I have been using Numbers invoice template and want to reverse engineer a spread sheet and customer data base from the existing invoices. I also want to have the ability to use that database on future invoices. Is there a way to do this in Numbers?
Mac Pro, Mac OS X (10.7.3), eSATA card issues
Could you provide more specifics on what you are trying to do?
What do you mean by:
-- "reverse engineer a spread sheet and customer data base"?
-- "use that database on future invoices"?
Examples would help.
SG
I have a number of existing invoices that were generated by directly using the Numbers invoice template after I had customized it for my company and services. What I need to do now is create a database of those invoices. Is there a way to take a stack of existing invoices and create a database out of them rather than starting with a database of customers and generating invoices?
Hi JHCohon,
Consolidating data from various tables is usually a little challenging in Numbers. Additionally there is the problem that the invoice number in the template is not even in a table it is a line in a text box. We do have someApplescript gurus that might be able to extract the relevant data but they would have to know many particulars. A copy of your modified template showing the invoice number and how the files are saved on your computer. SG and Hiroto are the ones that could tell you if this is possible/practiacal your your situation.
Good Luck!
quinn
What information (columns) do you want in your database table?
SG
SG,
O.k. this is less than encouraging, but I shall endeavor onward.
Thank you for the lead on code scripting gurus.
JC
SGIII,
Here is a screen shot of my slightly customized invoice so that you can see what the headings refer to.
Company Name, Project Title, Date of Invoice, Invoice Number, Total.
So it seems you want the database table columns to draw their values from the customized portion of the invoice? Is that correct?
The original invoice template has a text box up in that portion of the sheet. But from the grid format in the screenshot it looks as if you may have added a table instead of a text box in the customized portion at the top. If so, grabbing the data should be easier. Is it in fact a table? If so, what name have you given it?
And do you have multiple invoices in multiple sheets a document? If so how do you name your sheets and tables? If you have the invoices in separate documents, how do you name your documents?
SG
SG,
I have a similar problem in Numbers that I would like to build an invoice system, like Filemaker, but much simpler way. So that the invoice number is automatically generated or accumulated. Currently, I have 2 tables in the invoice sheet for entering contents ( attached pdf ), the grey cells requires data-input, the yellow cells are lookup datas from other sheets, the green cells are automatically calculated. I wish to use this invoice layout to build an invoices database ( or table ), so that every time I open this file, it generate a new invoice number and store a new record into that database or table.
thanks,
Nudio
Hi Nudio,
Nice-looking invoices. I'm not sure how one could accomplish the workflow you describe in Numbers. Numbers, and other spreadsheet apps, tend to be more convenient if you input data in table form and extract data from those tables in formatted "reports" (of which an invoice would be an example). It's harder to have a system where you input data in various places (e.g. different invoices) and then consolidate the data into a table. If you have Filemaker you might find it is much betters suited than a spreadsheet for this.
SG
Thank you very much for the quick answer.
Is there any way that could do things like automatically generate / accumulate new invoices number on each save of the file?
How to convert existing invoices to database automatically?
