Data tables are a way to show the results of one or more formulas by trying many different values in the variables of the formulas at the same time, and showing the different results in a table. An excellent example of a data table application would be for a multiplication table. A multiplication table shows results for the formula =X*Y. However, it shows many different results for the formula, where each result is determined by using different values for X and Y. These results are displayed in a table, where each cell in the table shows the formula's result for specific values of X and Y, which are labeled in the row and column headers, respectively. Therefore, each cell in a row will use the same X value, and each cell in a column will use the same Y value.
The multiplication table is known as a two-variable data table. Two-variable data tables are characterized by having a single formula and values in the row and column headers of the table. The formula is entered into the top-left cell of the data table and usually references at least two cells outside the data table, known as the column-input and row-input cells. When the formula is evaluated for a specific cell in the data table, the reference to the column-input cell in the formula is replaced with the value in the cell's row header (this may seem backwards, but the values in the row headers run down the left column of the data table, which is why they are used for the column-input cell), and the reference to the row-input cell is replaced with the value in the cell's column header.
Another type of data table is the one-variable data table. A one-variable data table can be a column-oriented or a row-oriented data table. A column-oriented data table has data in the cells of the left column and formulas in the cells of the top row (anything in the top-left cell of the data table is ignored in this type of data table). Usually, the formulas in the top row all reference the same cell outside the data table, known as the column-input cell. When a cell in the table is evaluated, the formula in its column header is used, with the reference to the column-input cell replaced by the value in cell's row header.
A row-oriented one-variable data table is formed like a column-oriented data table, except the values run along the top row, the formulas run down the left column, and the cell referenced by all formulas is known as the row-input cell.
Target Platforms: Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Server 2012, Windows 7, Windows Vista SP1 or later, Windows XP SP3, Windows Server 2008 (Server Core not supported), Windows Server 2008 R2 (Server Core supported with SP1 or later), Windows Server 2003 SP2