formatting pivot table report (borders automatically showing)...

Hi!

If I use the Autoformat option and select "None," this gets me what I want -
so that I have no borders displaying and I can format everything on my own.

Just one major problem with that - using the Autoformat option (even with
"None" selected - the column widths automatically widen and screw up my
format.

Then, then when you turn off the Autoformat option - one would think you
would be all set, but now you run into the problem of the pivot table
automatically putting borders into the report upon a refresh or filtering the
report. I cannot even possibly fathom Microsoft's reasoning behind doing
this. Even if I never get this solved - I would love for someone to provide
some kind of explanation ;o)

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Rick

The following will preserve your column widths:

In an used part of the worksheet, type a letter in a cell, and type a
number in the cell below.
Select either cell, and choose Format>AutoFormat
Click the Options button, and remove the check mark from Width/Height
Select the None AutoFormat (last in the list), and click OK
Select a cell in the pivot table, and press the F4 key, to repeat the
formatting (or choose Edit>Repeat AutoFormat)

You can clear the number and letter table created in step 1.

Perplexed wrote:
> Hi!
>
> If I use the Autoformat option and select "None," this gets me what I want -
> so that I have no borders displaying and I can format everything on my own.
>
> Just one major problem with that - using the Autoformat option (even with
> "None" selected - the column widths automatically widen and screw up my
> format.
>
> Then, then when you turn off the Autoformat option - one would think you
> would be all set, but now you run into the problem of the pivot table
> automatically putting borders into the report upon a refresh or filtering the
> report. I cannot even possibly fathom Microsoft's reasoning behind doing
> this. Even if I never get this solved - I would love for someone to provide
> some kind of explanation ;o)
>
> Any advice would be appreciated.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Rick
>


--
Debra Dalgleish
Contextures
http://www.contextures.com/tiptech.html

Dear Debra!

You Rock!!! :o) I spoke with several people about this issue and no one had
any idea how to get around it. Also, in my research I found screenshots of
the Autoformat dialog box that included the options button, and I was
wondering why on earth that button was no longer available. Little did I know
that it was a separate dialog box outside of the pivot table, and even if I
had known - I would not have thought of the approach that you came up with.

That solution is way out of the box thinking, and I VERY MUCH appreciate
that!! I cannot thank you enough for your time and sharing your expertise :o)

Rick


"Debra Dalgleish" wrote:

> The following will preserve your column widths:
>
> In an used part of the worksheet, type a letter in a cell, and type a
> number in the cell below.
> Select either cell, and choose Format>AutoFormat
> Click the Options button, and remove the check mark from Width/Height
> Select the None AutoFormat (last in the list), and click OK
> Select a cell in the pivot table, and press the F4 key, to repeat the
> formatting (or choose Edit>Repeat AutoFormat)
>
> You can clear the number and letter table created in step 1.
>
> Perplexed wrote:
> > Hi!
> >
> > If I use the Autoformat option and select "None," this gets me what I want -
> > so that I have no borders displaying and I can format everything on my own.
> >
> > Just one major problem with that - using the Autoformat option (even with
> > "None" selected - the column widths automatically widen and screw up my
> > format.
> >
> > Then, then when you turn off the Autoformat option - one would think you
> > would be all set, but now you run into the problem of the pivot table
> > automatically putting borders into the report upon a refresh or filtering the
> > report. I cannot even possibly fathom Microsoft's reasoning behind doing
> > this. Even if I never get this solved - I would love for someone to provide
> > some kind of explanation ;o)
> >
> > Any advice would be appreciated.
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > Rick
> >
>
>
> --
> Debra Dalgleish
> Contextures
> http://www.contextures.com/tiptech.html
>
>

Hi Rick,

You're welcome! It's certainly not a documented feature, but one that I
found while experimenting with AutoFormat. Probably I was trying to
figure out why that Options button wasn't available while formatting a
pivot table.

Debra

Perplexed wrote:
> Dear Debra!
>
> You Rock!!! :o) I spoke with several people about this issue and no one had
> any idea how to get around it. Also, in my research I found screenshots of
> the Autoformat dialog box that included the options button, and I was
> wondering why on earth that button was no longer available. Little did I know
> that it was a separate dialog box outside of the pivot table, and even if I
> had known - I would not have thought of the approach that you came up with.
>
> That solution is way out of the box thinking, and I VERY MUCH appreciate
> that!! I cannot thank you enough for your time and sharing your expertise :o)
>
> Rick
>
>
> "Debra Dalgleish" wrote:
>
>
>>The following will preserve your column widths:
>>
>>In an used part of the worksheet, type a letter in a cell, and type a
>>number in the cell below.
>>Select either cell, and choose Format>AutoFormat
>>Click the Options button, and remove the check mark from Width/Height
>>Select the None AutoFormat (last in the list), and click OK
>>Select a cell in the pivot table, and press the F4 key, to repeat the
>>formatting (or choose Edit>Repeat AutoFormat)
>>
>>You can clear the number and letter table created in step 1.
>>
>>Perplexed wrote:
>>
>>>Hi!
>>>
>>>If I use the Autoformat option and select "None," this gets me what I want -
>>>so that I have no borders displaying and I can format everything on my own.
>>>
>>>Just one major problem with that - using the Autoformat option (even with
>>>"None" selected - the column widths automatically widen and screw up my
>>>format.
>>>
>>>Then, then when you turn off the Autoformat option - one would think you
>>>would be all set, but now you run into the problem of the pivot table
>>>automatically putting borders into the report upon a refresh or filtering the
>>>report. I cannot even possibly fathom Microsoft's reasoning behind doing
>>>this. Even if I never get this solved - I would love for someone to provide
>>>some kind of explanation ;o)
>>>
>>>Any advice would be appreciated.
>>>
>>>Thanks,
>>>
>>>Rick
>>>
>>
>>
>>--
>>Debra Dalgleish
>>Contextures
>>http://www.contextures.com/tiptech.html
>>
>>
>


--
Debra Dalgleish
Contextures
http://www.contextures.com/tiptech.html

if you want to format the pivot table and keep it from reformating when you refresh,it is pretty simple once you know its there.

Right click on the pivot table
Got to Pivot Table Options
Uncheck
Autofit Column Widths on update
AND
Preserve Cell Formatting on update

this should shut down excels default re-formatting