"speak selected text when the key is pressed" doesn't work in numbers

If you want to to hear the contents of a cell, you have to enter text edit mode (double click the cell), then select all the text in the cell. The easiest way to enter text edit mode and select all the text is to triple click the cell. Now select the menu item "Edit > Speech > Start Speaking"

And this works here (after Wayne's triple-click):

SG

Hi Seabeethree,

A rather clunky workaround, but do it once and Save As Template.

Formula in Footer Cell B8

=B2&","&B3&","&B4&","&B5&","&B6&","&B7

(The commas insert pauses, I think. A bit hard to test.)

Copy B8, click in B9 and Menu > Edit > Paste Formula Results. That makes it easier to triple click B9 to select all the text.

Menu > Edit > Speech > Start Speaking

It would be good to make the pauses longer, but double commas don't seem to do that.

Regards,

Ian.

Hi Seabeethree,

This might speak with a better tempo. The row number is spoken, so you can "catch up" if you get distracted,

Formula in C2 (and Fill Down)

="Row"&" "&ROW(B2)&", "&B2&", "

Concatenate in C8 might be a little easier than in my previous reply

=CONCATENATE(C2,C3,C4,C5,C6,C7)

Save As Template.

Copy C8 and Paste Formula Results into C9.

Regards,

Ian.

Hello

Here's a way to accomplish what you want by means of AppleScript script, which may be run via Automator service.

You may create an Autamotr service as follows.

Service properties:

- Service receives [no input] in [Numbers.app]

- [NOT CHECKED] Replaces selected text

Run AppleScript action:

- Code is as follows

_main() on _main() tell application "Numbers" tell document 1 tell (sheet 1 whose tables's selection range's class contains range) tell (table 1 whose selection range's class = range) if not (exists) then return tell selection range set rr to cells's value end tell end tell end tell end tell end tell set t to _join(rr, ",,") say t return t end _main on _join(tt, d) (* list tt : source list string d : separator return string : tt joined with d *) local astid0, t try set {astid0, AppleScript's text item delimiters} to {AppleScript's text item delimiters, {} & d} set t to "" & tt set AppleScript's text item delimiters to astid0 on error errs number errn set AppleScript's text item delimiters to astid0 error errs number errn end try return t end _join

Resulting service workflow will look something like this. (Syntax colouring will be different)

Service will be saved in ~/Library/Services.

To use it, select target range in Numbers document and invoke the service via Numbers > Services menu. You may also define a keyboard shortcut for the service via System Preferences.app.

Briefly tested with Numbers v2 under OS X 10.6.8.

Good luck,

H

Hi Hiroto,

Your script works in Numbers 3.5.3 on OS X Yosemite 10.10.3

With these cells selected in Numbers,

then Compile and Run the script in Script Editor.

Speech works, and the 'Result' appears in Script Editor:

"1.2,,1.3,,22.0,,400.0,,missing value,,missing value"

🙂

Regards,

Ian.

Seabeethree wrote:

For some inexplicable reason, I can't save the script in Automator as a Service though. I select Service when creating the new Automator file but when I save it, it's a Workflow not a Service. :-S

A Service has a .workflow extension. In Finder hold down the option key and in the menu Go > Library > Services. It should be in that folder. If it's somewhere else you can move it into that folder via Finder and it should show up in the Number > Services menu. Be sure in Automator that you selected 'No input' and 'Numbers.app' before saving.

SG

Hi Seabeethree,

This has really got me intrigued. I especially like Hiroto's idea of announcing "missing value" for blank cells.

New, improved version in Numbers

In Table 1, I had to break the process down into small steps (I had trouble with combining the steps into a single, complex formula).

Formula in C2 ="Row"&" "&ROW(B2)&", "

Formula in D2 =IF(B2="","missing value, ",B2&", ")

Formula in E2 =C2&D2

Table 2

Formula in B1 =CONCATENATE(Table 1::E2,Table 1::E3,Table 1::E4,Table 1::E5,Table 1::E6,Table 1::E7)

and so on for a longer Table 1. Don't type cell references; use 'point and click' on a cell, then type a comma.

Interesting that we don't need to triple click to select all text in B2. Two clicks to put the cursor in that cell, then Menu > Edit > Speech > Start Speaking.

Hiding the intermediate steps (Columns C, D, E of Table 1):

Posting now before time-out...

Regards,

Ian

Right, this is not exactly obvious. Another tip. If the Service .workflow package ends up somewhere else then try double-clicking it in Finder. It should then self-install in the correct location. (You may have to click 'Open anyway' in System Preferences > Security & Privacy.)

SG