Numbers '09:
Cell Basics
Cheat Sheet 20090823

WARNING: Be careful how you select multiple cells in Numbers. Dragging from a corner can change other cell contents due to its Auto-Fill ability. Pay close attention when selecting multiple cells. The safest method is to use the Shift-Hold method for selecting multiple cells in a row or column.

• Adding Cell Data
• Formatting Cells
• More Cell Format Choices
• Save Time With Pop-Up Menus
• Auto-Fill
• Relative Address vs Absolute Address
• Keyboard Formula Symbols
• Adding Cell Formulas - Simple Addition
• Write your own Simple Formula
• Edit a Formula
• Cell Manipulation - Splitting/Merging
• Adding Comments

Adding Cell Data

You can enter:

• text
• numbers
• formulas

Hovering over a selected formula cell will turn your cursor into a plus (+) icon or a hand:

Click-Hold-Drag the + icon to copy the formula to the adjoining selected cell/cells.

Click-Hold-Drag the hand to move the single formula cell wherever you want.

Formatting Cells

1. Select your cell or cells.
2. Go to the Format Bar (directly below the Toolbar).
3. Hover over the buttons and select your format change.

To change how numbers appear in a cell - do a search under format in Numbers Help because this is a cheat sheet, not a how-to-do-everything sheet.

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More Cell Format Choices

Use the center Format Bar buttons (directly below the Toolbar)
- or -
go to the Inspector - Cells Inspector.

• Pop-Up Menu lets you make a pop-up menu of repetitive data to select from and enter.
• Stepper lets you step up and down in increments you have set by clicking the arrows next to your cell.
• Slider gives you a slider underneath your cell to slide between the values you have set.
• Checkbox puts a little checkbox into the selected cells that you can check and un-check later.

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Save Time With Pop-Up Menus

1. Select cells
2. Go to Pop-up Menu (see image below):
   
   
   
   This opens the Cells Inspector.
   
   
3. Select and use the - button to remove the default 1, 2 and 3.
4. Use the + button to add your menu items (see image below):
   
   

Now any cell with that pop-up menu attached will give you the choice of the selections you have entered for filling it (see image below):

Auto-Fill

Auto-Fill detects patterns. Numbers, Days of the week, Months of the year, etc. (see images below):

You can also use Auto-Fill to put sequential numbers down a column - just start your sequence in a few cells (e.g. 2121, 2122) and then select them and drag the plus icon down the column to auto-fill the ones below (see images below):

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Relative Address vs Absolute Address

You can easily copy relative formula cells because their calculations are based on the same context (e.g. you want a sum total of money spent at the bottom of each day-of-the-week column).

But, if you wanted to copy a formula that has an element that is absolute (e.g. applying the exchange rate of a country to all your spending totals), then you need to make that cell (the one that is being referenced for the currency exchange rate) into an absolute reference for your formula.

To do this, you need to freeze that cell (make it absolute for your calculations):

1. Go to your formula displayed in the Formula Bar and
2. Click the drop-down menu for that cell.
3. Choose how you need it frozen: absolute row, absolute column, absolute row and column
   

Keyboard Formula Symbols

+ plus
- minus
/ divide
* multiply
use parentheses for brackets to group your equations

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Adding Cell Formulas - Simple Addition

For simple formulas:

1. Select the cells you want to get an answer from and
2. Click the Function button in the Toolbar.

Go wild and be a math whiz:

1. Select the cell where you want the answer to live and
2. Click the Function button in the Toolbar and go to the Function Browser.
3. Have fun!

Write your own Simple Formula

1. Type the equal sign (=) in an empty cell.
   This opens up the Formula Box. (When you open a Formula Box, Formula Bar options replace the Format Bar under the Toolbar.)
2. Type in a formula or equation in to the Formula Box.
   (e.g. b18+c18+d18+e18).
   (Note: If the Formula Box is in the way, grab its handle on the left and move it.)
   
   - or use -
   
   Command-Hold and then Click the cells you want to add together - (see image below):
   
   
   
   - or use -
   
   Shift-Click-Hold and select the cells you want to to add together - (see image below):
   
   
   
   And then -
   
   
3. Click Return or Click the green check-mark on the Formula Box.

Note: When you click on a cell that has a formula - the formula will appear under the Format Bar in the Formula Bar (see image below):

Note: The Formula List button (on the Toolbar) will show you all the formulas on your sheets. You can edit formulas in list view. When you click on a formula cell anywhere in Numbers - all the cells related to its formula will be highlighted in their tables.

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Edit a Formula

Double-click the formula cell and change the formula in the Formula Bar.
- or -
Delete the formula and start over.

Cell Manipulation - Splitting/Merging

1. Select your cells
2. Go to Table and choose -

Merge Cells
Split Into Rows
Spilt into Columns

Adding Comments

• Go to Insert or use the Comment button on the Toolbar.
• Cells with Comments have a triangle in their upper-right corner.
• Click the triangle to open it.
• Then - either hide it again ( - ) or delete it ( x ).
• The View button on the Toolbar will also let you hide Comments.
  

Any questions?

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