Numbers changing / to in formulas

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Busta999 Author

Level 1

77 points

Numbers changing / to in formulas

Only just started using Numbers.

I am coming across a very weird thing

Running Numbers version 4.3.1 (5249) on MacOS 10.12.6 (16G1036)

Whenever I type / to perform a divide function Numbers changes it to a +

Very odd because it is actually performing a /

i.e. I type =(C5-C6)/C6 and it actually enters =(C5-C6)+C6

I have been searching around and cannot find any reason for doing this.

In every other app on my Mac pressing / puts a / on the screen in Numbers it puts a +

I have rebooted my Mac/ performed a PRAM reset.

I cannot find out how to fix this.

Any suggestions - thoughts would be much appreciated - this is freaking me out... :-)

Mac mini, macOS Sierra (10.12.5), iMacs, iPads, iPhones, TC, AEs, ATV

Posted on Dec 15, 2017 2:31 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

SGIII

Level 8

35,264 points

Dec 15, 2017 3:37 AM in response to Busta999

That throws a lot of Excel users off at first. But once you expect to see the ÷ your eyes automatically see it as a +.

I would guess the idea was to maintain compatibility with mobile devices. Calculators have traditionally used ÷ . These days lots of users use Numbers on the iPad.

Excel's / probably originated from limitations of old keyboards.

SG

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Answer 2

Yellowbox

Level 7

20,347 points

Dec 15, 2017 4:11 AM in response to Busta999

Hi Busta,

SG wrote:

Calculators have traditionally used ÷

Also Numbers replaces * with the multiplication symbol × (not to be confused with a lower case x)

Something that we must adapt to 😉.

Regards,

Ian.

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Answer 3

Busta999 Author

Level 1

77 points

Dec 15, 2017 2:45 AM in response to Busta999

I've figured it out.

In Excel when you press the / it enters a / in the formula

In Numbers when you put a / in a formula it enters a ➗in.

On Hi res monitors it looks like a + - you have to really squint to see the difference, which is why I guess Excel puts a / not a ➗

That makes it a bit easier to understand - but still makes it harder to spot an error.

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Answer 4

Busta999 Author

Level 1

77 points

Dec 15, 2017 4:14 AM in response to Yellowbox

:-)

I’ve decided this one of those quirky Apple things that you have to accept as ‘charming’ or go crazy trying to work out the logic to do it this way.

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