeric data, and the next row might contain a graphic or string of text. In contrast, PowerPivot data is more like that in a relational database, in which each row has the same number of columns and most columns contain data.

  • The PowerPivot table store supports most data types used by Microsoft Excel, and by other relational data stores. Where conversion is necessary to perform operations such as multiplication or concatenation, PowerPivot performs the conversion implicitly. For information about data type conversion, and about the data types supported in formulas, see Data Types Supported in PowerPivot Workbooks.

See Also

Other Resources

Creating Relationships Between Tables

Working with Tables and Columns