save selected checkboxes in Numbers

Question

Level 2

380 points

save selected checkboxes in Numbers

i'm fairly certain this isn't possible, but i'm going to ask...!

in Numbers (3.2.2) i have a fairly large spreadsheet with at least 60 checkboxes in a column against different options. you select a checkbox and a formula works something out.

the selection of checkboxes varies for each project i work on, so one day i'm working on a project and select specific checkboxes and the next day i'm on another project and may have different checkboxes selected. then, i need to go back to the first project with the exact same checkboxes ticked... is there a way to save the specific selection...??

one solution would be to save the entire file and duplicate the file for the next project, but i'm continually developing and updating the spreadsheet, so the first project will be out-of-date quite quickly.

the only other option i've thought of is to create a number of columns hidden over to one side of the sheet, each representing a project, and then copy and paste the selection of checkboxes as required....

is there a simpler/cleverer way...?!!

MacBook Pro (15-inch Early 2011), Mac OS X (10.7.3)

Posted on Jun 3, 2015 10:48 AM

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Answer 1

t quinn

Level 5

7,043 points

Jun 3, 2015 5:27 PM in response to ric frankland

Hi ric,

There are varied approaches you could take for this. One way would be to have a lookup table that holds your current checkbox values and is referenced depending on what project you are doing. It would be like having your extra columns in a separate table and instead of cutting and pasting you would select the project. You could even use your proposed hidden columns and use them as a lookup table.

quinn

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Answer 2

ric frankland Author

Level 2

380 points

Jun 3, 2015 11:45 PM in response to t quinn

thanks Quinn. i've checked into lookup tables... but it seems that no formula will make a checkbox ticked (or TRUE)...?

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Answer 3

t quinn

Level 5

7,043 points

Jun 4, 2015 6:46 AM in response to ric frankland

Hi ric,

Your checkbox column would no longer be checkboxes, it would be formulas reading checkboxes. Here is an approach that could be used as extra columns in your existing table or set up as an independent table.

A is your original checkbox column. The formulas that were dependent on it are getting the same info.

A1 is a popup where you choose which column of checkboxes to use.

A3 =INDEX(3:3,1,MATCH(A$1,$2:$2,0))

is filled down.

quinn

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Answer 4

ric frankland Author

Level 2

380 points

Jun 9, 2015 6:27 AM in response to t quinn

thanks again Quinn. i may be able to get that to work... having just one column of checkboxes is fairly important to the way the sheet works when going through items with a client, but i may be able to get some hidden columns off to one side. cheers!

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Answer 5

t quinn

Level 5

7,043 points

Jun 9, 2015 7:00 AM in response to ric frankland

Hi ric,

Good luck, glad it helped. Remember that you can keep the extra columns in a separate table. If your clients need to evaluate the former checkboxes you could use conditional highlighting to make them easier to read i.e. bold the TRUEs, grey out the FALSEs or just have solid grey cells for the TRUEs and white for the FALSEs.

quinn

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