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Mac Forum / Applications / Mac Applications / June 2008Numbers -- hal-l-l-p-p-p!
OS 10.4.9, iWork '08, iBook G4 Today's my birthday and I'm old, so be nice. "-) (You guys have always been nice; I'm just kidding.) Trying to put more distance between myself and Mr. Gates, I made my husband buy iWork '08 for me. I'm having trouble with a spreadsheet. First thing I did was drag an Excel spreadsheet to the Numbers icon in my toolbar. First column is a number and my formula is such that each row is numbered consecutively; e.g., (=A12+1) will let that row be numbered one higher than the one above it. Second column is a date. This is where my problem is. I want to select contiguous cells in the Date column and fill down so that all selected cells bear the same date, and did what the Help file instructed (and which is the same way I would Fill Down in Excel): "To paste the content and fill of a cell into one or more cells in the same row or column, select two or more adjacent cells. Choose Insert > Fill Right to assign selected cells the value that resides in the leftmost selected cell(s). Choose Insert > Fill Down to assign selected cells the value that resides in the topmost selected cell(s). Any data, cell format, formula, or fill associated with the selected cell is pasted, but comments aren¹t pasted. If any target cell contains data, autofilling overwrites that data with the value you¹re repeating." It doesn't work. Instead of the cells bearing the same date, each one is one date after the previous row's. I.e., Cell B12 says 6/25/08. Cell B13 says 6/26/08; B14 says 6/27/08, etc. BTW, I get the same thing if I start a spreadsheet from scratch. Is it me? What am I doing wrong? Thank you; I appreciate your consideration. -Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ Me and Carly Simon: Celebrating 63 years of wonderfulness, 6/25/2008. She got James Taylor; I got the Prof. > It doesn't work. Instead of the cells bearing the same date, each one > is one date after the previous row's. I.e., Cell B12 says 6/25/08. > Cell B13 says 6/26/08; B14 says 6/27/08, etc. it's a normal behavior. Like in Excel I think, the "fill down" command tries to please you incrementing the date. To duplicate n times the *same* date value, just select the cell with the original date, copy it, then select the n target cells all at a time (click & drag), then paste: then you get the same value for all cells. H.  SignatureFrédérique & Hervé Sainct, h.sainct@laposte.net [fr,es,en,it] Frédérique's initial is missing in front of the above address l'initiale de Frédérique manque devant l'adresse email ci-dessus > > It doesn't work. Instead of the cells bearing the same date, each one > > is one date after the previous row's. I.e., Cell B12 says 6/25/08. > > Cell B13 says 6/26/08; B14 says 6/27/08, etc. > > it's a normal behavior. Like in Excel I think, the "fill down" command > tries to please you incrementing the date. Not true. The only time there's an incremental increase is if there is a formula with same. > To duplicate n times the *same* date value, just select the cell with > the original date, copy it, then select the n target cells all at a time > (click & drag), then paste: then you get the same value for all cells. > > H. Understood, but I believe I should be able to select the date in one cell, drag down through the target cells, do Insert-->Fill Down, and have the same date (value) in all the cells. Signature-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ Huffy and Bubbles Do France: http://www.jamlady.eboard.com > Second column is a date. This is where my problem is. I want to > select contiguous cells in the Date column and fill down so that all > selected cells bear the same date [snip] > It doesn't work. Instead of the cells bearing the same date, each > one is one date after the previous row's. I.e., Cell B12 says > 6/25/08. Cell B13 says 6/26/08; B14 says 6/27/08, etc. That's what happens in any spreadsheet program when cell B12 contains a date formula "=B11+1". In that formula, "B11" is a relative cell reference, and will be adjusted relative to the cell it's in when it's copied to other cells: cell B13 gets the formula "=B12+1", cell B14 gets "=B13+1", etc. So each cell is one day after the cell above it. There are three ways around this: 1) Change cell B12 from a formula to a specific date, e.g. "6/5/08" instead of "=B11+1". Then do a Fill Down from there. 2) Change the formula in B13 to "=B12", so it gets the same date that's in B12. Then do a Fill Down starting with cell B13. 3) Change the formula in cell B12 to "=$B$11+1", then do a Fill Down from there. $B$11 is an absolute cell reference, so it's not adjusted when the formula is copied. In article <wayne.morris-240316.15491225062008@shawnews.wp.shawcable.net>, > > Second column is a date. This is where my problem is. I want to > > select contiguous cells in the Date column and fill down so that all [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > from there. $B$11 is an absolute cell reference, so it's not adjusted > when the formula is copied. This is going back to Lotus 1-2-3, but I thought also a $ sign somewhere near or bracketing the date would do the same thing - freeze it so it does not increase? H. In article <wayne.morris-240316.15491225062008@shawnews.wp.shawcable.net>, > > Second column is a date. This is where my problem is. I want to > > select contiguous cells in the Date column and fill down so that all [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > copied to other cells: cell B13 gets the formula "=B12+1", cell B14 > gets "=B13+1", etc. So each cell is one day after the cell above it. Understood, except that there is no date formula entered, only the date. No formula. The formula is in the A column, not the B. > There are three ways around this: > > 1) Change cell B12 from a formula to a specific date, e.g. "6/5/08" > instead of "=B11+1". Then do a Fill Down from there. That's what I've got: A specific date without a formula. And the date increases by one in each row below it, same column. > 2) Change the formula in B13 to "=B12", so it gets the same date that's > in B12. Then do a Fill Down starting with cell B13. That doesn't accomplish what I want to do. This is my log book *of sorts*. It's a spreadsheet wherein I record the production of my canning activity. Column A is a Batch number (and there IS a formula in Column A; e.g., if A1=1, A2=(A1+1), and the rest of the rows follow suit. Column B is the date. No formula in Column B. On some days I do more than one thing, hence, I may have four different batches of stuff all made on the same date. I may have two batches. I may have one. I may have five. That's where I want the Fill Down. I want to (and could in Excel) select the date, drag down however many rows I need to, do a Fill Down and proceed with Column C and enter the names of the products I've made. > 3) Change the formula in cell B12 to "=$B$11+1", then do a Fill Down > from there. $B$11 is an absolute cell reference, so it's not adjusted > when the formula is copied. That's putzier than this warrants, I think. :-( Signature-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ Huffy and Bubbles Do France: http://www.jamlady.eboard.com > OS 10.4.9, iWork '08, iBook G4 > [quoted text clipped - 36 lines] > Me and Carly Simon: Celebrating 63 years of wonderfulness, 6/25/2008. > She got James Taylor; I got the Prof. The instructions are correct. If you enter the same date twice, in adjacent cells in the same row or column, then highlight BOTH, then grab the Autofill handle and drag, the date will be replicated. If you enter a date, then grab the Autofill handle and drag across or down, the date will automatically be incremented. Cell addresses are not relevant to this problem. > > OS 10.4.9, iWork '08, iBook G4 > > [quoted text clipped - 39 lines] > cells in the same row or column, then highlight BOTH, then grab the > Autofill handle and drag, the date will be replicated. OK. I did this: Let's say I have three cells, B11, B12, B13. B11 and B12 contain the date, 06/24/08; B13 contains the date 06/25/08. If I select B11 and B12 and drag down, say, four rows, B11 and B12 remain 06/24/08, and B13 and the rest of the selected cells now say 06/24/08. > If you enter a date, then grab the Autofill handle and drag across or down, > the date will automatically be incremented. Why? There is no formula in the B column stating that the value should be x+1 where x is the date in the B column one row above. And as I understand the instructions in the Help file, I should be able to select adjacent cells, only one of which contains data, and do Insert --> Fill Down "to assign selected cells the value that resides in the topmost selected cell(s)." That's not what happens. I understand the plural "cell(s)" to indicate the possibility that adjacent cells in the same row may have been selected and dragged down. (And I tried that for the helluva it and the contents of the Date Column B increased by one while the contents of Column C remained the same.) The Cell Format in the Inspector shows Date and Time checked for Column B; the contents of the other cells are checked Automatic. > Cell addresses are not relevant to this problem. Signature-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ Huffy and Bubbles Do France: http://www.jamlady.eboard.com > OK. I did this: Let's say I have three cells, B11, B12, B13. B11 and > B12 contain the date, 06/24/08; B13 contains the date 06/25/08. If I > select B11 and B12 and drag down, say, four rows, B11 and B12 remain > 06/24/08, and B13 and the rest of the selected cells now say 06/24/08. Whereas if you had, in a single action, defined a selection that started with B11 and B12 (both having the same date) and continuing on for an arbitrary additional number of cells, then chosen the Fill Down command from the menu, B12 would be changed to have the date after B11, with each additional cell incremented further. > And as I understand the instructions in the Help file, I should be able > to select adjacent cells, only one of which contains data, and do Insert [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > the helluva it and the contents of the Date Column B increased by one > while the contents of Column C remained the same.) It's a little weird. With dates and *single* letters, selecting a single cell and then doing a "drag-fill" will increment. With any other type of data, it will just repeat the original data. Apparently Apple is making a guess about what the user is most likely to want to happen. Numbers is a 1.0.x product, with the 3rd place in Apple's habit really only implying bug fixes. It's the most recent addition to the iWork suite and has a *lot* of room for improvement. I've noted multiple times here my dissatisfaction with its performance when large numbers of formulas are present, for example. My advice is to use the "Provide Numbers Feedback" command in the application menu to make sure Apple is actually aware of your needs and concerns. Then cross your fingers. Signature"Harry?" Ron's voice was a mere whisper. "Do you smell something ... burning?" - Harry Potter and the Odor of the Phoenix > > OK. I did this: Let's say I have three cells, B11, B12, B13. B11 and > > B12 contain the date, 06/24/08; B13 contains the date 06/25/08. If I [quoted text clipped - 30 lines] > application menu to make sure Apple is actually aware of your needs and > concerns. Then cross your fingers. Thanks for your patience, comments, and suggestion about feedback, Greg. I'll do it. Signature-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ Food pics on alt.binaries.food >>> OS 10.4.9, iWork '08, iBook G4 >>> [quoted text clipped - 48 lines] > > Why? XL makes some assumptions here, and I can see how, to a beginner, it is confusing. If the original cell contains a date, day of the week or month, XL assumes you want a string of consecutive dates, days or months (There may be others I'm forgetting, and you can create you own. Just look under Excel, Preferences, Custom Lists). Actually and text string ending in a number will do this too. That's just a default assumption the developers made. You can override this feature by holding down the Option key on a Mac (Cntrl key on a Windoze machine). You can also fill down automatically if an adjacent column has values in it by double clicking on the Autofill handle. It will do the standard Autofill down to match the adjacent column, so if the adjacent column has continuous data down to row 28,432, the column you autofilled will fill down to row 28,432. Very handy on large spreadsheets. > There is no formula in the B column stating that the value should be x+1 > where x is the date in the B column one row above. Doesn't need a formula for this to work, just built in that way. > And as I understand the instructions in the Help file, I should be able > to select adjacent cells, only one of which contains data, and do Insert [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > The Cell Format in the Inspector shows Date and Time checked for Column > B; the contents of the other cells are checked Automatic. You can autofill multiple rows or columns. Each row or column will follow the standard method as I have described above. So if you Autofill a series of columns, in which the first column is a date and the next is plain text (does not end with a number), the first column will increment the dates automatically. The text column will just be duplicated. Hope this helps in your world. > OS 10.4.9, iWork '08, iBook G4 > [quoted text clipped - 34 lines] > > -Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ Thanks to all for your input and consideration. I was discussing my frustration with my husband and we looked at the way they both do a Fill Down where the data is a date. He uses Windows but it's the same for the Mac version. In Excel, if you click a single cell and then grab the little handle in the lower right corner and drag it down to wherever, the cells fill and the date increases incrementally. If you, in one motion, click the cell and drag down, you have to manually do the Fill Down (ctrl+D) and it copies the selected cell as is, no incremental increases. The same is true if the contiguous cells are selected with shift+click. I've never experienced the incremental increase in Excel because I have NEVER selected my target cells by dragging the handlewhen I learned to do the Fill Down, I learned to click and drag, or click and shift-click to select cells and do the fill down from the Edit menu. In Numbers, the Fill Down for dates is incremental regardless of which selection or fill method is used. Seems hinky to me, but as someone said, that's just how it's built. I'm grateful to know that and that it's not me doing something wrong. Still learning stuff not a bad thing, eh? Thanks again. Signature-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ Food pics on alt.binaries.food |
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