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Excel to PowerPoint AI: Choose the Right Workflow for Your Data

This guide compares six routes from a spreadsheet to slides by what each accepts, returns and lets you update, then adds a data brief template, a fictional worked example with a slide-by-slide briefing, chart and linking tables, an acceptance checklist, three AI prompts and a NOXI workflow.

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Excel to PowerPoint AI tools compared — NOXI guide cover: monthly spreadsheet figures turning into a briefing deck with clearly labelled charts

Disclosure: NOXI publishes this guide and is one of the tools it discusses; the data brief, worked example and checks work in any presentation software.

Quick answer: Choose an Excel-to-PowerPoint AI tool by what must survive the trip from workbook to audience. To work inside an open workbook and deck, use Claude for Microsoft 365; to analyze uploaded multi-tab files with steps you can inspect, Julius; to turn an Excel, ODS or CSV file into a finished, designed deck in your own template, NOXI; for charts that must stay linked to the workbook, PowerPoint's own linking. Whichever you pick, write a data brief first and check every headline number against the source.

A spreadsheet can contain the correct numbers and still produce a misleading presentation. Gross sales become "revenue." A percentage is averaged across unequal groups. A chart looks editable until someone asks to change its underlying values. The finished deck has convincing headings, but nobody can identify the cells behind them.

So the useful question is not "Which tool makes the nicest slides?" but "What needs to survive the journey from workbook to audience?" A one-off briefing needs verified findings and clear visuals. A monthly operations review may need charts that can be refreshed. A finance team may need the original workbook, formulas and company template to stay part of the workflow. These are different jobs, even when the final file extension is the same.

This guide compares the documented routes as of 6 October 2026, from Claude for Microsoft 365, Julius, Gamma, Copilot and NOXI to PowerPoint's own Excel linking, then works through a fictional spreadsheet from data brief to finished briefing.

In short

  • Decide firstName the deliverable: analysis, narrative, chart image, native chart or linked object.
  • Open filesClaude for Microsoft 365 works inside Excel and PowerPoint on paid Claude plans.
  • Uploaded dataJulius analyzes multi-tab uploads; Gamma takes CSV or Google Sheets; NOXI takes XLS, XLSX, ODS, CSV and TSV.
  • Linked chartsPowerPoint's own linking refreshes from the workbook with Update Link.
  • AccuracyA data brief with definitions, units and control totals prevents most errors.
  • HandoverOpen the export where the recipient will and try the next owner's edit.

What this comparison measures

Competitor entries come from public documentation checked on 6 October 2026: desk research, not a hands-on benchmark, with no invented accuracy scores or timings. NOXI's entry describes our own product on that date. The criteria are the input accepted, the calculation work you can review, the output, how future changes are handled and the account conditions.

First, define the output you actually need

"Editable PowerPoint" describes a file, not every object inside it. Before selecting a tool, separate five possible deliverables.

DeliverableWhat it isCan the values change later?Good for
AnalysisCalculations and findings, useful before any slides existYes, in the workbook or analysis toolDeciding what is true
Slide narrativeThe findings that matter to this audience and what they implyRewritten, not recalculatedEvery briefing
Chart imageA picture that preserves the chart's appearanceNo; the image is replacedA fixed snapshot for outside readers
Native chartA PowerPoint chart that stores its data and formattingYes, with Edit Data in PowerPointDecks a colleague will edit
Linked objectA range, worksheet or chart that refers to an external workbookYes, refreshed while the source is reachableRecurring internal reports

The distinctions matter when someone asks, "Please update this deck for next month." Editing a title is easy, replacing twelve chart images is more work, refreshing a working Excel link is a different operation, and recalculating a derived metric means going back to its definition and source.

An AI agent working across open applications can carry analysis context from workbook to deck, but shared context is not a guarantee that every exported object keeps a portable link. Write your required deliverable in one sentence, for example: "I need a PowerPoint briefing with reviewed calculations and charts that our analyst can update next month." That sentence eliminates unsuitable tools faster than a feature list.

Excel to PowerPoint AI tools compared by starting point

Starting pointRouteDocumented as of 6 October 2026Check first, or best when
An open Excel workbook and an existing deckClaude for Microsoft 365Works inside Excel and PowerPoint; shared context across open files; native charts and diagramsPaid Claude plan; review analysis and edits in the actual files
Uploaded Excel or CSV files with several worksheetsJuliusXLSX, XLS and CSV uploads; multi-tab analysis you can inspect; editable presentation exportExport entitlement on your plan; whether charts arrive native or linked
CSV data or a Google Sheet for a Gamma presentationGamma AgentCSV upload, or a workbook read from Google Sheets via the Drive connector; PPTX exportSome imported charts arrive as static images
A Microsoft 365 workflow with CopilotCopilotPowerPoint creation guidance, including Word documents and organization templatesWhether your interface accepts workbook references; account settings
A spreadsheet to turn into a finished, designed briefingNOXIXLS, XLSX, ODS, CSV and TSV up to 200 MB per file; a structured deck with charts in 12 types; numbers editable in NOXI; editable PPTX and PDFBest when you want story, charts and design in one pass, in your own template
Recurring charts that must stay linked to the workbookPowerPoint's own Excel linkingLinked objects refreshed with Update Link; native charts edited with Edit DataSource access and link maintenance

These are fit-based choices, not a ranking; recheck documentation and account conditions before a team standardizes a workflow.

Claude for Microsoft 365: work where the workbook and deck already live

Claude's Microsoft 365 product page documents work inside Excel and PowerPoint, including selected slide edits and native charts and diagrams. Its 7 May 2026 announcement describes shared conversation context across open files. Excel, PowerPoint and Word are generally available on paid Claude plans; Outlook remains in beta (both checked 6 October 2026).

Consider it when leaving the existing files would create more work: the model contains formulas, the deck follows a company template and reviewers want to inspect changes in familiar applications. Ask for the analysis before the story (the metric definition, the worksheet ranges and a reconciliation to an agreed control total), then approve the claims that can go into the deck. Human review still decides: a correctly referenced cell can hold an incorrect business assumption, and context continuity is a convenience, not evidence that a conclusion is true.

Julius: start with uploaded data and inspect the analytical work

Julius's Excel-to-PowerPoint page documents XLSX, XLS and CSV uploads, analysis across multiple tabs, chart creation and editable presentation export, and explains that users can inspect the analysis and confirm figures before sharing (checked 6 October 2026).

It suits tasks that begin with data files rather than a presentation. Specify the tab names, period, units and the audience's question, and ask it to show how it calculated each headline figure.

Two points need care. "Editable presentation" on its own doesn't tell you whether every chart is a native PowerPoint chart or remains linked to the workbook, so check both explicitly. And Julius offers a free daily credit allowance, but its public pricing highlights exports under paid-plan benefits; confirm your account can export the format you need before building a workflow around a free trial.

Gamma Agent: use its supported data route

Gamma's import guide (updated and checked 6 October 2026) says Excel files can't be imported directly. It offers two workarounds: upload a CSV to Gamma Agent, or put the workbook in Google Sheets and use the Google Drive connector. Some imported charts arrive as static images; to edit one, the guide says to recreate it with Gamma's chart block.

That fits a presentation built from a clean summary table more than a complex workbook whose sheets and formulas you expect to keep intact. A CSV normally holds one table, without formulas, formatting or worksheet relationships, so prepare it deliberately and keep the original workbook as the analysis record.

Gamma documents PPTX export in its export guide, but export alone doesn't settle whether a visual carries native chart data or a connection to your spreadsheet. Confirm the output object before using it for recurring reports.

Copilot: identify the interface before making an Excel-to-deck promise

"Copilot" can mean assistance inside Excel, a PowerPoint creation interface or an agent in Microsoft's chat experience, and a capability described for one surface should not be assigned to another. Microsoft's PowerPoint creation guide describes Agent Mode and says support for referencing files in that mode is coming soon. It includes guidance on Word documents and organization templates, and names account and organization settings as availability factors (checked 6 October 2026).

Test the specific sequence in the interface your team will use: can the tool in this account analyze this workbook, supply reviewable findings and create or edit this presentation? Do not buy or promise a workflow on a listicle's broad "Excel-to-PowerPoint sync" label. An approved summary prepared in Excel stays valuable input either way.

NOXI: from a spreadsheet to a designed briefing deck

NOXI starts where the deliverable is a presentation. Its Create from file option accepts Excel workbooks (XLS, XLSX and ODS) and CSV or TSV exports, alongside PDF, Word, PowerPoint, text and images, up to 200 MB per file with a free account. NOXI reads the data and builds a structured deck with charts in twelve types: bar, stacked bar, horizontal bar, line, step line, area, stacked area, pie, funnel, scatter, combo and waterfall. When you upload files, NOXI works from your files.

Three features matter most for data decks. Match reference takes your company's PowerPoint template, any PDF or PPTX, or a screenshot, and builds the deck in that style; see our guide to AI presentations in your own template. Plan mode shows the outline before any slide is generated, the cheapest moment to catch a wrong metric name. The chart data editor lets you check and correct every number; text and tables are edited on the slide or through the AI in plain English or Arabic. The deck downloads as an editable PowerPoint (.pptx) with real text boxes and embedded fonts, and as a PDF, free and with no watermark.

Best when the job is a finished briefing from a spreadsheet, in your own template, ready for review. Attach the data brief below alongside the workbook, so every title uses your definitions, units and approved wording. For a chart that finance must keep linked to the workbook and refresh monthly, use PowerPoint's own linking on that slide.

Prepare a data brief before asking for slides

Most avoidable errors start before generation. Whichever tool you use, build a one-page brief that travels with the data: USD, thousands of USD and millions of USD are materially different, and "net revenue" means different things in different businesses. The example column uses the fictional workbook below.

FieldWhat to writeExample
Reporting periodPeriod covered; whether it is closedJuly to September; all months closed
Currency, units, scaleCurrency; units, thousands or millionsUSD, whole dollars; orders as counts
Metric definitionsEach metric in business terms, with its formulaNet revenue = gross sales minus refunds, no other adjustments
Authoritative tabsWhich tabs are the record, which are working sheets"Summary" is the record; "Orders detail" is for reconciliation
Control totalsTotals every figure must reconcile toQuarter net revenue USD370,000; 2,700 orders
Data rulesBlanks, duplicates, cancelled orders, late adjustmentsCancelled orders excluded; refunds counted in the month recorded
Known gapsDiscrepancies and missing data, recorded, not resolved silentlySeptember refunds have no reason codes
Approved claimsFindings that may appear in slide titlesOrders 900 to 1,000; net revenue USD126,000 to USD130,000
Open questionsExplanations not yet supported by evidenceWhy recorded refunds rose in September
Audience and decisionWho sees the deck and what they decideOperations leadership: what to investigate before the next promotion
Chart requirementsWhich charts must be native or linked; which can be snapshotsFixed snapshot for this meeting; the workbook stays the record
DistributionWho receives the file; what data may leave the teamInternal only; no customer-level rows

Separate facts from questions. "September net revenue was USD130,000" is a calculation from defined inputs; "Refunds increased because product quality deteriorated" is a causal explanation that needs more evidence. Name the audience's decision: sales may need to understand a segment slowdown, operations to prioritize a returns investigation, leadership to judge whether growth is profitable. One workbook can support all three, but not with the same deck.

Prepare the spreadsheet itself. Keep one table per tab with a single header row, put units in the column names ("Net revenue (USD)"), label totals rows so they are not counted twice, and review hidden rows, columns and tabs, which travel with the file. For customer, employee or commercial data, follow your organization's approved handling process; our guide to preparing confidential material for an AI presentation tool covers that decision.

A worked example: why "sales are up" is an incomplete story

Example The figures are fictional. A commerce team has a workbook with monthly orders, gross sales and refunds; the brief defines net revenue as gross sales minus refunds, with no other adjustments. The audience is an operations leadership team deciding what to investigate before the next promotional campaign.
Closed monthOrdersGross salesRefundsNet revenue
July800USD120,000USD6,000USD114,000
August900USD132,000USD6,000USD126,000
September1,000USD150,000USD20,000USD130,000
Quarter2,700USD402,000USD32,000USD370,000

Step 1: reconcile the basic calculation

Confirm the monthly subtraction and quarter totals against the workbook: net revenue is USD370,000 for the three months. Ask for the calculation behind each proposed claim and check the few numbers that drive the decision yourself. A first AI headline might read "September revenue grew 13.6%." That is gross sales against August; net revenue grew about 3.2%. Neither number should inherit an ambiguous "revenue" label: more orders and higher gross sales are real progress, but not equivalent net revenue growth.

Step 2: use the correct denominator

MonthNet revenue per orderGross sales per orderRefunds as a share of gross sales
JulyUSD142.50USD150.005.0%
AugustUSD140.00about USD146.67about 4.5%
SeptemberUSD130.00USD150.00about 13.3%
Quarter (weighted)about USD137.04about USD148.89about 8.0%

Net revenue per order is about 7.1% lower in September than in August. For the quarter, divide USD370,000 by 2,700 orders: about USD137.04. An unweighted average of the three monthly figures gives USD137.50, which is wrong when the months have different order counts.

The middle column sharpens the story: gross sales per order rose from August to September, while refunds per order rose from about USD6.67 to USD20. The decline comes from refunds, not smaller baskets. Keep refund value separate from returned-order counts, though: USD20,000 of refunds says nothing about how many orders were returned, why, or which order month generated them. Refunds as a share of gross sales is a defined financial ratio; do not relabel it "product return rate."

Step 3: choose three findings that serve the decision

  • Orders rose from 900 to 1,000 between August and September.
  • Net revenue rose only from USD126,000 to USD130,000 over the same period.
  • Recorded refund value increased, so the team should investigate its timing and composition before attributing a cause.

The third statement deliberately stops short of a cause. The workbook may contain refunds for earlier purchases, a one-off settlement or a change in recording practice; those belong in the investigation, not in a confident slide title.

Step 4: turn findings into a short briefing

Start with the decision, show orders and net revenue in separate, clearly labelled charts, and let a bridge (waterfall) chart explain the gap: August net revenue of USD126,000, plus USD18,000 more gross sales, minus USD14,000 more refunds, equals USD130,000. If verified refund categories exist, break them out; if not, say so and show the investigation questions.

#Slide title (a full-sentence finding)VisualSource
1Confirm the refund drivers before expanding the promotionThe decision and three findingsData brief
2Orders rose 11% in September, from 900 to 1,000Bar chart, orders by monthSummary: Orders
3Net revenue rose 3.2%, from USD126,000 to USD130,000Bar chart, net revenue (USD)Summary: Net revenue
4Higher refunds absorbed USD14,000 of September's USD18,000 gross sales increaseWaterfall, August to SeptemberSummary: Gross sales, Refunds
5Refunds rose to 13.3% of gross sales in September, from 4.5% in AugustBar chart, ratio defined in a footnoteRefunds ÷ gross sales
6Three checks will explain the refund increase before the promotion decisionQuestions, owner, review dateData brief: open questions
AAppendix: monthly figures, definitions and control totalsTableSummary tab

Slide 6 carries the work that closes the gap: reconcile refund dates to original order dates, separate recurring reasons from exceptional adjustments, and assign an owner and review date. The deck explains what the spreadsheet supports and what it cannot yet show, without decorative charts. When the data feeds a quarterly review, the QBR presentation guide gives the meeting structure.

Choose a chart for the comparison, not for variety

What the slide comparesUseAvoid
A trend over consistent periodsLine chart, or bars for a few periodsUneven intervals on an evenly spaced axis
Values across categoriesBar chart; horizontal bars for long labelsA pie with many small slices
How one total became anotherWaterfall (bridge)Stacked bars that hide each step
Parts of a whole over timeStacked bar or stacked areaMore than four or five segments
Two measures that may be relatedScatterDual axes that suggest a link through chosen scales
Exact values or differently scaled metricsTableA chart that makes readers estimate

Every chart in the table is one of NOXI's twelve chart types. Never put order counts and currency on one unlabeled axis: two aligned charts with matching month labels read more easily than one mixed-scale graphic.

The UK Office for National Statistics separates exploratory charts, used to find patterns, from communicative charts, used to explain findings. Its guidance asks you to choose the comparison that shows the main trend, put the main finding in the chart title and show the chart to someone less familiar with the data (checked 6 October 2026). If that colleague reads "refund value" as "percentage of orders returned," fix the label before refining colors. For figures that are forecasts rather than closed months, see how to present forecasts and uncertainty.

Decide how next month's update will work

For a recurring deck, design maintenance at the start: a metric dictionary, a stable source location, a dated snapshot and a record of adjustments, with definitions and comparison periods unchanged unless a change is disclosed. PowerPoint brings Excel material into a slide in several distinct ways. Microsoft's Excel data guide says an unlinked copy receives no automatic updates from the worksheet, and that embedding a large workbook inflates the presentation and may give more access to the file than intended. Its chart data guide and chart-linking page cover charts (all checked 6 October 2026).

How it arrives in PowerPointWhat the recipient getsUpdates when the workbook changes?Watch for
Paste: Use Destination Styles or Keep Source FormattingAn editable PowerPoint tableNo; an unlinked copyRe-paste or retype each period
Paste: PictureAn image of the cellsNoValues cannot be edited
Paste: EmbedA copy of the data in the deck, edited in ExcelNoFile size; more of the workbook than intended
Insert, Object, Create from file, LinkThe worksheet shown on the slideYes, with Update LinkShows the active, top worksheet; the source must stay reachable
Native chart, embedded or linkedA chart whose values open with Edit DataLinked: yes, when refreshed; embedded: edited in the deckPowerPoint for the web links only to charts stored on a cloud service such as OneDrive, or on a website

Choose by recipient: a linked chart suits an internal analyst who can reach the source, a reviewed static snapshot is more predictable for external distribution, and an embedded workbook needs an inspection of the data it carries. For a monthly pack that mixes linked charts and narrative slides, the AI PowerPoint generator guide shows how to split the work.

In NOXI, a recurring deck has two routines. For a correction, change the numbers in the chart data editor; version history keeps the earlier version restorable. For a new period, upload the new export with the same data brief and attach last month's deck as the Match reference, so the new deck follows its style and the definitions stay fixed.

Keep a publication boundary: refreshing a source should not silently change a deck already circulated as the record of a meeting. Save a dated final copy, for example as a PDF, and maintain the working version separately.

A final acceptance check before the deck leaves your desk

  1. Open it where the recipient will.Use the application the recipient will use, not only your own.
  2. Headline figures match the source.Check every number in a title against the workbook and its control totals.
  3. Labels work alone.Read each chart's title, axis and legend without the surrounding explanation; confirm units, periods, denominators and rounding.
  4. The next owner's edit works.Update one value, revise one label or replace one period; that reveals whether you have a native chart, a table, an image or a working link.
  5. Embedded and hidden content is appropriate.Inspect embedded objects so no hidden data reaches the wrong audience.
  6. Movement and explanation are separate.Observed changes read as facts; proposed causes are labelled as open questions, and unresolved gaps stay visible where they affect the decision.

The right Excel-to-PowerPoint workflow preserves those responsibilities while reducing the work of assembling the presentation. A polished deck is useful only when its numbers, meaning and future maintenance are equally clear.

3 AI prompts for turning a spreadsheet into a briefing

Use them in NOXI after attaching your workbook and data brief, or in any AI tool that has your files. Replace the brackets.

Prompt 1 · Deck from the workbook and the data brief

Using only my attached [workbook] and [data brief], build a [six]-slide briefing for [operations leadership], who must decide [what to investigate before the next promotion]. Treat the [Summary] tab as authoritative, reconcile every figure to [USD370,000 net revenue and 2,700 orders] and use the brief's definitions exactly. Write every title as a full-sentence finding with its number, unit and period. Put [orders] and [net revenue] on separate charts. Add no figure, cause or forecast that is not in my files; mark gaps as [TBD]. End with an appendix slide listing each headline figure and the tab it comes from.

Prompt 2 · Your template and the bridge chart

Use the attached [company PowerPoint template] for colors, fonts and layouts. On slide [4], build a waterfall chart from [August net revenue, USD126,000] through [+USD18,000 gross sales] and [−USD14,000 refunds] to [September net revenue, USD130,000], with a title that states what it shows. On slide [5], show [refunds as a share of gross sales] by month as a bar chart, with the definition in a footnote; call it [refund value], never [return rate].

Prompt 3 · Fix one slide, then list its numbers

On slide [3] only: change the title to [Net revenue rose 3.2% in September while gross sales rose 13.6%], label the axis [Net revenue, USD] and replace the [dual-axis] chart with a bar chart of [net revenue] by month. Move [orders] to slide [2]. Change nothing else. Then list every figure on slides [2 and 3] with its unit and period, so I can check them against the workbook.

How to turn a spreadsheet into a briefing deck in NOXI

NOXI builds the deck and its charts from your workbook, in the style of your own template. It is free, with no card and no watermark; uploading files needs a free account.

Step 1: Prepare the workbook and the data brief

Save the workbook (XLS, XLSX or ODS) or a CSV or TSV export with the authoritative tab clearly named, and write the data brief as a Word document or PDF. Check your company's policy before uploading internal data.

Step 2: Match your company template

Choose Match reference and attach your PowerPoint template, last period's deck as PPTX or PDF, or a screenshot of one slide. NOXI builds the new deck in that style: colors, typography, layouts and visual rhythm.

Step 3: Upload the data and review the outline

Attach the workbook and the brief with Prompt 1; Create from file accepts Excel, CSV and TSV files up to 200 MB each. Review the outline first and check that every title states a finding with its unit and period, then generate and watch each slide being built, charts included.

Step 4: Check every number in the chart data editor

Open each chart's data editor, compare the values with the workbook and correct any on the spot. Edit table cells and text directly on the slide, and confirm titles use the brief's metric names.

Step 5: Refine slides with AI

Click a chart or title and tell the AI what to change, or ask for an edit to one slide or the whole deck in plain English or Arabic; Prompt 3 is a model. On desktop, circle the part of a slide you mean and the AI follows your sketch.

Step 6: Review with the analyst, export and keep a dated copy

Invite the analyst by email as an editor to check the figures with you in real time, or share a view-only link; version history restores an earlier version. Download an editable PowerPoint (.pptx) with real text boxes and embedded fonts, plus a PDF as the dated record of what you circulated.

Frequently asked questions

Can AI turn Excel data into a PowerPoint presentation?
Yes. As of 6 October 2026, Claude for Microsoft 365 works inside an open workbook and deck on paid plans, Julius analyzes uploaded Excel or CSV files and exports a presentation, and NOXI builds a designed deck with charts from an uploaded XLS, XLSX, ODS, CSV or TSV file. Whichever you use, give it a data brief and check every headline number against the workbook.
What is the best AI tool for data presentations?
The best tool is the one whose output matches what must survive from workbook to audience. Claude for Microsoft 365 suits work inside existing Microsoft files, Julius suits inspectable analysis of uploaded data, and NOXI suits a finished, designed briefing from a spreadsheet in your own template. For charts that must stay linked to the workbook, use PowerPoint's own linking.
How do I turn a CSV file into a PowerPoint presentation with AI?
Prepare the CSV as one clean table with a single header row and units in the column names, then upload it with a short brief naming the period, definitions and audience. NOXI accepts CSV and TSV files through Create from file; Gamma's Agent accepts CSV uploads. Keep the original workbook as the analysis record.
Will my Excel charts stay editable in PowerPoint?
It depends on how each chart arrives. A native PowerPoint chart stores its data, which you change with Edit Data; a linked chart can be refreshed from its workbook; a picture keeps its appearance only. Test this before handover by changing one value. In NOXI, you check and edit chart numbers in its chart data editor.
How do I keep PowerPoint charts updated from Excel every month?
Link them to the workbook. In PowerPoint, insert the workbook as a linked object through Insert, Object, Create from file and Link, then right-click and choose Update Link when the data changes. Keep the source in a stable location, and save a dated copy of each circulated version so a refresh never rewrites the record of a past meeting.
Can Gamma import Excel files?
Not directly, according to Gamma's import guide checked on 6 October 2026. Its two workarounds are to save the workbook as a CSV and upload it to the Gamma Agent, or to put it in Google Sheets and read it through the Google Drive connector. Some imported charts arrive as static images, which you can rebuild with Gamma's chart block.

Sources

All sources were checked on 6 October 2026; competitor capabilities come from public documentation, NOXI's from our own product. The commerce workbook, its figures and slide titles are fictional; templates, tables and prompts are editorial guidance.

Turn your next spreadsheet into a briefing deck in NOXI, free: upload the Excel or CSV file with your data brief, match your company template, check the numbers in the chart data editor, and export an editable PowerPoint or PDF.

Written by Aidar Akmaev

Founder and designer of NOXI, an AI presentation maker for professional, consulting-grade decks. NOXI is one of the tools mentioned here; see the disclosure at the top.