Hi I've been using excel for 20 years. I've decided to try Numbers. Just wondering how do you move the formula bar up to the top so it's like I have it in excel. I am using Numbers v5.3 Thanks
iMac 27", macOS 10.13
I'm a long time user of Excel too. Numbers doesn't try to be Excel. It doesn't have a formula bar up top (though it did in an old version 10 years ago). Invoke the Formula Editor by clicking a cell and typing =. Or if the cell already has a formula double-click it to call up the editor. You can drag the editor to a different position if you want.
SG
I'm a long time user of Excel too. Numbers doesn't try to be Excel. It doesn't have a formula bar up top (though it did in an old version 10 years ago). Invoke the Formula Editor by clicking a cell and typing =. Or if the cell already has a formula double-click it to call up the editor. You can drag the editor to a different position if you want.
SG
If you click on a blank cell and type an = , the formula editor will pop up and you'll see the fx.
If you double click on a cell that already has a formula in it, the formula editor will pop up.
Excel files and Numbers files are not all that interchangeable. Excel knows nothing about Numbers files; it will neither import from nor export to Numbers format. Numbers will import Excel files and Export to Excel format but not all features and functions of Excel are supported and Excel does not support some features of Numbers. For simple files it might be okay but as soon as you get into more detailed stuff, and charts, not so good.
Hi kwkiwi,
Hover the cursor over fx on the left of the formula edit box until the cursor changes to a hand, then drag to where you want it.
Regards,
Ian.
It takes a little while to get used to the formula editor being at the cell instead of in the toolbar. After getting used to it you might actually prefer it over the way Excel does it.
It also takes a while to get used to Numbers trying to help you concoct/edit/check your formulas as you type them vs it being plain text. It is especially problematic for me when editing complex formulas because it will often introduce plus signs, commas, and parentheses where I don't want them and where they do not belong. In the formula editor I sometimes have to click on the little disclosure triangle next to the "fx" and choose "show formula as text" so I can edit a formula without Numbers introducing incorrect things that screw it up.
Thanks for replying Ian.
It must be my age but I can't see the fx and red and green cross and tick when I hover over a cell with a formula. Not sure why this is. I must be doing something wrong. I can see the formula at the bottom of the screen. I think I'll have to go and watch a few how to use Numbers tutorial videos!
Just one other question you might be able to answer. Are excel and Numbers files interchangeable? ie could I open an excel file in Numbers and make changes then close it and vice versa? I would have to transition quite a few files I use over to Numbers but I like the fact that I can access them anywhere whilst I'm away from my desktop. TIA
ok thanks very much Badunit. For some reason it now works and I understand what is meant by you can move the formula bar round the spreadsheet in that it is actually a floating bar that you can move anywhere.
Thanks also for advice on the files not being very interchangeable between excel and Numbers. That's a problem for me as I swap files with my partner sometimes and also help others with their finances so that would be an issue as everyone else uses excel.
I just hate paying those annual fees for excel. I'm using excel for mac 2011! But started to get printing issues and also want to access my spreadsheets on the road. It still works as I don't do very complicated spreadsheets.
I was also thinking of google docs. Have you had a look at that one?!! Any advice there would be much appreciated.
how do you move the formula bar in numbers
