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Numbers

Please forgive this elementary question. I use Numbers and would like to create for lack of a better word an to borrow from Photoshop, an action. When I open a spreadsheet I always erase the same selected columns and change the currency section to show no decimal points. My question is: can I create an action so that whenever I open the spreadsheet, I can apply that action so I don't have to do those above mentioned things every time? If so, how?

Thank you,

KWMaui

Posted on Sep 27, 2021 5:22 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Sep 27, 2021 6:25 PM

Are you "opening" an existing spreadsheet document that you have used before, and cleaning out old data, or are you opening a template to create a new spreadsheet document?


All new Numbers Documents are created from Templates.


Open a new spreadsheet document as you do now.

Make the edits you always do, but do not enter any data.


Examine the result to confirm that all is as you want it to be when you start to use it, then give it a name and choose Save as Template from the File menu.



Once you've done that, you can create a new document with everything in order as you just saved it by pressing option as you open the File menu and choose New from Template Chooser.


In the choose, you'll find your new template near the bottom of the list in the My Templates section of the Templates Chooser. Double click the thumbnail image or click once on the image then click Choose (at the bottom of the chooser's list).


Regards,

Barry

2 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Sep 27, 2021 6:25 PM in response to KWMaui

Are you "opening" an existing spreadsheet document that you have used before, and cleaning out old data, or are you opening a template to create a new spreadsheet document?


All new Numbers Documents are created from Templates.


Open a new spreadsheet document as you do now.

Make the edits you always do, but do not enter any data.


Examine the result to confirm that all is as you want it to be when you start to use it, then give it a name and choose Save as Template from the File menu.



Once you've done that, you can create a new document with everything in order as you just saved it by pressing option as you open the File menu and choose New from Template Chooser.


In the choose, you'll find your new template near the bottom of the list in the My Templates section of the Templates Chooser. Double click the thumbnail image or click once on the image then click Choose (at the bottom of the chooser's list).


Regards,

Barry

Sep 27, 2021 6:28 PM in response to KWMaui

Those don't sound like things that can be done natively in Numbers.


However, if you have to do them frequently and find them time-consuming then a script might help if you need to preserve some data rather than start all over again. A script can easily delete columns. It can also format numbers, though that part is harder. Using a script doesn't require knowledge of AppleScript. It would be a matter of copy-pasting and then clicking a button.


If this is truly time-consuming enough to warrant a script then you can post more details about your document (to post a screenshot: shift-command-4, select area with cross-hairs, release, then start a new post and click the 'mountain' icon to insert the screenshot image from the Desktop).


SG


Numbers

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