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Problems with GETPIVOTDATA

Folks,
In trying to understand the GETPIVOTDATA function and I not able to get the results I am seeking.
In the attached workbook I have a data table and a pivot table.
In cells G3:K3 are header labels.
G4:G5 are labels. In G6 there's a label and the "Year" needs to be come from H4 and I'm having a problem there also.
In H4 and H5 I'm using a Data Validation List for the Year and the Country.
In cell I6 and J6 there are GETPIVOTDATA functions where I'm trying to pull the Year from H4 and the Country from H5 then get a total.
In other words if I select a Year from H4 and a Country from H5 then only the data for that Year for that Country would appear. If I select Year(s) and all Country(s) then I'd get all the data.
Hopefully, I've made myself clear.
Thanks
Book2.xlsx

Professor J

Look,

i do not understand why someone would wrap the getpivotdata in If and ifferror and the way logical test is put here makes no sense at all.

but coming back to your question.

the syntact for get pivot data here is

GETPIVOTDATA("Order Amount",$G$21,"Country","UK")

first Order amount is Data Field to return, then G21 is the reference to the pivot table, then Country is the first Field, and then following the "UK" is the item on the Country Field.

the GetPivotData can have one or too many Field and Items,

if you would want to test this by your self. put an equal sign in a cell and then click an amount of the pivot table and you would see that getpivotdata automatically puts all these syntax references by itself.

Professor J

see attached file which i have fixed it for you.

plz let me know if that is what you were looking for.
Book2--1-.xlsx

Frank Freese

ASKER

The reason for error checking was without it I was getting an #REF! error when selecting UK at times.
As I understand what you're saying is GETDATAPIVOT cannot work on a dynamic cell, such as Year or Country?

Professor J

please check the last file i uplloaded

Frank Freese

ASKER

When I select from your workbook the year 2010 in H4 and the country UK in H5, I get #REF! errors in J6 and K6. Do you get the same?

Professor J

Let me check

Frank Freese

ASKER

thank you kindly

Frank Freese

ASKER

I did find this out. In my Pivot Table I have to show all years and countries to avoid the #REF! error. See if that works for you.

Professor J

yes. when you are referring to a pivot table then pivot table data shall be available. otherwise it will give error. so you found it yourself that all years have to be available in pivot data.

i have also came up with an alternative way that you do not need to have a pivot table to implement this calculation.

see attached file . better than getpivotdata the sumproduct function that works better i guess.
Book2--1-.xlsx

Frank Freese

ASKER

I'm not very impressed with the GETPIVOTDATA function - it seem more of an after thought from Microsoft.
Before awarding you well earned points there's one hic-up - when you select a year and company it returns the total for both companies not just the one company. Can you fix that, if possible?
Thank you

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

Professor J

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Frank Freese

ASKER

Fantastic and thank you very much.

Professor J

you are welcome. glad to help