Negative Percentage Input Inconsistencies

Question

Negative Percentage Input Inconsistencies

I'm have a problem entering negative percentages in Numbers '09 on my iMac. With a column formated for percent with two decimal places, when I enter positive numbers (e.g., 1.24, 3.45, 1.09, etc. ) I get the right numbers in the cell (1.24%, 3.45%, 1.09%) Howerver, when I enter negative numbers, I get odd things in the cell. For example when I enter -1 I get -1%, when I enter-0.86 I get -86.00%, when I enter -1.23 I get -1.23%. I found that if I enter -0.86% (with the percent key added), I get -0.86% in the cell.

However:

works fine ...

Reading the User Guide and searching here I can't find any explanation for this.

Does anyone have an explanation for this odd behavior?

iPad 2, iOS 5, iMac OS X 10.6.8, iPhone 4 iOS 5

Posted on Feb 17, 2012 12:21 PM

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Answer 1

KOENIG Yvan

Level 8

41,819 points

Feb 18, 2012 10:15 AM in response to Badunit

Hello Badunit

From my point of view, it's clearly a bug.

In cell E2, E3,E4, the formulas are : =D/100

In cell E5 I typed 86

In cells F2 thru F5, the formulas are : =E but the format of these cells is set to percent with three decimal figures.

If I type 86 in cell F6, I get 86,000 % (French system using the decimal comma)

I will file a report.

Yvan KOENIG (VALLAURIS, France) samedi 18 février 2012

iMac 21”5, i7, 2.8 GHz, 12 Gbytes, 1 Tbytes, mac OS X 10.6.8 and 10.7.3

My Box account is : http://www.box.com/s/00qnssoyeq2xvc22ra4k

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Answer 2

Feb 17, 2012 12:41 PM in response to bwfromspring hill

On further testing, the problem seems to be with any percentages (both positive or negative) expressed as small decimal amounts.

For example, entering -1.55 in a cell formatted for percentages results in -1.55%, but if I enter -0.23 I get -23.00% and if I enter 0.45, I get 45.00%. It doesn't matter if I enter 0.34 or .34 or -0.34 or -.34 I still get either 34.00% or -34.00 percent when I hit return.

The only workaround seems to be to type "%" after the number when the number does not have a value of greater than 1 (plus or minus) in front of the decimal point. Am I doing something wrong?

Message was edited by: bwfromspring hill

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Answer 3

Jeff Shenk

Level 4

3,005 points

Feb 17, 2012 12:45 PM in response to bwfromspring hill

I don't think positive and negative matter; when you enter a number with an absolute value of 1 or more into a cell formated as percentage, Numbers assumes you are entering a percentage and appends the % symbol as you enter it. If you enter a number between -1 and 1, Numbers assumes it is a number and converts it to a percentage.

This seems inconsistant to me, but I don't know if it is a bug or if it serves some higher purpose which I can't divine.

You caught me while I was typing. Message was edited by: Jeff Shenk

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Answer 4

Feb 17, 2012 1:21 PM in response to bwfromspring hill

bwfromspring hill wrote:

... Am I doing something wrong?

I think that some software designer thought he would be doing you a favor, when anyone with a brain engaged doesn't need that favor. Now that you have figured out that typing a percent sign behind percentages less than one gives you what you want, you can move on. I doubt that you'll get anywhere reporting it, but if it really bothers you, give Numbers Feedback a shot.

Jerry

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Answer 5

Feb 17, 2012 1:58 PM in response to bwfromspring hill

Thanks guys,

You both have it. It confirms that I'm not crazy (very often, at least) and common sense is again overulled by those engineers that think they know how we should behave as opposed to how we do behave. The analogy is building sidewalks where people walk as opposed to where one thinks they will walk.

Glad to have the issue behind me. Thanks for your quick replies.

bw

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Answer 6

Badunit

Level 7

30,708 points

Feb 17, 2012 6:57 PM in response to bwfromspring hill

86 or .86 or 0.86 results in the same 86%. It is an inconsistency in the way data is to be entered. I doubt it was purposely planned to be this way. At best it was not well specified in the design and therefore got implemented inconsitently. At worst it is a bug.

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