Numbered list in numbers

You may have to explain further. If I put 7.1 in cell A2 and 7.2 in cell A3, then select both cells, I can drag down on the yellow dot and create a series. That series will go 7.1, 7.2, ... 7.9, 8.0, 8.1, etc. If I do it instead with 7,1 and 7,2 the series continues on as 7,X where X is an ever increasing number. In both cases, I am able to create a series by dragging down on the yellow dot. This is using Numbers 3.

you have localization settings that use the comma as the decimal separator. Then you enter "7.0" and "7.1", etc numbers just thins you are typing words (not numbers) because the period not the decimal.

I suggest you open the "System Preferences" then select the panel "Language & Region" then click the button "Advanced"

now set the decimal to a period or change the language to one that uses the period as the decimal.

Hi Catarina,

In your first post you specify this format:

using the format 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, etc

In your latest post you specify this format:

Chapter 7

7.1 blblabla

7.2 blaabla

Those are two very different things. And the latest one doesn't appear to be internally consistent.

Can you live with the first format you originally posted? If so, the solution has been suggested.

I don't think any spreadsheet app can handle your latest format.

You could consider entering the number part in one column and the blblabla part in the column next to it.

SG

Hello

I can confirm the said behaviour with Numbers v2.0.5 under OS X 10.6.8. I'd consider it bug.

As shown in the following screenshot, only the period delimited numeric strings are affected. If decimal separator is comma, fill operation does not generate sequence but repeat the selection. If decimal separator is period, fill operation does generate sequence but with garbage figures at end. (Note that cells are formatted as text in both cases.)

A workaround would be to generate sequence using comma delimited numeric strings and replace comma with period by formula as shown below.

Generator (excerpt) - in English, decimal period locale A1 text A2 7,1 A3 7,2 B1 auto B2 =SUBSTITUTE(A2,",",".") B3 =SUBSTITUTE(A3,",",".")

* You may fill down A2:B3.

Of course such workaround is tedious and it would be far easier to type sequence manually. You might provide feedback to Apple regarding this issue. (Some behaviours may vary with Numbers v3.)

Hope this may help,

H

I would say "Yes" is matters. Please provide all the details of the problem you are trying to solve. Context is important, so, if you have examples, please, post them so we can offer suggestions inline with the goal.

Often it is best to show what you have (by creating examples of what you want to the final solution to look like) and provide what the inputs are, then let us recommend solutions.

Here is one way:

Type "1" in the first cell of the column

In all other cells of column A paste a formula.

The formula adds 0.1 to the previous cell. When you change chapters, manually type the new chapter number.

A1 contains "1" (no double quotes)

A2=A1+0.1

this is shorthand for, select cell A2, then type (or copy and paste from here) the formula:

=A1+0.1

select A2, copy

select cells A2 thru the end of the column, paste

now simply type the number on the row when the chapter changes. If you type over a formula later, select a cell in column A with a formula in it, copy, then select the cell (s) you typed over, paste

You can get fancier and only show the chapter numbers when there is information in columns B, C, and D but that gets harder to keep straight. Depending on how you work the fancier way could be helpful.

Finally... I should address switching the comma to a period. Add a new column after column A and enter the formula:

B1=SUBSTITUTE(A1; ","; ".")

Again, this is shorthand for, select cell B1, then type (or copy and paste from here) the formula:

=SUBSTITUTE(A1; ","; ".")

later on, you can hide column A

As I mentioned before, it's not a bug. In your localization the decimal is the comma. If you change the decimal separator in System preferences you could also solve this.

Select the menu item

" > System Preferences"

now select "Language & Region"

now click the "Advanced" button

now change the "Number separators:" so that the Decimal is a period and not a comma.

Hi Wayne,

One could argue it's not strictly speaking a bug. But it does seem to be a (lack of a) feature.

Excel doesn't make the user monkey around in System Preferences, or with formulas, to fill cells with a logical progression of values. For this it "just works."

As, apparently, does Pages, though I haven't tested that.

SG

OK. I misunderstood the problem. I think you should post feedback to Apple using the menu item "Numbers > Provide Numbers Feedback"

I think you can make feature request changes.

Finally (an this is being pedantic) the definition of a bug is that a program does not behave as intended. I think this is acting the way Apple (it's just me supposing here) but not the way the user would like. You can get the outcome you want but it will be thru some coercion like I have already described. There is not formatting or changing settings that will fix this.

Since Pages does this correctly(I confirmed it) maybe that is the tool for this job