Chandoo uses WordPress as the blogging engine at Chandoo.org.
The WordPress system includes a HTML enabled post engine, meaning that users can post any valid HTML Code and the WordPress engine will attempt to interpret and present what has been posted.
I need to note that the engine used by Chandoo.org posts and the Chandoo.org/Forums posts are slightly different. The engine used by the Chandoo.org/Forums uses a limited subset of the HTML Codes.
Chandoo does give us a small clue at the bottom of a new post window in the Chandoo.org/Forums that we can use codes in the comments:
How do I use these codes
When entering your post or response simply put the appropriate code in front of the block of text you want it to apply to and close the code at the end of the block
You type: This is in <Strong> Bold </Strong>.
WordPress Displays: This is in Bold.
So What codes Can I use
The following table highlights some of the more common HTML codes that are available for use in post comments.
Codes that work in both Chandoo.org and Chandoo.org Forums
Codes that will only work in Chandoo.org posts.
The following codes will not work in the Chandoo.org Forums
Animated PIctures
Animation can be added to a picture by including a link to an Animated GIF file.
This is only available in the Chandoo.org posts.
WARNING !
The old saying: “Less is More”, is very applicable here.
Just because you can use lots of Fancy HTML in your post, doesn’t mean you should.
Please limit your artistic expressions or face having your post edited or deleted.
Examples
The example HTML codes used above aren’t available to copy and paste above, as they are actually pictures of the codes.
Had I used the real codes, they wouldn,t display the codes, but would display the text after the codes have been applied.
However all the codes are available in the attached HTML Examples file.
Software and Picture Caches
Image Capture: I use the Snipping Tool that comes free with Windows Vista/Win 07. Goto Start, All Programs, Accessories to find the Snipping Tool.
Image Editing: Chandoo and I both use Paint.net. Paint.NET is a free download available at www.paint.net
I also use CorelDRAW and Corel Photo Paint www.corel.com
Animated Gif: Chandoo and I both use TechSmith’s Camtasia Studio for capturing sequences to animated GIF files.
Image Sharing: I use the free TinyPic web site for the storage of pictures shown on Chandoo.org
Where Can I Learn More About HTML?
This post isn’t meant as a HTML Primer/Reference.
There are many other HTML codes that area available to do lots of other formatting, like Marquees, Scroll Boxes and Multi Column layouts.
If you want to learn more about HTML codes have a look at the following links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTML
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Html_codes
There are lots of examples of HTML codes available on the web:
http://www.quackit.com/html/codes/
http://www.w3schools.com/html/html_examples.asp





















21 Responses to “Distinct count in Excel pivot tables”
The distinct count option works well but I have found that if I have a date field and want to group by year, month, etc. that option seems to be disabled. I need to do both, distinct count and group by year/month.
Example data; sales orders with item quantities with dates.
Challenge; sum the item quantities, count the distinct orders and group by month. How do I do this?
Perhaps that's not possible due to the grouping?
@Al... When you use data model based pivots, you cannot group values manually anymore. Why not use Excel 2016's default date grouping option? In this case we have just a few dates, so Excel is not grouping them, but if you have an year's worth of data, when you make the pivot with date in the row label area, Excel automatically groups them. If you have fewer dates or want to use your own grouping, just create a table with all dates, add columns with month, week, year etc. Then connect this table (these types of tables are usually called as calendar tables) to your data on date field as a relationship. Now you can create reports by month, quarter etc easily.
Is this the only way to do it in 2013? I find it rather cumbersome to have to create another data table listing dates with the another column for MONTH() and YEAR() to be able to summarise data for senior level...
I know people find adding calendar tables cumbersome, but it is a best practice and let's you add more layers of analysis quite easily. For example, adding analysis by weekday vs. weekend or by financial quarter or YTD calculations (you would need either Power Pivot DAX or some very carefully setup pivot table value field settings)
I had absolutely no idea this was possible. Very useful, nice work!
Doesn't work for 2010 version though (or at least not my works version)
Hi ,
The post has the following in it :
These instructions work only in Excel 2016, Office 365 and Excel 2013.
when i have 2 different Pivot tables, one without the enabled “Add this data to data model” option, and the other one with it enabled.. is there anyway i can link slicers between them?
if the answer is NO,, what to do ?
Quick note, the “Add this data to data model” option is not available for the Mac version.
perhaps outside scope of this article but I have found when I attempt to create a pivot table from an external data source (connection to a sql view) the "Add this data to data model" becomes greyed out. Anybody experienced and found a solution so I can start getting distinct count in my pivot tables?
Is there a way to still add a calculated field when using distinct count?
I found I can't change the date source after tick the " add this data to the data model", can you help to adv how to change the date source in such case?
Is there a way to update the source once you have added to the data model? I receive a new spreadsheet weekly and would like to update the connection so my tables pull from the new source.
Hi Crhis, I like how you have hulk (superhero) as your avatar. Do you know that there is a superhero in Excel too? It's Power Query. You can use it to solve your problem in a simple click. Here an intro if you need some guidance.
Powerful Introduction to Power Query
A big Thank you. It worked.
Hi, have survey data that I need to analyze but the challenge is that my key fields are showing horizontally. I tried to transpose the fields using Power Query, but unfortunately the new fields are returning same values on a pivot table despite using distinct values
How I can a do a pivot table with discount conts in some columns and then generate shor report filter pages. pls it drives crazy
Hi. Why grand total pivot of distinct count is 13? shouldn't it be 67?
Great Answer! Saved me lots of time!
Thank you!!!
Worked awesome! Thanks!!
Hi Chandoo,
I am using pivot tables for distinct count and now I need to update them with new set of data. But when I update the source data, all the columns and formatting of Pivot table disappears and I need to build it from Scratch.
Is there a possibility that I can update the source data with new rows added and also retain my pivot tables?