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I have a Numbers spreadsheet for my personal accounting. Amount on 1 end and then multiple columns of expense categories. Instead of totaling each column 1 at a time, there has got to be a way to total all the columns at the same time, but NOT TO GET 1 TOTAL OF ALL THE COLUMNS, TO GET A TOTAL FOR EACH COLUMN. Please help!
MacBook Pro 16″, macOS 10.15
"Actually there is a need to yell… because I've tried 3 times to get a simple answer and I get long, drawn out formulas that are completely useless."
Really?
When (and where) did you make these attempts? I don't recall seeing them, nor does a search back through seven pages of questions in the Numbers for Mac community reveal a previous discussion started by "backtopencilandpaper."
What were the "long, drawn out formulas" you received in reply?
Like Badunit, I'm having some difficulty envisioning your table and determining the relationship between the " Amount on 1 end " and the values in the "multiple columns of expense categories". Your question does not appear to include this relationship, so I've ignored "1 end" and considered only the "multiple columns" of categories is the discussion below.
For the exampie, I've used columns B through K to represent the" multiple columns". The table has one Header row (containing the category names, and 11 rows of cells containing the data to be summed.
"is there a way to add up all the columns at once"
That can be done with a fairly simple formula, such as the one in L2 of the example below:
But that, according to this, is not the result you are actually looking for:
"Not to get 1 total for all of the columns, but a total for each column."
Assuming you want each of these totals to be displayed in a separate cell, you will need an even simpler formula in each of those cells.
Using the table above. select any cell to activate the table and show the row and column header tabs, then click the tab for the last row (12) to select that row.
Place the mouse pointer in the space between the table and the row 12 tab, and click the 'v' that appears to open the contextual menu shown below. In the menu, choose Add Footer row below (Highlighted in the image below).
In cell B13, enter this formula: SUM(B)
Then click the green checkmark of the formula editor to confirm the formula and close the editor.
With the formula now showing the sum of values in column B, hover the pointer near the right boundary of cell B13.
A small yellow dot (the Fill Contol) will appear on that boundary.
Use the mouse button to grab that control, and drag right to fill the formula into the rest of the cells to K13.
Numbers will automatically increment the column reference to match the column containing each copy of the formula.
Regards,
Barry
"Actually there is a need to yell… because I've tried 3 times to get a simple answer and I get long, drawn out formulas that are completely useless."
Really?
When (and where) did you make these attempts? I don't recall seeing them, nor does a search back through seven pages of questions in the Numbers for Mac community reveal a previous discussion started by "backtopencilandpaper."
What were the "long, drawn out formulas" you received in reply?
Like Badunit, I'm having some difficulty envisioning your table and determining the relationship between the " Amount on 1 end " and the values in the "multiple columns of expense categories". Your question does not appear to include this relationship, so I've ignored "1 end" and considered only the "multiple columns" of categories is the discussion below.
For the exampie, I've used columns B through K to represent the" multiple columns". The table has one Header row (containing the category names, and 11 rows of cells containing the data to be summed.
"is there a way to add up all the columns at once"
That can be done with a fairly simple formula, such as the one in L2 of the example below:
But that, according to this, is not the result you are actually looking for:
"Not to get 1 total for all of the columns, but a total for each column."
Assuming you want each of these totals to be displayed in a separate cell, you will need an even simpler formula in each of those cells.
Using the table above. select any cell to activate the table and show the row and column header tabs, then click the tab for the last row (12) to select that row.
Place the mouse pointer in the space between the table and the row 12 tab, and click the 'v' that appears to open the contextual menu shown below. In the menu, choose Add Footer row below (Highlighted in the image below).
In cell B13, enter this formula: SUM(B)
Then click the green checkmark of the formula editor to confirm the formula and close the editor.
With the formula now showing the sum of values in column B, hover the pointer near the right boundary of cell B13.
A small yellow dot (the Fill Contol) will appear on that boundary.
Use the mouse button to grab that control, and drag right to fill the formula into the rest of the cells to K13.
Numbers will automatically increment the column reference to match the column containing each copy of the formula.
Regards,
Barry
No need to yell.
It is difficult to answer because I am not sure I am picturing your table correctly. I do not know what "amount on one end" means or what is in the "expense category" columns.
If you are putting the numbers into the different "category" columns, a typical way is to add a footer row at the bottom (an actual footer row, not just another row) and total each column there. The typical formula to sum up all values in column B would be =SUM(B) . You can then fill or Copy/Paste that formula to the columns to the right to do the formulas for the other columns.
If you have one column of numbers and then multiple columns of "categories", the answer will depend on what is actually in all those "category" cells in those columns. Is it a checkbox. Is it blank or has a letter/word to indicate this is the category for that row's number? SUMIF is the function I am thinking about but without knowing what is in the cells, it is not possible to come up with a formula.
If it is the second one, why use multiple columns for the categories instead of one column with a pop up menu?
Really? Actually there is a need to yell, if that's what you want to call it because I've tried 3 times to get a simple answer and I get long, drawn out formulas that are completely useless. I'm adding NUMBERS(1, 2, 3, 4, etc.) in NUMBERS, the Apple equivalent of Excel. Not rocket science here. I have multiple columns with numbers that need to be added up. Do I have to total each column separately or is there a way to add up all the columns at once. Not to get 1 total for all of the columns, but a total for each column.
We are users just like yourself. We are not Apple. So if you choose to yell at those who are volunteering their time to help you, you can get bent.
You are asking what sounds like two opposite questions:
"Do I have to total each column separately or is there a way to add up all the columns at once"
versus
"Not to get 1 total for all of the columns, but a total for each column"
The first sounds like you do not want separate totals per column, you want to add all the columns together. The second sounds like you want to have separate totals, not one total of all the columns. Exactly opposite questions. I gave you an answer for the second one. One and a half answers actually because your description of your table was so poor I couldn't tell what your table looks like in order to give you a proper answer.
how do I total multiple columns at the same time in Numbers?
