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Level 7

20,383 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

20,383 points

Dec 31, 2013 4:31 AM in response to eratzkoff

Hi Ephraim,

And while we wait for Apple to add "Auto-complete text in cells" in May 2014, we must look for other ways to skin a cat!

Regards, and Happy New Year,

Ian.

Dec 31, 2013 11:02 AM in response to Yellowbox

I'll skin some and and let some go.

A Happy New Year to You Too.

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.

Yellowbox Author

Level 7

20,383 points

Jan 24, 2014 3:30 AM in response to Yellowbox

A workaround for the missing Layout View and Print View in Numbers 3. Make your own layout guide and Save As Template. The screen shots are for A4 paper, landscape, 297 mm by 210 mm.

1. Start with a blank template. I mean really blank. Delete any objects on the canvas.

2. Menu > View > Show Rulers (command r).

3. From the vertical ruler, drag an alignment guide to line up with zero on the horizontal ruler.

4. From the horizontal ruler, drag an alignment guide to line up with zero on the vertical ruler.

Now you have the left and right margins marked.

5. Now for the right and bottom margins. They will depend upon the paper size. You can see your default paper size by Menu > Print...

6. Insert > Shape > Line, and rotate to make it horizontal.

7. Now for the fiddly bit. Drag the line to where you think is the bottom margin (by the vertical ruler). Check this with Menu > Print...

If the line appears on another page, it is too far down. Try again.

(When you click on Done in Print Preview, the rulers will be gone. Command r to show them again. Bummer!)

Trial and error will produce this (Note the horizontal line Shape at 16 cm down; this is 25% zoom to make the screen shot smaller):

8. From the horizontal ruler, drag an alignment guide to just above the line up (give some leeway; a millimetre or two inside the margin won't hurt).

9. Repeat for the right margin:

10. Delete those temporary lines (command drag across them to select). Insert > Shape > Rectangle. Set Fill to White or None. Drag to resize to the alignment guides (remember the alignment guides are a fraction inside the margins to give some leeway). Use the arrow keys and Format Inspector > Arrange > Size to finely align the rectangle.

11. Check with File > Print... to see that everything fits on one page.

12. Drag the alignment guides back to their rulers to delete them (if you wish).

13. Save As Template.

Now you have a rectangle to show the page margins as a guide when you arrange objects before printing to paper.

Regards,

Ian.

Yellowbox Author

Level 7

20,383 points

Jan 24, 2014 3:58 AM in response to Yellowbox

Typo (or old timer's disease)

Now you have the left and right margins marked.

Now you have left and top margins marked.

Ian. 😊

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

20,383 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

35,306 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.

Jan 26, 2014 1:41 AM in response to Yellowbox

Thanks Ian.

Backed out everything to Numbers 09. Exporting all my updated Numbers files back to Numbers 09. Probably do it to Pages as well. Whatever possessed Apple to introduce Numbers 3.xx?

Yellowbox Author

Level 7

20,383 points

Jan 26, 2014 6:21 AM in response to Spydermann

Hi Spyderman,

Whatever possessed Apple to introduce Numbers 3.xx?

Numbers '09 for serious work, Numbers 3.xx for syncing between OSX and iOS via iCloud.

Some users want to persevere with Numbers 3 because they like the new features and don't care about the lost features. Other users do not have the choice to revert to Numbers '09.

Hence this thread, and what has been GAINED in Numbers 3:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5473882?start=75&tstart=0

Happy Numbers '09!

Regards,

Ian.

t quinn

Level 5

7,043 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.

SGIII

Level 8

35,306 points

Jan 26, 2014 1:29 PM in response to Spydermann

Spydermann wrote:

Whatever possessed Apple to introduce Numbers 3.xx?

Maybe this has something to do with it?

In this situation would you want to invest expensive software engineering resources in a product that can only run well on the Mac?

Or would you want a product that works well on the Mac and also on popular mobile devices, something that no competitor so far has come close to matching?

If one defines "serious" work to include work that involves mobile data entry and collaboration, I think plenty of serious work can and will be done in Numbers 3 and its companion app for iOS.

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

35,306 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.

Workarounds in Numbers 3.0?