Level 7

21,939 points

Workarounds in Numbers 3.0?

Dear Fellow Numbers 3.0 Users,

In Numbers 3.0, some features have been lost that were in Numbers 2.3. However, I have seen some creative ideas in this forum for ways to work around the loss of features yet maintaining the functionality.

Example 1:

http://discussions.apple.com/thread/5491941?answerId=23612026022#23612026022&ac_cid=tw123456#23612026

In the new Numbers, where did autofill drop down menus go and how do I get them back? See the replies from SGIII and Smirhcfa

Autofill has gone. Workaround: enter your most used values into a column. Select all body cells in that Column and change the Cell format to pop-up. The pop-up will now contain choices for filling in other Rows.

Another workaround could be to use a lookup table of frequently used entries (each with a unique first character). Type the first character of an entry in one Column. The next Column fills in the full entry from a lookup table. After all, is this not how Autofill works?

Example 2:

Numbers 3.0 does not show dates in a Chart. Workaround: convert the dates to a Duration (day or week from the starting time) or even a number to represent time elapsed.

Some workarounds may seem to be clunky, but in Numbers 2 we also need workarounds!

Please keep this thread positive. By now, I think we have heard enough about features and functionality that seem to be lost.

Workarounds, anyone?

Regards,

Ian.

MacBook Pro (13-inch Mid 2012), OS X Mavericks (10.9), Numbers 2.3 & 3.0, Pages'09

Posted on Nov 1, 2013 6:16 AM

42 replies

Yellowbox Author

Level 7

21,939 points

Nov 2, 2013 4:30 AM in response to Yellowbox

Added since last update

I can't add a shadow to a Table. Workaround: insert a rectangle Shape, Arrange > Send To Back, slide it behind the Table. Use the Alignment Guides to drag and resize the rectangle. Numbers > Preferences > Rulers > Alignment Guides. Turn them on.

Sorting by multiple Columns has gone. Workaround: Add another Column (e.g. D) =A&B&C (or your preferred sort order for Columns). Sort by Column D.

No way to set margins. Workaround: Print the document as PDF. Open the PDF in Preview and use the Cropping Tool to crop out the white space.

Show Print View and Show Layout have gone. Workaround: Menu > File > Print to see the Print Preview. Use the Content Scale slider. Also, see where you can delete blank rows or columns, or make columns narrower, or drag objects to reduce white space. Not as easy as editing in Print View in Numbers 2, but you are still responsible for (and in charge of) the final look!

Reorganize panel has gone. How do I Sort selected rows? Workaround: copy those rows to a new table, sort, then copy and paste back.

Previous list:

Autocomplete has gone. Workaround: enter your most used values into a column. Select all body cells in that Column and change the Cell format to pop-up. The pop-up will now contain choices for filling in other Rows. Another workaround could be to use a lookup table of frequently used entries (each with a unique first character). Type the first character of an entry in one Column. The next Column fills in the full entry from a lookup table. After all, is this not how Autocomplete works?

Numbers 3.0 does not show dates in a Chart. Workaround: convert the dates to a Duration (day or week from the starting time) or even a number to represent time elapsed.

Regards,

Ian.

Yellowbox Author

Level 7

21,939 points

Nov 4, 2013 3:49 AM in response to Yellowbox

Custom Formats no longer available. Workaround: by cullen15 in https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5506468?answerId=23657853022#23657853022&ac_cid=tw123456#23657853

Create a Custom Format in a Numbers 2 document. Save. Then Save As… a copy with a new name so Numbers 3 can't snaffle your original Numbers 2 document. Open the copy in Numbers 3 and the Custom formats will be listed in Format Inspector > Cell Data Format. The Custom Formats are carried over and they work.

Note: copy and paste of cells from Numbers 2 to Numbers 3 does not carry the custom format. Pasted cells end up as Text format.

Regards,

Ian.

Yellowbox Author

Level 7

21,939 points

Nov 4, 2013 8:53 AM in response to SGIII

Hi SG,

More Strine (Australian)

Wine chiver coal share? (Why don't you have a cold shower?)

Garment seamy anile seaward icon do. (Come and see me and I'll see what I can do.)

Baked necks. (Bacon and eggs.)

Egg nishna. (Air conditioner.)

You have to speak with a lazy drawl, lips barely open, and from the side of your mouth for this to work.

Regards,

Ian.

P.S. Links from post to post seem to be playing up. My link from Cullen 15 back to here takes me to Apple.com 😕

Yellowbox Author

Level 7

21,939 points

Nov 8, 2013 2:08 AM in response to Yellowbox

Show Print View and Show Layout have gone (update). Workaround hints:

Menu > View >Show Rulers. Drag Alignment Guides from a ruler to where you want them. Caution: the rulers and/or Alignment Guides may not be accurate. Try Format Inspector > Arrange > Position (or Size) to see if that works better for you.

Menu > Numbers > Preferences > Rulers > Alignment Guides. That allows you to align objects with *each other* (rather than with the ruler guides). These guides help to align objects left, middle, right, top, bottom.

Select multiple objects, then Format Inspector > Arrange > Align (or Distribute). Also under Menu > Arrange.

When duplicating an object (such as a nicely formatted Table that you want to reuse) select the Table, copy, and before you paste, click on the canvas below or beside. Pasted Table will automatically be aligned with the original.

Menu > File > Print to see the Print Preview. Use the Content Scale slider.

Also, see where you can delete blank rows or columns, or make columns narrower, or drag objects to reduce white space. Not as easy as editing in Print View in Numbers 2, but you are still responsible for (and in charge of) the final look!

Regards,

Ian.

Updated list to follow.

Yellowbox Author

Level 7

21,939 points

Nov 8, 2013 2:12 AM in response to Yellowbox

Updated list:

Custom Formats no longer available. Workaround: Create a Custom Format in a Numbers 2 document. Save. Then Save As… a copy with a new name so Numbers 3 can't snaffle your original Numbers 2 document. Open the copy in Numbers 3 and the Custom formats will be listed in Format Inspector > Cell > Data Format. The Custom Formats are carried over and they work. Note: copying a custom formatted Cell or Table in Numbers 2, then pasting into Numbers 3 does not work. The Custom cell(s) are pasted as text.

Sorting by multiple Columns has gone. Workaround: Add another Column (e.g. D) =A&B&C (or your preferred sort order for Columns). Sort by Column D.

No way to set margins. Workaround: Print the document as PDF. Open the PDF in Preview and use the Cropping Tool to crop out the white space.

****

Show Print View and Show Layout have gone (update). Workaround hints:

Select multiple objects, then Format Inspector > Arrange > Align (or Distribute). Also under Menu > Arrange.

Menu > File > Print to see the Print Preview. Use the Content Scale slider.

****

Reorganize panel has gone. How do I Sort selected rows? Workaround: copy those rows to a new table, sort, then copy and paste back.

Numbers 3.0 does not show dates in a Chart. Workaround: convert the dates to a Duration (day or week from the starting time) or even a number to represent time elapsed.

Regards,

Ian.

SGIII

Level 8

37,550 points

Nov 14, 2013 10:16 AM in response to Yellowbox

Hi Ian,

Thanks for the green tick and especially for the updated list. It should be useful for those who are working in Numbers 3.0.

Here's hoping the workarounds list shrinks in the coming months as Apple adds in some features.

Dec 31, 2013 12:50 AM in response to SGIII

Many thanks for the tip on pop-ups instead of auto fill. Now, can we get the pop-up in alphabetical order because I have a random list entered chronologically of approx 250 items and the look up takes a wee too much time to make it effective?

GSoriaN

Level 1

0 points

Jan 3, 2014 2:00 PM in response to Yellowbox

Regarding "Pop-Up Menu functionality"...

It should be usefully if I can use values from a range of cells, instead of use values added in the list of the feature window. (Like Excel's Data Validation).

Hoping for this feature in the next release.

Memo.

Jan 25, 2014 9:35 PM in response to Yellowbox

Sorry Yellowbox but this is an impossible workaround. I also cannot find how to set page margins either. The word "margin" is not even in Numbers Help.

Centering a page and adjusting margins is a feature that I'd like to work easily and not have to go thru a 13 step workaround.

Is it possible for me to backout this new Numbers and reinstall an old version that works.

Yellowbox Author

Level 7

21,939 points

Jan 25, 2014 9:49 PM in response to Spydermann

Hi Spyderman,

Yes, a lengthy workaround but only needs doing once.

There is no way to set the margins in Numbers 3. Please give feedback to Apple.

Numbers '09 is in a folder called iWork '09 inside your Applications folder. I use both versions as each has its strengths. Sure, for printing on paper, I use Numbers '09.

Regards,

Ian.

SGIII

Level 8

37,550 points

Jan 25, 2014 10:13 PM in response to Yellowbox

Ian,

Thanks for the tips. I find them helpful. Of all the things we do with such complicated beasts as spreadsheet programs, this is not so hard, I think. I'm keeping fingers crossed in the hope that adjustable margins reappear at some point for the occasions when a printout is needed.

t quinn

Level 5

7,063 points

Jan 26, 2014 1:08 PM in response to GSoriaN

GSoriaN,

You can do this now. If you have a list, even a text list, Select it and go to Format/cell/Data Format. choose Pop-up Menu. Copy paste if you need it elsewhere. You can also merge different pop-ups by selecting them and clicking Merge Menu Items under Data Format.

Jan 26, 2014 4:42 PM in response to SGIII

Thanks SG & Ian. All makes sense now. Reverted to iWork '09 and exported all files back to '09. Numbers 3.x removed features that I need and didn't really add anything that I can use. If Numbers '09 is to be eventually unsupported, I'm hoping that the features that are missing in Numbers 3.x get merged in. I need to be able to successfully print stuff out (like conversion tables) to stick on my shed wall. Got a 21" HP Android tablet in my shed but it's not as good as a hard copy.

SGIII

Level 8

37,550 points

Jan 26, 2014 7:00 PM in response to Spydermann

Spydermann wrote:

I need to be able to successfully print stuff out (like conversion tables) to stick on my shed wall. Got a 21" HP Android tablet in my shed but it's not as good as a hard copy.

Android tablet! How about an iPad running Numbers with its screen mirrored (takes two taps via AppleTV) to a big flatscreen TV on that shed wall! Now that would be more like it.🙂

Jan 26, 2014 9:56 PM in response to SGIII

SG.

A whopping great flat screen would be great. My short-term wish list is to get a new iMac for my study and move my mac-mini to my shed. The mini has a 27" Kogan screen but bigger would be better, but until then the 21" Android will suffice. However the touch screen will take some beating as I can hone in on illustrations with my greasy fingers.

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Workarounds in Numbers 3.0?