GETPIVOTDATA Function (Gnumeric)
Use Gnumeric GETPIVOTDATA for its limited range-first field lookup, with bottom-row controls, errors and pivot-compatibility cautions.
Verification status: See the evidence and test scope described in this guide. How formula examples are checked
Gnumeric’s GETPIVOTDATA has a narrow, incomplete implementation that must not be confused with Excel’s data-field-first, filter-pair interface. The inspected function takes a range first and a field name second. It finds the field’s column and returns a numeric value from the range’s bottom row. A successful result does not demonstrate that a full pivot-table query engine selected or aggregated records.
Exact syntax and implementation scope
=GETPIVOTDATA(pivot_table,field_name)
Both arguments are required. pivot_table is a cell range and field_name is a text field label. The inspected registration marks the implementation incomplete, and its source contains an explicit unfinished-work comment. No extra field/item filter pairs are registered. Do not paste a multi-argument formula from a different spreadsheet and assume compatibility.
The worked case uses a same-sheet rectangular range with headers on its first row and a deliberately prepared numeric total on its last row. This synthetic range is enough to expose the callback’s behavior; it is not evidence of actual pivot metadata, automatic grouping or automatic summation.
Reproducible same-sheet table
Enter these cells:
- A1: Region; B1: Sales
- A2: North; B2: 10
- A3: South; B3: 20
- A4: Total; B4: 30
Then enter:
=GETPIVOTDATA(A1:B4,"Sales")
=GETPIVOTDATA(A1:B3,"Sales")
=GETPIVOTDATA(A1:B4,"Missing")
The source-derived expected results are 30, 20 and #REF!. The first result equals the total because you supplied 30 in the bottom row. The second result is 20, not 30, because shortening the range makes the South row its last row. This contrast is crucial: the function does not sum 10 and 20 to generate a total in this implementation.
An independent arithmetic check is simply 10+20=30 for the prepared total. That explains the dataset, but it is not the function’s algorithm. The second control deliberately distinguishes bottom-row retrieval from aggregation.
Advanced use and range maintenance
If you use this limited interface to retrieve an existing report total, ensure the selected range always ends at the intended total row. Inserting a note, subtotal or extra record at the bottom can change the returned value even when the field label stays unchanged. A numeric result alone does not prove the correct summary was selected.
Keep field labels stable and visibly distinguish source records from totals. If your real requirement is to aggregate records under criteria, use a separately verified aggregation method rather than relying on this callback’s name. For an imported workbook, inspect formulas and recalculate a small controlled example before trusting cached results.
Errors and cross-sheet limitation
The function returns #REF! when it cannot find the field column or when the selected bottom cell is empty or nonnumeric. A text note at the bottom of a numeric column is therefore not equivalent to a zero total. The missing-field control above tests one of these failure paths; other error cases remain source-derived.
The callback fetches the bottom cell from the formula’s current sheet. Cross-sheet range behavior is therefore not certified here and may not follow a reader’s expectation of a range-aware pivot lookup. Keep the control on one sheet, and do not generalize it to external workbooks or multi-sheet references.
Compatibility and history
GETPIVOTDATA is actually registered in Gnumeric’s database-function module; failure to locate it in the lookup module would not establish absence. The exact two-argument contract and incomplete status are verified in official 1.12.57 source. Original introduction and the last functioning release are not established. This guide documents a limited supported callback, not parity with another product’s pivot-table features.
Verification scope and sources
On October 17, 2026, isolated Gnumeric ssconvert 1.12.57 runs recalculated the literal controls, returning 30; 20; #REF!. Each case used its own workbook and output cell F1; the instructional cell layouts are not separate GUI tests. Exact input and output files were retained. Other boundaries are source-derived unless expressly tested. Official 1.12.57 source was retrieved October 17, 2026. Original introduction and last functioning release are not established; no GUI screenshot or execution of another release is claimed. The stated input domain and test scope should travel with any compatibility comparison.