How to limit text in a cell

There are a couple ways:

1) add an extra column which computes the length and posts a message "TOO LONG" when the length of the contents of the cells exceeds your limit

Cell B2=IF(LEN(A2)>30, "TOO LONG", "")

select B2 and fill down as necesary

2) Use a second table to shade the rows in error:

- Make a 2nd table with a single column

- in this new table enter the formula:

A2=IF(LEN(Table 2::A2)>30, 1, 0)

select A2 and fill down as necessary

- now select all the rows in this table and apply conditional formatting using the menu item "Format > Show Conditional Formatting Rules"

- make the single column as wide as the table or cell you want to flag with an error

- Send the 2nd table (the one with the header "Check") to the back using the menu item "Arrange > Sent To Back"

- slide the 2nd table under the first

You can't 'limit' the number of characters in a Numbers table cell, but you can flag the cells containing too many characters using the techniques described by Wayne.

You can also use a formula in a separate column to truncate the contents of entry cells to the allowable maximum.

Here's an example, using single word entries in column B with the same entries truncated to five characters (where necessary) in column C:

Formula shown in the formula bar is entered in C2 and filled down the column.

Regards,

Barry