Numbers for macOS & iPadOS: Cascaded Drop Down, Input Form, Write-Button

What you describes seems more akin to what a database front-end app would do than to what a spreadsheet app like Numbers can do.

1. Numbers for iPadOS has simple forms that facilitate entry of data into an associated table. Numbers for Mac, with the larger screen area available, does not.
2. Numbers does not have 'buttons' that trigger an action. You could, however, activate a script via a keyboard-shortcut to copy data to a table on another sheet.
3. Numbers does not support cascading drop-downs such as you can do in Excel with 'data validation.' There are some workarounds that approximate the effect, but they are cumbersome.

My general impression from your description is that Numbers may not be the best tool, if these features are important to what you are trying to do.

SG

Hello Ian,

Thanks for your swift response.

Regarding item 3, here is a screenshot from within Numbers that may help to illustrate our scenario that we desire to implement. The different levels of hierarchy are top-level, level 1, level 2 etc. going from highest to sub-levels.

Please let us know if with these pictures you can suggest a method of implementation. If you need further information or have questions, please let us know.

Thanks again.

Regards,

Stefan

Hi Stefan & Stefan,

Your aim 3 is possible in Numbers.

CommunitySturz wrote:

"3. We want to have pull-down menus that are cascaded for the user to select and input data e.g. a specific of a task. For example we have three tables (Department, Project Management, Project Risk Management) and we first want to select Department, then the specific department i.e. Operations (or Project Management) and afterwards a specific sub-task e.g. Project Risk Management. It’s mandatory that this is cascaded from Table A, to B, to C (Example). How can this be done within Numbers?

I am open for questions and can post pictures if required.

Best greetings from Germany and thanks in advance for any possibilities.

Stefan & Stefan"

Numbers can do what you ask in question 3.

Please post pictures.

I do not have answers to questions 1 and 2 for Numbers on a Mac. Numbers on a Mac does not have forms. Forms exist only in Numbers for iOS (iPad, iPhone).

Greetings from Australia!

Regards,

Ian.

FileMaker can do what you describe.

I've had good look with some projects using Ninox, which is less expensive, but still feature rich.

These both require a significant investment in time.

You might also try something like Airtable to see if it meets your needs.

The open source LibreOffice has a database module, but I'm not sure how much it allows collaboration, and it may require Java on your Mac.

SG

I was thinking filmmaker as well, it is made for just this kind of thing, including use on iPad to interact with the database.

Jason