updating CSV files in Numbers

If you want to import a new CSV, do it in a way that overwrites the old one.

1. Create a table for the imported CSV data. All references to the data will be made to cells in this table.
2. In Finder, select the CSV file and Copy
3. In Numbers, select cell A1 of the table then Cmd A to select all cells then delete to delete the content of all cells in the table prior to filling it with new data.
4. In Numbers, select cell A1 of the table and Paste. The CSV will be imported to the table, overwriting the older data.

You don't necessarily need step 3 but it is a good idea to ensure no old data remains if the new CSV has fewer rows or columns than the old one or is malformed in a way that does not overwrite the ends of all rows.

ricecooker47 wrote:

For example, a new CSV of data starts at A10 (call this CSV 2), another at A37 (CSV 3) and so on, so the select all/Cmd A will only update from A1 to A10 of the first CSV (CSV 1).

That's very "Excelish." In Numbers you will probably find it more efficient to bring csv1 into one table, csv2 into another table, etc., rather than into different ranges of the same table.

If you do that and you have to update often, a script can easily update the different tables with data from the new csv's with one click.

However, more specific information on your setup would be needed before suggesting how to do that.

SG

Barry was telling you how to make a copy of the old table of data before overwriting it. Cmd A followed by Copy, create a new sheet, Paste into the default new table on that sheet to save all the old data.

I was explaining how to get all your CSV data into tables, which I assumed would be pasted to separate tables. If they are to be pasted into one table, Cmd A followed by delete will delete all the content of the entire table, preparing it for your new data. That step only needs to be done once if all of your CSVs are going into the same table. Then seven times you do the steps of Copy CSV file, select starting cell, Paste.

There is yet another method that might work for you to import the data from your CSVs. It requires your CSV files to always have the same number of rows. The CSVs can be different from each other but each one has to maintain its same length (number of rows) every time if you want the cells to be in the proper places in your table. Instead of the method of copying the CSV file, selecting a starting cell, then pasting, you can simply drag each CSV to the table one at a time and it will insert them one after another going down the table. But if the length of one of the CSVs changes, it will throw off where the next one(s) begin.

Hi ricecooker,

Numbers will not link between documents.

Numbers will link between Sheets (Tabs) within the same document.

Regards,

Ian.

HI RC,

If you DO need to retain the old CSV data, add these steps before copying the data from the new CSV file:

A: Click A1 of the table containing the current data values, press command A to select all cells in that table, then Copy.

B: Add a new sheet to the document. Click on cell A1of the Table included on the new sheet. Paste.

C: Name the new sheet and its table.

Assuming that you have already done step 1 of Badunit's instructions, follow his steps 2, 3, and 4 to bring in the new data from the new SCV file.

You'll now have the new data in the existing table, and accessible to all of the formulas, which have not been disturbed, and the previous data from that table now archived on a new table in the same document.

Regards,

Barry

PS: Even simpler, you could just save each CSV file with a distinct name, and keep the old data there.

B.