Switching to Sheets from Microsoft Excel

4. Analyze data in Sheets

Next: 5. Use macros and add-ons

4.1 Add charts

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Excel:
Insert charts

Sheets:
Add a new chart

Assorted charts in 2013 version

Excel 2013

Line, pie, bar, area charts from 2010 version

Excel 2010

  1. In a spreadsheet, highlight the range of data that you want to create a chart for.
  2. Click Insert and then Chart.
  3. (Optional) To customize the chart, click More "" and then Edit chart.

You can also add a Sheets chart to a Slides presentation.

For details about adding charts, see Add and edit a chart or graph.

Pie chart appears atop columns with Data in a Sheets file

4.2 Get automatic charts

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Get summaries and charts of your data with the click of a button in Sheets. It's kind of like having an expert in data analysis sitting next to you.

Sheets: Get automatic charts

  1. In a spreadsheet, select a range of cells, columns, or rows. Otherwise, you'll get insights based on where your cursor is.
  2. At the bottom, click Explore Open Explore.
  3. Choose an option:

Tip: To customize a chart, click More"" and then Edit chart and then Customize.

Explore to see an analysis in a sheet

4.3 Add charts to Docs and Slides

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Excel:
Copy and paste

Sheets:
Copy and paste

Cut, copy, paste, and use the Format Painter in 2010 and 2013 versions

Excel 2013 and 2010

Help people visualize data in a presentation or document by adding charts
from Sheets. If the source data changes, you can update the chart with the
click of a button.

  1. In Sheets, open the spreadsheet and in the chart, click More"" and then Copy chart.
  2. In Docs or Slides, paste the chart.
  3. Choose an option:
    • To update the chart if the source data changes, keep Link to spreadsheet selected. Then, if source data changes, at the top of the chart, click Update.
    • To keep the chart unlinked (not updated), select Paste unlinked.
  4. Click Paste.

Slides with a pie chart on the first slide

4.4 Functions in Sheets and Excel

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Most Excel functions are the same in Sheets. For a list of common functions, see the Sheets Cheat Sheet.

Some unique functions in Sheets:

FILTER Returns a filtered version of the source range, returning only rows or columns that meet specified conditions.
SORTN Returns a specified number of items in a data set after a sort.
SPARKLINE Creates a miniature chart in a single cell.
QUERY Runs a Google Visualization API Query Language query across data.
GOOGLEFINANCE Gets current or historical securities information from Google Finance.
GOOGLETRANSLATE Translates text from one language into another.
IMPORTRANGE Imports a range of cells from a specified spreadsheet.

For a list of all functions in Sheets, see the Google Sheets function list.

Sheet with a sigma or sum symbol

4.5 Add pivot tables

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Excel:
Insert a pivot table

Sheets:
Add a new pivot table

Add a pivot table in 2013 version

Excel 2013 and 2010

  1. Highlight data in your spreadsheet.
  2. Click Data and then Pivot table. A pivot table opens in a new sheet (tab).
  3. In the Pivot table editor, add rows, columns, values, and filters.

For details, see Create & use pivot table.

A pivot table opens in a new tab, with the "Explore" feature nearby

4.6 Get automatic pivot tables

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Excel:
Insert a pivot table

Sheets:
Get automatic pivot tables

Add a pivot table in 2013 version

Excel 2013 and 2010

  1. In your spreadsheet containing the source data, click Explore Open Explore.
  2. Choose an option:
    • Point to a pivot table and click Insert pivot table Add table.
    • Ask a question about your data under Answers. The results can include pivot tables. To add one, point to it and click Insert pivot table Add table.

For details, see Create & use pivot table.

Insert a pivot table into a sheet

Next: 5. Use macros and add-ons

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