Change values in a column from positive to negative and visa versa
have a column of numbers with positive and negative values. I'd like to be able to change the positive values to have a negative value and the negatives to show as positive amounts.
have a column of numbers with positive and negative values. I'd like to be able to change the positive values to have a negative value and the negatives to show as positive amounts.
Select a cell in the column with the values to be changed.
Let's say your data column is Column B. Select a cell in Column B and...
Option/Alt-Right Arrow, to insert a column to the right of the data column.
In the first adjacent cell of the new column write: =-B
Fill or Copy the cell you just programmed to the bottom of the range in this new Column C.
Select the entire formula range in Column C and Command-C to Copy it
Select the first data cell in Column B and Edit>Paste formula results.
Delete Column C.
This takes a lot longer to write about than to do. Probably 30 seconds to do it and two or three minutes to write about it.
A better way, in my experience, is to not change the sign of the data, but to change the sign in the expression where the data is used.
Regards,
Jerry
Select a cell in the column with the values to be changed.
Let's say your data column is Column B. Select a cell in Column B and...
Option/Alt-Right Arrow, to insert a column to the right of the data column.
In the first adjacent cell of the new column write: =-B
Fill or Copy the cell you just programmed to the bottom of the range in this new Column C.
Select the entire formula range in Column C and Command-C to Copy it
Select the first data cell in Column B and Edit>Paste formula results.
Delete Column C.
This takes a lot longer to write about than to do. Probably 30 seconds to do it and two or three minutes to write about it.
A better way, in my experience, is to not change the sign of the data, but to change the sign in the expression where the data is used.
Regards,
Jerry
Thanks a bunch Jerry! Solved my problem.
Sorry about the double post. Don't know how that happened. Numbers doesn't have the handy Paste Special command that Excel does, so we have to do it in multiple steps as I explained, but it is still quite easy.
Jerry
Change values in a column from positive to negative and visa versa