Excel for iPad

Question

Level 1

19 points

Excel for iPad

Hello everyone!

I've been starting to use some spreadsheets to track some stats in a game I play with my friends every week. I've got a working Excel spreadsheet set up and working well enough for now, but it could be a lot better and more efficient.

I'm entering this data as the game is going on so using a bluetooth keyboard is hugely helpful since it lets me enter stuff very quickly and precisely. I want this spreadsheet to speed things up, not slow them down so being able to enter data quickly and accurately is important. Touch is fine for a lot of things but I've already found that selecting cells quickly with my finger is imprecise enough (hitting the wrong cell or item) that it and slows things down compared to just arrowing around from cell to cell and typing.

One of the ways I'm hoping to improve it, and speed things is to use drop-down menus for certain fields where there are only a limited number of options (such as "win," "lose," or "tie"). I've set up some of these menus but they seem to only work via touch. Is there any way to invoke a drop-down menu via a keyboard? On my work computer in Excel I can invoke a drop down menu on a cell by hitting alt+arrow (up or down), but that doesn't seem to work in Excel for iPad. Is there some other key-combo that might work? Typing the name of the item doesn't invoke the drop-down either. (ie if I start to type "Win" it doesn't just fill in that option or bring up the list for me to choose from).

Let me know if you have any questions or need any more info from me! Thanks so much!

PS - I have also tried this in Numbers and have the same issue there. (I've already asked in the forum for Numbers, but if you know of a way to do it in Numbers that'd be just fine too).

iPad Air 2 WiFi, Cellular, iOS 8.3

Posted on Jun 5, 2015 8:12 AM

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Answer 1

Brandonshire Author

Level 1

19 points

Jun 5, 2015 2:07 PM in response to Brandonshire

Whoops. Looks like I screwed up on the title for this post. It should have been far more descriptive. It should have read "Invoking Dropdowns in Excel for iPad with a Bluetooth keyboard." I don't see a way to edit the post unfortunately.

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Answer 2

imobl

Level 7

21,102 points

Jun 5, 2015 2:44 PM in response to Brandonshire

Being as Excel is a microsoft product, you might have more success contacting

them for assistance.

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Answer 3

Brandonshire Author

Level 1

19 points

Jun 5, 2015 6:45 PM in response to imobl

I have asked on the MS forums too. I'm covering all bases, since it's the iPad version. I've actually seen more Office for iPad questions answered here than there.

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Answer 4

rccharles

Level 6

13,037 points

Jun 5, 2015 7:19 PM in response to Brandonshire

you type in a cvs format then import it into excel. See your computer version of excel & export a cvs format to see what they look like.

create you own short cut version then convert it to cvs.

continue using excel, but modify the input so it is easier to type. Use excel global change or macros to change to final format.

Robert

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Answer 5

Brandonshire Author

Level 1

19 points

Jun 8, 2015 7:59 AM in response to rccharles

Hi rccharles,

Thank you for your reply. I don't quite understand what it is you're suggesting I do. Can you clarify a bit?

Are you suggesting I change the spreadsheet into a comma separated values (CSV) format, to see if that allows me to use pop-ups? Or the other way around? I'm not sure why that would be the case.

Unfortunately I'm just not quite understanding what you're suggesting and need you to walk me through with a bit more detail.

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Answer 6

rccharles

Level 6

13,037 points

Jun 8, 2015 8:47 AM in response to Brandonshire

try control alt/option up-arrow

Keys are named differently on mac keyboard from pc keyboard

mac option is alt key

mac command key is windows key

mac return is enter

etc.

There seems to be some confusion over what are the shortcut keys.

Witness

This microsoft article seems to be the supported shortcut keys, but conflicts with what is stated in the next article note at bottom.

https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Use-an-external-keyboard-with-Excel-for -iPad-e484e2b0-7a92-4c6b-ad83-ad16e3ee71…

This microsoft article indicates that control alt/option up-arrow is what you need. note at bottom indicate apply to ipad.

https://support.office.com/en-nz/article/Excel-keyboard-shortcuts-ef213435-a57e- 4ce1-bac6-2b39f16cb121

not complete

https://support.office.com/en-nz/article/Excel-keyboard-shortcuts-ef213435-a57e- 4ce1-bac6-2b39f16cb121

not complete

https://exceljet.net/keyboard-shortcuts

Found out that the office site is a microsoft site.

--------------------------------------------------------------

I re-read you original post.

All I'm saying is you invent abbreviations for where you use the dropdown menu.

such as "win," "lose," or "tie")

you type "w", "l", or "t"

There is more of a chance of making mistakes, but will be faster to type. Does the Excel for ipad support macros? I believe in the full excel you can filter the input. Isn't there some way of putting a filter on the input? Thus, allowing you to check for valid input?

This seems to be the supported shortcut keys.

https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Use-an-external-keyboard-with-Excel-for -iPad-e484e2b0-7a92-4c6b-ad83-ad16e3ee71…

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Answer 7

Brandonshire Author

Level 1

19 points

Jun 8, 2015 8:59 AM in response to rccharles

So, I am considering the option of just using the first letter of each option, but as you say, the chances of mistakes increase, and accuracy is important here (and mistakes will slow me down more than anything).

Unfortunately my example above of "Win, Lose, Tie" is a simplified example. There are more options than just that, and there are a number of different places that have lots of other options. A drop-down menu is really ideal for this (both for accuracy and speed, but also so I don't forget an option, or misspell it), but only if I can invoke it using a keyboard.

Unfortunately, alt/option up/down does not work on Excel for iPad (despite what the note at the bottom of the one article says).

It looks like for now, as far as I can see (please let me know if I'm wrong people out there!) there isn't a way to do what I want to do so I'll have to make due with a less good option.

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