How do I insert Date and Time in Numbers 3.2?

Question

Level 1

8 points

How do I insert Date and Time in Numbers 3.2?

First time I opened a time sheet I keep for my helper, couldn't insert date and time. Is that now impossibe? A little step backwards?

iMac, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.5), Mavericks

Posted on Jun 17, 2014 1:50 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Jun 17, 2014 2:25 PM in response to Daru Stevens

I just created a new Numbers file and I can use the insert menu without issue:

Check the format of the cell in the inspector and also make sure you have double clicked in the cell so the cursor is blinking in the cell. Just clicking once on the cell does not enable you to insert the date and time. The cursor has to be in the cell.

Reply

Answer 2

Daru Stevens Author

Level 1

8 points

Jun 17, 2014 2:43 PM in response to Daru Stevens

Clicking twice. Big improvement over clicking once. So many things have become more cumbersome. It's true that clicking once didn't put the cursor in the cell before, but it wasn't necessary. I haven't found any advantages yet to the new app.

Thank hou for checking this out and finding the solution. Never occurred to me I had to double click. ( I remember when Apple invented the Dock, and the imrovement was, One Click to open an App... )

Reply

Answer 3

SGIII

Level 8

37,520 points

Jun 17, 2014 9:02 PM in response to Daru Stevens

To use it, click a cell once, and choose it from the Numbers > Services menu. That should insert the date-time into the cell you clicked. If you get a format that doesn't work on your machine, post and I'll try to suggest a modification.

If you're inserting dates a lot, you can add a shortcut by going here in System Preferences > Keyboard.

You'll need to pick a combination that isn't already taken.

SG

Reply

Answer 4

Daru Stevens Author

Level 1

8 points

Jun 17, 2014 2:14 PM in response to work horse

No, I don't mean how can I type it in. I want to insert it from the insert menu as I've always done. I'ts grayed out. I have a table formated for dates in a column, then time in others, and it calculates the hours and pay. Can we no longer insert dates?

Reply

Answer 5

Jun 17, 2014 3:07 PM in response to Daru Stevens

Daru,

Note that you get the Date that way, but the time is always set to Midnight (00:00) if you Insert into a Table Cell.

If you Insert into a Text container (Text Box or Shape) you will get the current time. You can copy that date/time object to a Table Cell and retain the time portion.

Jerry

Reply

Answer 6

Daru Stevens Author

Level 1

8 points

Jun 17, 2014 3:35 PM in response to Jerrold Green1

Well, another little step backwards... i just checked it out; couldn't believe Apple would do that. The Data Format offers you the old choices; I chose 7:08 PM, and you're right; it came up 12:00AM. That is really a bummer. But even worse than that: I formatted the cell first, with time only, no date, and it came up with Tuesday, June 17, 2014, and I had to format it again to getit to show the time only. I will concede that getting a format dialog box is a nice touch, but I had to double click twice to get it. 1st time selected date, 2nd time format dialog.

This must be a bug that will be corrected. 😉 Someday.

Reply

Answer 7

Jun 17, 2014 3:40 PM in response to Daru Stevens

I wouldn't hold my breath. SG has written an AppleScript that can be called by an Automator action that can be assigned to a Keyboard Shortcut, that will place the full date and time into a table cell in Numbers.

Jerry

Reply

Answer 8

Daru Stevens Author

Level 1

8 points

Jun 17, 2014 4:00 PM in response to Jerrold Green1

I agree.

Been using Apple Computers for 32 years, and never before have I seen apps get more difficult. Well, as they became capable of more things, they became complicated and somewhat less intuitive, but I've never seen easy things made hard. Like opening TextEdit or Pages or Numbers. Used to be I'd gt a new document that I'd chosen in preferences. Now you have to tell it, New... Puzzles me.

It seems to me, they are thinking different. But not like Steve meant... Different from Jobs. And that gray finder. Used to find everything at a glance because I had custom icons on every major category. I miss that. But, I don't miss the freezes and crashes of OS 9 and earlier. Maybe the reliability of the OS is dependent on a gray finder...

Daru

Reply

Answer 9

SGIII

Level 8

37,520 points

Jun 17, 2014 8:25 PM in response to Daru Stevens

I'm not sure if this will fit your needs but here is theAutomator Service Jerry mentioned (Dropbox dowload).

To install in your Numbers > Services menu, doublclick the .workflow package (and if necessary click 'Open Anyway' in System Preferences > Security & Privacy).

You can assign a keyboard shortcut to it if you want, in System Preferences > Keyboard.

If it does not give you the format you want on your machine post and I can try to give you the appropriate change to the script.

SG

Reply

Answer 10

Daru Stevens Author

Level 1

8 points

Jun 17, 2014 8:54 PM in response to SGIII

Thank you for that. I've installed it, but don't understand how to use it.

Assigning a shortcut: looking at Keyboard/Shotcuts/Services, I don't know how to assign a shortcut to this partilcular workflow, nor have I ever called up an automator action.

Daru

Reply

Answer 11

Daru Stevens Author

Level 1

8 points

Jun 19, 2014 7:05 AM in response to SGIII

Thank you. I’ve never used the services menu!. Got it.

My spread sheets have date and time in separate columns. The Date format desired: Wed, Jun 18, 2014

That’s most important because when I insert the date, the dialog box that appears does not include an option for today’s date with the day abbreviated (it always is Wednesday, June 18, 2014), and so it takes more clicks to format the cell with the abbreviation.

The time, just hour and minutes: 8:24 AM, works fine if the cell is formatted in advance and the time is entered by typing, but not when inserted. Could that be formatted in Services with a shortcut?

Are two formats possible? Date and time separately?

I really appreciate your sending me this. Thank you.

Daru

Reply

Answer 12

Aug 18, 2016 10:45 AM in response to Daru Stevens

Is there a keyboard command function available for inserting the Date in Numbers like there is for Excel? I am making an effort to migrate from Excel to Numbers but many of the easy keyboard commands in Excel (like Command Hyphen to instantly insert the date and Command Semi-Colon to insert the time) don't seem to transfer? This means I have to maneuver through the Carpel Tunnel menu selection route. Having easy keyboard commands would make the transition less bumpy.

Thanks

Reply

Answer 13

SGIII

Level 8

37,520 points

Aug 18, 2016 11:49 AM in response to wanderfire

wanderfire wrote:

Is there a keyboard command function available for inserting the Date in Numbers like there is for Excel?

Did you have a chance to read the posts above? There is a link to an Automator Service that you can install (all it takes is a double-click and give permission in System Preferences > Privacy & Security). There is a description and screenshot illustrating how to assign a keyboard shortcut. Installation takes a minute or so. The resulting functionality is similar to Excel.

SG

Reply

Answer 14

Jun 17, 2014 2:01 PM in response to Daru Stevens

No, it's very easy to do. Just click in the cell and type your date (6/17/14). Then you format the cell as to how you want the date/time to appear:

Reply