When i paste codes from my inventory numbers automatically switch to currency.

Question

Level 1

4 points

When i paste codes from my inventory numbers automatically switch to currency.

When I paste some codes from my inventory (in this case code PAB001, PAB002...) numbers automatically switch to currency and modified my code in 001 PAB (panamanian balboa).

The thing is, if I turn ALL the cells to text it do the same, if I paste and match with style it do the same.

If you check the cell it doesnt says currecny anymore it says text but still mess arround the code swtiching to 001 PAB instead of PAB001.

I think is something about latest upadate. (im doing this from years)

MacBook Pro 16″, macOS 10.15

Posted on Nov 8, 2021 12:38 AM

Reply

Answer 1

SGIII

Level 8

36,578 points

Nov 8, 2021 2:40 PM in response to giuliovhr

I get the PAB001 when I:

first select the destination cells
set their Data Format to Text
go to the source data and copy it,
click the first destination cell
choose Edit > Paste and Match Style from the menu

SG

Reply

Answer 2

giuliovhr Author

Level 1

4 points

Nov 9, 2021 7:38 AM in response to SGIII

I wrote in the original post. if i turn all the destination cell to text the problem persist. if i paste with style not style or whatever the problem persist. i have a little experience in numbers. i tried everything. can be something else?

Reply

Answer 3

Badunit

Level 7

29,200 points

Nov 9, 2021 3:57 PM in response to SGIII

The difference in the two outcomes may be due to the data being pasted or it may be a regional problem. A single column of PAB001, PAB002, etc pastes correctly into cells pre-formatted as text for me but anything that makes it look like "table data" to be imported goes though all that "table data" mess and it gets screwed up.

This pasted okay for me into cells pre-formatted as text:

PAB001

PAB002

This does not (but the format of the cells remains as text):

PAB001, Unit1

PAB003, Unit2

It becomes

PAB 1.00 Unit1

PAB 3.00 Unit2

If this isn't the problem, it might be regional. In cells not pre-formatted as text, a column of those values gets turned into PAB 1, PAB 2, etc. for me, which is not what the OP is seeing.

Reply

Answer 4

Badunit

Level 7

29,200 points

Nov 10, 2021 5:20 AM in response to giuliovhr

That helped. It is the "table import" problem.

Looking at your screenshot of the data in TextEdit, each line begins with a leading tab character. When I create the exact same thing as what you did, it pastes into Numbers incorrectly exactly like you are seeing. You will also see an oval "box" pop up near the upper right of the window that says "Table data was imported". That's the signal it is going to get screwed up, that it is doing something other than a simple paste.

If you remove the tab characters from the beginning of each line in TextEdit, the data will paste into Numbers correctly. I have no solution for you if you want to import the entire table of data from your last screenshot. It will become "table data" and will go through that same "import" process and get messed up.

This has been an ongoing problem ever since Apple made this "feature" a long while back. The app is trying to be too smart and is instead being really stupid with no way for the user to correct its mistakes. I hope Apple fixes it. I do not recall what, if any, solutions or workarounds have been created here in this forum. Maybe someone else has a workaround for the general case of importing or pasting in tabular data.