Adding text to existing cell in Numbers

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Adding text to existing cell in Numbers

I'm a recent convert from Windows/Excel to Mac/Numbers. In Excel, you can press control+enter while in a cell, and paste more text into the cell, starting on the next line. Such as: adding a multi-line address to the name already in the cell, so it all displays neatly. I've tried right clicking to paste, command+enter, any number of ways and the results are all the wonkiest mess. Pasting results in multiple lines (cells), instead of inserting everything into the cell itself. Is there no way to paste multiple text strings into a Numbers cell? There has to be an elegant way of accomplishing this. The task is pretty basic, simple. What am I missing?

Posted on Nov 5, 2022 5:05 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Badunit

Level 7

30,300 points

Nov 5, 2022 5:43 PM in response to Reluctanticloud

Option Return puts an ascii 10 new line character

Control Return puts an unicode 8232 line separator

As with Excel, you have to click in the cell, not just select the cell, to paste multi-line data into a cell

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Answer 2

SGIII

Level 8

37,532 points

Nov 6, 2022 7:41 AM in response to Reluctanticloud

Reluctanticloud wrote:

But after inserting the carriage return within the cell, Command+V (to paste text) does not function.

(I copied a phone number to the clip board, and want to insert it in the line under the name and address within the same cell.)

Have you tried first DOUBLE-clicking (so the cursor is flashing within the cell), moving the cursor within the text in the cell to the point where you want to insert new text, followed by typing command-v.

SG

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Answer 3

Nov 6, 2022 7:37 AM in response to Reluctanticloud

Ok, never mind.... I figured out that Copy to the Clipboard does not really copy. I used 'brute force' to highlight and Command+C. Then it worked. Thanks for your tip on inserting the <CR>

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Answer 4

Nov 6, 2022 7:33 AM in response to Badunit

I got that far, thanks. But after inserting the carriage return within the cell, Command+V (to paste text) does not function.

(I copied a phone number to the clip board, and want to insert it in the line under the name and address within the same cell.)

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Answer 5

Nov 6, 2022 8:16 AM in response to SGIII

SG- yes, I did that. (It’s how Windows/Excel works too.) The problem is Copy to the Clipboard- it gives you the impression that the highlighted text will get copied when you click Copy to the Clipboard… but it doesn’t.

I can live with highlighting and Cmd+C.

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Answer 6

Badunit

Level 7

30,300 points

Nov 6, 2022 1:43 PM in response to Reluctanticloud

Copy (Command C) should copy the highlighted text to the clipboard (assuming it is text). Are you using a third-party app that manages/assists with the clipboard? I am not familiar with anything that can be clicked on that is "Copy to the Clipboard". On a Mac, the menu item for Copy is just "Copy".

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Answer 7

Nov 6, 2022 2:42 PM in response to Badunit

I think I figured it out. Copy to Clipboard is eBay's pop up, not Safari. I believe in some situations, Mac does not recognize or allow eBay to write to the clipboard. It works in some places, but not in this one. No big deal. Cmd C works well.

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Adding text to existing cell in Numbers

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