Locking cells

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Level 1

10 points

Locking cells

From a quick search, it appears several times people have asked whether certain cells and formulas can be locked. Apparently the question is no.

Has anyone pursued trying to build an AppleScript front end to a Numbers spreadsheet, where several users can collect data and then post to the spreadsheet, beyond their immediate access?

Granted AS has limited user interface options, but if you used Xcode, you could create whatever you wanted with Interface Builder.

Not a perfect solution -- a malfeasant could still corrupt the data -- but it might prevent lots of the mistakes that concern the people who want locked cells.

doug

Mac mini, Mac OS X (10.5.7)

Posted on Aug 2, 2009 9:24 AM

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Answer 1

Badunit

Level 7

30,720 points

Aug 3, 2009 10:19 PM in response to Doug Tallman

Applescript can modify cells in a locked table. Applescript can also open a password protected Numbers document, make changes to it, and then save and close it. This second part is important because the only way to keep the document "beyond their immediate access" is for it to be password protected. If it has to be open (which it does for your idea to work), it must be opened for a very short time then closed. If the changes take more than a second or two to complete, a "malfeasant could still corrupt the data" by unlocking tables and/or charts and doing things to them.

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Answer 2

Doug Tallman Author

Level 1

10 points

Aug 4, 2009 7:52 PM in response to Badunit

I'm working on a project where a business owner has no distrust of his employees, but he's worried that formulas will be changed by accident, and no one is on staff to repair the damage. Entering data in, say, an Applescript front end might solve some of his concerns.

BTW, Applescript could collect the data and add it to a tab-delimited text file, which could then be imported into the Numbers spreadsheet, which could solve the need for the Numbers spreadsheet to be open whilst the data is being entered.

doug

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Answer 3

KOENIG Yvan

Level 8

41,819 points

Aug 5, 2009 3:15 AM in response to Doug Tallman

I apologize but if you need to protect cells, the only correct soluce is to use an other spreadsheet application.

Yvan KOENIG (from FRANCE mercredi 5 août 2009 12:15:06)

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Answer 4

Badunit

Level 7

30,720 points

Aug 5, 2009 4:41 AM in response to Doug Tallman

It is hard for us to make a recommendation but here are some more thoughts:

If simple locking of cells would solve your problem, you might want to consider Excel. Most people are more familiar with Excel anyway. Use of Excel also allows users on PC's to see and enter data; Numbers will tie everyone to Macs.

If you really want to use Numbers, if you can put the data entry in one table and the formulas in another, you can lock the formula table(s) while leaving the data entry table(s) unlocked.

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Answer 5

Doug Tallman Author

Level 1

10 points

Aug 6, 2009 6:55 AM in response to Badunit

Badunit wrote:
If you really want to use Numbers, if you can put the data entry in one table and the formulas in another, you can lock the formula table(s) while leaving the data entry table(s) unlocked.

I think this is the best solution, at least for now.

I don't know the guy's full set up, but I'm intrigued by the idea of creating an AppleScript front end, maybe using Xcode, and sending data to a networked computer running Numbers.

doug

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Answer 6

KOENIG Yvan

Level 8

41,819 points

Aug 6, 2009 9:10 AM in response to Doug Tallman

Doug Tallman wrote:

Badunit wrote:
If you really want to use Numbers, if you can put the data entry in one table and the formulas in another, you can lock the formula table(s) while leaving the data entry table(s) unlocked.

I think this is the best solution, at least for now.

I don't know the guy's full set up, but I'm intrigued by the idea of creating an AppleScript front end, maybe using Xcode, and sending data to a networked computer running Numbers.

If documents may be open by several users simultaneously, you may be sure that they will be destroyed.
iWork components are not designed for this use.
The application is unaware of the fact that a document is open from machine A when machine B try to open it too.
Given that, internal links are fooled and when a machine saves, we get an empty document.

Don't forget what the license states:

B. iWork Single User License. This License allows you to install and use one copy of the Apple Software (whether trial or full version) on a single Apple-labeled computer at a time. This License does not allow the Apple Software to exist on more than one computer at a time, _and you may not make the Apple Software available over a network where it could be used by multiple computers at the same time._ You may make one copy of the Apple Software in machine-readable form for backup purposes only; provided that the backup copy must include all copyright or other proprietary notices contained on the original.

Yvan KOENIG (from FRANCE jeudi 6 août 2009 18:05:28)

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