When I enter a formula in a cell and hit ENTER, the cell only moves to the next cell in the Column. I want it to advance to the next cell in the Row. Tab used to work, but now it adds space in the formula.
MacBook Pro 15″, macOS 12.4
This changed in Numbers 13.2. Happens on multiple machines of mine. Tabbing no longer tabs out of cells, it adds tabs in the formula instead (which is worthless to me). When I restored 13.1 from Time Machine backup, the original and intended functionality is restored, which means it's not third-party software or configuration settings. This is not mentioned in the patch notes for Numbers 13.2. I recommend restoring from backup and submitting feedback to Apple Support. I've downgraded and currently am ignoring updates until the correct behavior is restored.
This changed in Numbers 13.2. Happens on multiple machines of mine. Tabbing no longer tabs out of cells, it adds tabs in the formula instead (which is worthless to me). When I restored 13.1 from Time Machine backup, the original and intended functionality is restored, which means it's not third-party software or configuration settings. This is not mentioned in the patch notes for Numbers 13.2. I recommend restoring from backup and submitting feedback to Apple Support. I've downgraded and currently am ignoring updates until the correct behavior is restored.
Thanks for all the replies. All I am doing is filling out a row with columns, for example, baseball On-Base Percentage adjusted to league average. The formula is very easy:
The hitter bats righthanded and his OBP is 801 against righthanded pitchers. The league OBP for RH batter vs RH pitcher is 716. So in the RHB v RHP column, I type “=“ to bring up the formula box, then “801-716” and hit ENTER. That cell displays 85 (which is 85 points above league average—I dropped the “.” For clarity).
That advances to the next cell down in the column. I want it to advance to the next cell on the right labeled RHB v LHP.
TAB does advance the cell to the right, but only if you don’t TAB while the formula box is active. Now the TAB advances the cursor in the formula box instead of advancing to the cell on the right. The right arrow advances the cursor inside the formula box, the left arrow moves the cursor to the left inside the box without erasing a number, the up and down arrow moves to the cell above and below the active cell.
Wayne was right about the TAB, but only if you type a number and are not working inside a formula box.
Recycleur does have a work-around. CMD-ENTER>TAB is still better than ENTER>RIGHT-ARROW>UP-ARROW>= to get to the formula box in the cell to the right.
Thanks guys! I talked with Apple Numbers support. The rep is investigating why hitting TAB within the formula cell doesn’t advance the active cell to the right. I can’t think of a reason to TAB within a formula cell, it may not be coded correctly.
I also asked that they add a feature that sets the cell default action after hitting ENTER. Excel has always had this ability.
Thanks again, guys!
Marc
enter moves to the next row
shift+enter moves up to the previous row
tab moves to the next column AND...
shift + tab moves to the previous column
the problem is essentially that return exits you from editing a formula AND it moves you down. you can click the check box to exit, then type tab.... but that's not better
I found you can type escape, then tab
Hi Marc,
Just another thought. Instead of entering formulas, use a data entry table without any formulas. Then you can use the tab key to move between columns. The formulas are in another table "Points" and they use a the combination of the INDEX and MATCH functions that refer to the Lookup table to find the OBP and subtract the OBP from the score in the "Data Entry" table.
I know nothing about scores in baseball, so I have used made-up numbers.
Formula in the Points table C2: Data Entry::C2−INDEX(Lookup OBP::B,MATCH($B2,Lookup OBP::$A,0))
Fill right and fill down.
A note about data entry in Numbers. One charm of Numbers is that its remembers your pattern of data entry.
Click once in Cell A2.
Type Alan.
Press the tab key to move the focus to Cell B2.
Continue until you have filled all the cells needed, then press return.
The focus returns to the column where you started, ready for you to type Brian.
Regards,
Ian.
I am using Numbers 13.1 and Tab will accept the formula and move to the next cell in the row just as you are wanting it to do. Option Tab will put a tab in the formula
When entering text in a cell, Tab will accept the text and move to the next cell in the row. Option Tab will put a tab in the text.
When a cell is selected, tab will move to the next cell in the row.
Did something change in 13.2 or in Mac OS after 12.7.2?
Do you have any "keyboard helper" or "clipboard assistant" apps running in the background, usually started automatically upon user log-in as a log-in item?
Escape cancels whatever you changed in the cell, but Command-Enter will accept the changes AND keep you in the same cell, which you can follow with tab.
Still it would be nice to have what you're asking with a new key combo.
practically speaking... I do not see how this is an issue. if you want to fill a formula to the right (or left), you can use copy and paste. if you are entering a distinct formula in cells to the right, then the overhead of the changing formula will far out-weigh the savings from a key combo.
I suggest sharing the formal you are trying to enter so we can help with that
Hi etrongolfer,
It will be instructive to the users in this forum if you give us the big picture.
What is your overall aim?
What do you want to happen when Numbers changes the focus to the next cell in the Row?
Perhaps you want to fill a formula to the right instead of retyping the formula in every cell to the right.
More information on your overall aim may lead to a solution.
As Wayne said: "I suggest sharing the formula you are trying to enter so we can help with that."
Regards,
Ian.
Marc,
I understand your pain and I am having the same issue. They have changed the default actions of some of the keys and it's a real pain.
Everyone,
What Marc and I need help with, is their way to change the default key response for the tab key. Pervious to version 13.0, if I was entering a formula and was complete, I would hit the tab key. This would cause numbers to accept the formula into the cell I was working on and move to the next column in the same row. Now, if I am entering a formula the tab key will place a tab in the formula. If anyone could help us out, I'm sure Marc and I would love it so we don't have to "relearn" key habits built over years.
Jesse
Badunit,
Based on what the keyboard shortcut says, what you are describing is what should be happening. However right now hitting tab gives you the same result as Option + Tab. On my Mac, both are doing the same action: Placing a Tab in the formula.
Jesse
I find it interesting when things get changed (and often broken) that were never mentioned here as a problem or as a suggested change while actual bugs remain unfixed release after release after release. I truly do not understand.
Scratching my head here😀. Not clear what the problem is that is preventing productivity in Numbers.
Excel doesn't have a pop-up Formula Editor like Numbers. The Excel and Numbers apps are not comparable in that respect. That's not an "inconsistency." That's a different design. Numbers has never been an Excel clone.
Numbers for iCloud operates in the browser and thus necessarily is different from Numbers for the Mac. Tabbing there does indeed tab out of a cell even when editing a formula. I prefer the different behavior on the Mac, but have no problem adapting when I move back and forth.
Numbers doesn't have a lot of Excel-like "checkbox options." I'm grateful for the clean interface. (I like Excel too, and use it for different projects).
If you have a specific problem that is preventing you from getting work done then perhaps you could describe it more precisely.
SG
Badunit,
I do not have those turned on. I don't think I even have any installed other than the ones that come with apple and they are all default.
FWIW, on the Mac when I'm editing a formula I would not want a tab to exit the formula editor and go to the next cell. I
Tab works as expected when I'm not editing a formula.
SG
Numbers: Default action for next cell on enter
