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In a Stock Market spreadsheet in numbers I'm trying to type MAR for Marriot Hotels but it keeps auto correcting to March. Turning on show suggestions in General Preferences doesn't help (maybe because it's a month?) Anyway, how do I get this to stop auto correcting? Thanks
If you don't want to first format the cells as Text (select the cells and in the Cell tab of the inspector pane at the right choose Text in the 'Data Format' dropdown) you can simply type ' (an apostrophe) before the MAR.
The apostrophe will let Numbers know you mean text and it won't try to guess that perhaps you meant a date.
If you do reformat the cells as Text then of course you don't want to type the ' as Numbers will assume you really do want an ' before the text. But typing it can be a very handy way of preventing Numbers from guessing you mean a date.
SG
If you don't want to first format the cells as Text (select the cells and in the Cell tab of the inspector pane at the right choose Text in the 'Data Format' dropdown) you can simply type ' (an apostrophe) before the MAR.
The apostrophe will let Numbers know you mean text and it won't try to guess that perhaps you meant a date.
If you do reformat the cells as Text then of course you don't want to type the ' as Numbers will assume you really do want an ' before the text. But typing it can be a very handy way of preventing Numbers from guessing you mean a date.
SG
" Turning on show suggestions in General Preferences doesn't help"
Wouldn't expect it to, but I'm guessing that was a typo. and you meant "off"
"(maybe because it's a month?)" is likely correct. Numbers will accept short form month names as part of a Date, and automatically format the entry as a date and time value. You can confirm your guess with a glance at the box at the lower left of the document window—if the auto-completed "March" cell shows a Date and Time string for midnight on March 1, 2019, your guess is correct.
Is the 'data format' for the cell(s) where this is happening set to "Automatic"? If so, try changing it to "text" for the whole column.
Regards,
Barry
How do I format a cell as Text? Do you mean I should make a text box and write MAR inside of that? That would work but MAR needs to be part of the spreadsheet so it can connect with the internet and give me prices on the stock. As you can tell I'm a bit of a novice so thanks for your help.
For what its worth, one box where I typed MAR (and it auto corrected to March) the bottom left of the document says formatted. Another box where I type MAR (and it auto corrected to March) the bottom left of the document says text.
Chris
This worked also! Many thanks for this little shortcut.
chris
If you don't want to first format the cells as Text (select the cells and in the Cell tab of the inspector pane at the right choose Text in the 'Data Format' dropdown) you can simply type ' (an apostrophe) before the MAR.
The apostrophe will let Numbers know you mean text and it won't try to guess that perhaps you meant a date.
If you do reformat the cells as Text then of course you don't want to type the ' as Numbers will assume you really do want an ' before the text. But typing it can be a very handy way of preventing Numbers from guessing you mean a date.
SG
Take a look in Numbers Preference (using the Numbers menu item "Numbers > Preferences…"
Anything in the Symbol and Text Sub table at the bottom? Is the Replacement checkbox checked?
Hi Chris,
Format Panel on the right (if you don't see it, click on the paintbrush).
Regards,
Ian.
is there text in earlier rows that have "March"?
If not, I do not have a guess as to the suggestion.
Please post a screenshot.
Hi santacruz,
If a cell is formatted as Automatic (by default) Numbers converts MAR into a Date & Time (1st day of March 2019).
Format the cell as Text.
Regards,
Ian.
No, there is no text in earlier rows that have "March". It seems to be auto correcting to a specific month that must be input somewhere, for example, if I type Apr the word April will replace it.
No nothing in Numbers preference. Everything is default just like the above pic. Replacement checkbox is NOT checked.
That worked! Thanks for your trouble Ian.
Best, Chris
Auto Correct in Numbers
