JoniTilt

Q: can't use forward slash in numbers

I am having a very strange problem in Numbers, after updating my system to El Capitan yesterday. I am trying to do a simple division in numbers but every time I type the forward slash to divide, it puts in a plus sign, so I can't get it to work at all. I've tried it in Excel and it works fine. I have tried using both the forward slash under the question mark, and the one on the numbers keypad. When I copy the formula into numbers from word, in changes the slash to a plus sign again.

 

What do I do now?

 

Thanks for any help.

MacBook Pro (Retina, Mid 2012), OS X Yosemite (10.10.5), null

Posted on Jan 6, 2016 9:16 AM

Close

Q: can't use forward slash in numbers

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

Page 1 Next
  • by Wayne Contello,Solvedanswer

    Wayne Contello Wayne Contello Jan 6, 2016 9:51 AM in response to JoniTilt
    Level 6 (19,017 points)
    iWork
    Jan 6, 2016 9:51 AM in response to JoniTilt

    the forward slash works but Numbers now shows the operator as a traditional vision symbol that, unfortunately, looks like a plus when you don't inspect it very carefully:

     

    Screen Shot 2016-01-06 at 11.51.26 AM.png

     

    I typed:

    =1/7

  • by JoniTilt,

    JoniTilt JoniTilt Jan 6, 2016 9:55 AM in response to Wayne Contello
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 6, 2016 9:55 AM in response to Wayne Contello

    Thank you! I have never noticed that before. I guess I usually work with it enlarged more.

  • by Barry,

    Barry Barry Jan 6, 2016 11:27 AM in response to Wayne Contello
    Level 7 (32,271 points)
    Jan 6, 2016 11:27 AM in response to Wayne Contello

    I'm wondering if this should be regarded as a piece of poor design, considering the difficulty visually distinguishing between the + and ÷ signs, and be made the subject of a Numbers Feedback message to Apple requesting reversion to the / being displayed as the division operator.

     

    Regards,

    Barry

  • by Wayne Contello,

    Wayne Contello Wayne Contello Jan 6, 2016 11:44 AM in response to Barry
    Level 6 (19,017 points)
    iWork
    Jan 6, 2016 11:44 AM in response to Barry

    I think it is.

  • by JoniTilt,

    JoniTilt JoniTilt Jan 6, 2016 12:14 PM in response to Barry
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 6, 2016 12:14 PM in response to Barry

    well, that or I should wear some glasses! I suppose it might happen to other people too though.

  • by Wayne Contello,

    Wayne Contello Wayne Contello Jan 6, 2016 1:34 PM in response to JoniTilt
    Level 6 (19,017 points)
    iWork
    Jan 6, 2016 1:34 PM in response to JoniTilt

    There have been many posts about this issues

  • by Yellowbox,

    Yellowbox Yellowbox Jan 7, 2016 2:47 AM in response to Barry
    Level 6 (10,435 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jan 7, 2016 2:47 AM in response to Barry

    Amen

  • by SGIII,

    SGIII SGIII Jan 7, 2016 10:53 AM in response to Barry
    Level 6 (10,627 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jan 7, 2016 10:53 AM in response to Barry

    Barry wrote:

     

    I'm wondering if this should be regarded as a piece of poor design, considering the difficulty visually distinguishing between the + and ÷ signs, and be made the subject of a Numbers Feedback message to Apple requesting reversion to the / being displayed as the division operator.

     

    Hi Barry and others,

     

    So you guys are actually suggesting marooning Numbers on the Mac with the outdated and ambiguous symbol when the world is going increasingly mobile and professional mobile computing devices have been using a proper division symbol for decades!

     

    12c.png

     

     

    Here's Numbers on iOS (on a screen larger than most laptops).

     

    Screen Shot 2016-01-07 at 1.23.52 PM.png

     

     

    The main reason the / slash was used in the first place is because keyboards couldn't cram in enough keys to to support ÷ .

     

    The / could mean many things while the ÷ obelus symbol is concise, precise, and clear.  I say keep it!

     

    SG

  • by Wayne Contello,

    Wayne Contello Wayne Contello Jan 7, 2016 11:16 AM in response to SGIII
    Level 6 (19,017 points)
    iWork
    Jan 7, 2016 11:16 AM in response to SGIII

    I'm for using characters I can read.  Apple can use what ever character they want.  Until apple change from the slash to the traditional division symbol I never had trouble discriminating the addition from the division operation-- there were also not any questions about this

  • by SGIII,

    SGIII SGIII Jan 7, 2016 12:17 PM in response to Wayne Contello
    Level 6 (10,627 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jan 7, 2016 12:17 PM in response to Wayne Contello

    Wayne Contello wrote:

     

    I'm for using characters I can read.

     

    Me too, of course.  But after my first encounter with it in Numbers over two years ago I can read the obelus just fine here, especially since I'm expecting to see it whenever there is something related to division, used consistently, whatever the device, so there's no guess-work involved.

     

    However, if I really did have trouble reading it even in spots where I know I should be expecting it, I would consider 1) updating my eyeglass prescription and/or 2) getting more devices that sport a retina display.

     

    I would guess Apple would not be unhappy with more people choosing 2.

     

    SG

  • by JoniTilt,

    JoniTilt JoniTilt Jan 7, 2016 12:25 PM in response to SGIII
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 7, 2016 12:25 PM in response to SGIII

    Yes, I am sort of at the stage where I should use reading glasses but don't wear glasses in general. The other problem was that I made some other error when doing the formula, because it wasn't giving me an answer at all, so I thought there was something wrong with it.

     

    Maybe Excel should use a division sign, or both programs should both use the same thing for consistency.

  • by Barry,

    Barry Barry Jan 7, 2016 12:38 PM in response to SGIII
    Level 7 (32,271 points)
    Jan 7, 2016 12:38 PM in response to SGIII

    Given context, / is no more ambiguous than -. I've yet to see a question in this forum (or in its earlier versions, going back to ClarisWorks)

     

    "Here's Numbers on iOS (on a screen larger than most laptops)."

     

    On a "screen larger than most laptops," showing the character on a larger than text on-screen key pad isn't where the confusion and difficulty is distinguishing between + and ÷ occurs.

     

    "The main reason the / slash was used in the first place is because keyboards couldn't cram in enough keys to to support ÷ ."

     

    An excellent reason for omitting the obelus from keyboards at that time. After all, the solidus was already well established as a division sign in hand written documents (as was it's horizontal counterpart, the fraction line).

     

    "The / could mean many things while the ÷ obelus symbol is concise, precise, and clear.  I say keep it!"

     

    Concise? No more so than the single stroke of the solidus.

    Precise? True today, but it started out as a symbol for subtraction (a function that in some northern countries was dropped relatively recently—around the beginning of the 1900s), and as an editing symbol marking suspect text. Within the context that it is used, its no more precise than the solidus.

    Clear? If it were, Wayne would not be remarking on the number of questions appearing singe the change.

     

    Now, about the * and x brouhaha…..


    Regards,

    Barry

  • by SGIII,

    SGIII SGIII Jan 7, 2016 12:38 PM in response to JoniTilt
    Level 6 (10,627 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jan 7, 2016 12:38 PM in response to JoniTilt

    JoniTilt wrote:

     

    Maybe Excel should use a division sign, or both programs should both use the same thing for consistency.

     

    Yes, that is undoubtedly the problem, that many people (like me) come to Numbers from Excel and are conditioned to see the / and when it's not there assume something "must be wrong."

     

    Excel has kept the / in both the Windows/Mac versions and the mobile version.  The mobile keyboard for Excel has many more keys than Numbers.  Both approaches seem really well done to me, so it's a matter of needs and taste.

     

    Anyway, now that you know about / vs ÷ in Numbers, the chances are your brain will "see" division even if your eyes don't necessarily make out those little dots clearly.

     

    SG

  • by SGIII,

    SGIII SGIII Jan 7, 2016 12:55 PM in response to Barry
    Level 6 (10,627 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jan 7, 2016 12:55 PM in response to Barry

    Barry wrote:

     

     

    Precise? True today, but it started out as a symbol for subtraction (a function that in some northern countries was dropped relatively recently—around the beginning of the 1900s), and as an editing symbol marking suspect text. Within the context that it is used, its no more precise than the solidus.

    Clear? If it were, Wayne would not be remarking on the number of questions appearing singe the change.

     

    Now, about the * and x brouhaha…..

     

    Hi Barry,

     

    I just knew somebody would point out that ÷ once stood for subtraction (or redaction from text) and expose my rhetorical flourish about concision for the fallacy that it was (one stroke for a slash of course being more concise than a stroke and two dots)!

     

    As for * versus x, that's a tough one: I can live with either but (admittedly inconsistent with my stance on ÷) think I prefer * for its lack of ambiguity even though x has a long tradition and has long been used on professional mobile computing devices.

     

    As we (at least in theory) move away from full keyboards over time perhaps future symbols will be communicated to our devices as a sequence of special swipes, or distinctive grunts, or blinks of the eye.

     

    SG

Page 1 Next