Cell Format Changes with "Insert Date & Time"

Hi Jason,

(latest version, on the Mac)

Please quote the version of Numbers. The latest version is Numbers 3.2 where Insert Date & Time is greyed out for the "normal" view (where you can edit a table cell). To my knowledge, Insert Date & Time works only in Print Preview for page headers and footers, not cells.

If you are able to insert Date & Time into a table cell, it seems you are running Numbers 2.3 (Numbers '09).

Regards,

Ian.

Hi Jason,

click on the cell and enter input mode

Aha! we learn a little each day. Now I see. On a Mac, click twice on a cell to 'enter input mode' and Insert Date & Time is no longer greyed out. Thanks for that 🙂.

Now you've got me. I need to play around with that new idea.

'insert Date & Time' to an already-formatted cell as in your original question does exactly what you said.

'Insert Date & Time' in a blank cell seems to be better behaved.

Off to have a play... and I hope others will step in with ideas.

Regards,

Ian.

I am new to Numbers having relied on Excel for many a year.

Hi Jason,

I too came from Excel and it took me a while to understand that in Numbers, Date & Time format is exactly what it means. Both the Date and the Time are stored, even if only a part is displayed (through cell formatting). Date and Time really means an instant in time since midnight at the start of 1st January 1904 (the first Leap Year in the last century). Apparently, that makes time calculations easier (for the Numbers design engineers).

Regards,

Ian.

Hi Jason,

SG haas built a nice applescript that will insert the current date it is here: SGIII

It will do what you want it to do without changing your formatting. He has offered it in a few threads so if you have questions just do a search on "insert date".

edit:

I think this may be the original thread: SGIII

If you just want the download it is here 'Insert time' Automator Service

quinn