Pivot, unpivot and transpose

Pivot makes columns

Pivot turns values from one column into new column headers. Use it when categories should become a wider matrix. If several source rows land on the same intersection, choose an aggregation.

Unpivot makes rows

Unpivot folds several columns into Attribute and Value rows, turning a wide table into a longer analytical shape.

Selected columns or Other Columns?

Unpivot Other Columns protects the identifier columns you select and automatically unpivots new measure columns that appear later. Unpivoting only explicitly selected columns does not automatically include future columns.

Transpose is different again: it rotates the whole table so rows become columns and columns become rows.

Exam clue: wider = pivot; longer = unpivot; whole table rotated = transpose.