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How to create Smart Categories in a new tab in Apple Numbers

Hello Everyone!

I'm currently handling large amounts of data in the Numbers App on my Apple Macbook Pro.

The issue I'm facing is that I can only create Smart Categories based on the data provided in the Tab itself, and not in another tab.


Compare this to Microsoft Excel, in which a similar function called "Pivot Tables" could be used to use the data in one tab, and create categories and charts in another tab.


The only reason I want to do this is so that if I update any information in my "Master Data" in any tab, then it should automatically update my categories, charts, etc in the other tabs.


In Apple Numbers, in order to update the "Master Data" again, you have to untik the Categories option, update the changes in your "Master Data", and then re-apply Categories again, which is a tedious process, and you often have to re-create the categories again and their corresponding charts.


Please suggest if there's a way to achieve the above?

Thanks everyone!

MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 10.14

Posted on Nov 18, 2020 3:30 AM

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Question marked as Best reply

Posted on Nov 18, 2020 6:59 AM

As you've discovered Categories works on the original table. Unlike Excel Pivot tables, Numbers won't spawn off a separate table (either on the same sheet or another sheet).


Unticking Categories, updating the table, and turning Categories back on again will apply the same categorization as before. Are you not seeing that on your setup?


(Charts I've never really tried with Categories.)


You can give feedback to Apple via Numbers > Provide Numbers Feedback in your menu.


SG



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1 reply
Question marked as Best reply

Nov 18, 2020 6:59 AM in response to Priya_Bhag

As you've discovered Categories works on the original table. Unlike Excel Pivot tables, Numbers won't spawn off a separate table (either on the same sheet or another sheet).


Unticking Categories, updating the table, and turning Categories back on again will apply the same categorization as before. Are you not seeing that on your setup?


(Charts I've never really tried with Categories.)


You can give feedback to Apple via Numbers > Provide Numbers Feedback in your menu.


SG



How to create Smart Categories in a new tab in Apple Numbers

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