How do I copy the same date into multiple cells without it incrementing?

Question

Level 2

423 points

How do I copy the same date into multiple cells without it incrementing?

Have looked in Numbers Help etc; but cannot find an answer to this:

If I drag a date across cells, it correctly copies it - but increments the date value, e.g. February 27 2009 --- February 28 2009 --- March 1 2009.

But how do I replicate (copy) only the same string, 'February 27 2009', exactly into several (adjacent) cells without it incrementing?

Is there a way other than CMND-C --- CMND-V?

TIA!

Mac Pro, Xeon, Mac OS X (10.5.6), Clean machine... no haxies; no Microsoft etc

Posted on Feb 27, 2009 8:01 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Feb 27, 2009 8:40 PM in response to Mark Sealey

As it picks up a pattern, start with 2 identical cells by copying and pasting the 1st into the 2nd.

As the default it will work out the differences between the 2 or add one step to the initial cell.

Peter

Reply

Answer 2

Mark Sealey Author

Level 2

423 points

Feb 27, 2009 9:47 PM in response to PeterBreis0807

Thanks, Peter - so 'knock' the increment out of it, you're saying?

Reply

Answer 3

Feb 27, 2009 9:59 PM in response to Mark Sealey

Yes.

Numbers is really impressive once you get the hang of it.

Reply

Answer 4

Mark Sealey Author

Level 2

423 points

Feb 28, 2009 9:38 AM in response to PeterBreis0807

Peter,

Thanks - is that the only way to do it?

I would have liked something like Option-drag, or S-drag (for same) etc.

Yes, Numbers is great. Am slowly moving over there from AppleWorks.

Reply

Answer 5

Badunit

Level 7

30,708 points

Feb 28, 2009 9:14 PM in response to PeterBreis0807

Of course, if you're going to go through the trouble of copy/paste, you may just want to paste it in all those other cells all at once.

Reply

Answer 6

Mark Sealey Author

Level 2

423 points

Feb 28, 2009 9:24 PM in response to Badunit

Badunit,

Which made me think there had to be another way to do it.

Option+drag would be a good one. I'm sure there is in Excel, and AppleWorks ?

Thanks!

Reply

Answer 7

Feb 28, 2009 9:47 PM in response to Mark Sealey

Option drag does work, you just have to pause over the first cell a moment so that Numbers gets that it isn't just a select drag.

Reply

Answer 8

Mark Sealey Author

Level 2

423 points

Mar 1, 2009 7:06 AM in response to PeterBreis0807

Peter,

Yes, but option-drag doesn't keep the same date value, does it?

Reply

Answer 9

Mar 1, 2009 8:59 AM in response to Mark Sealey

Mark,

Does when I try it. Have you paused after the selection?

Peter

Reply

Answer 10

Mark Sealey Author

Level 2

423 points

Mar 1, 2009 9:03 AM in response to PeterBreis0807

Peter,

I may be misunderstanding: I have a cell with March 1 2009 in it. I single click on it to select it, wait 10 seconds, then Option-drag to the right. I get March 2, March 3, March 4 etc.

I now I can do it the way you suggested (manually copy into a cell to make it identical, then drag those). I'm just thinking about an easier way (e.g. Option-drag) that other s/sheets employ.

Reply

Answer 11

jrmgkia

Level 1

0 points

Mar 1, 2009 11:40 AM in response to Mark Sealey

I have a similar but different problem, I would like to have a column in Numbers with the Month and Year which increments by month. In Excel you simply create two or three cells in the pattern you want then drag down. In numbers it repeats the same two or three months over and over. I can't figure out how to auto increment the date except for one day at a time, but I want one month at a time like:
March 2009
April 2009
May 2009
etc.

Reply

Answer 12

Mark Sealey Author

Level 2

423 points

Mar 1, 2009 11:52 AM in response to jrmgkia

jrmgkia,

Agreed. That would be just as useful. in Excel you preface each component with '$', don't you?

If anyone knows an FAQ that contains guidance on what we used to call Replication, please say!

Reply

Answer 13

Badunit

Level 7

30,708 points

Mar 1, 2009 12:34 PM in response to jrmgkia

I just tried it and it works as you would want it to. Are the cells formatted as "date and time" or are they text?

I put January 2009 in cell B2, February 2009 in cell B3. Made a custom date and time format so they would appear as January 2009 and February 2009, selected both cells and dragged the little circle down a bunch of rows rows and it incremented by month.

Reply

Answer 14

KOENIG Yvan

Level 8

41,819 points

Mar 1, 2009 12:55 PM in response to Mark Sealey

The formula is the same in every filled cell:
=DATE(2009,ROW()-2,1)
Of course you may apply a format displaying only month and year.

With a bit of enhancements, we may get rid of the blue triangles claiming:
Grrr, I am fair enough to do the duty but you are using a month index greater than 12 !

Yvan KOENIG (from FRANCE dimanche 1 mars 2009 21:55:07)

Reply

Answer 15

Brie Fly

Level 5

7,925 points

Mar 1, 2009 5:20 PM in response to Mark Sealey

Which made me think there had to be another way to do it.

A single date may be copied (pasted, actually) into multiple cells in a single operation (two parts actually). First, copy the desired date to the clipboard. Select the target block of cells (or individual non-contiguous cells by command-clicking the targets), then press command+V to paste. The copied date will be pasted into each of the selected target cells.

Reply