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custom navigation keyboard shortcuts

Are there ways to create one's own keyboard shortcuts within apple mac apps. I would be especially interested in having a shortcut for "go to the next empty/ non-empty cell" and copy the current cell's value to the cell below."

MacBook Air

Posted on Feb 11, 2023 7:25 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Feb 12, 2023 6:09 AM

djpom wrote:

"go to the next empty/ non-empty cell" ... copy the current cell's value to the cell below."


Neither of those actions are menu picks in Numbers and they aren't in the long list of keyboard shortcuts at Help > Keyboard shortcuts in your menu. So it isn't easy to just customize keyboard shortcuts for them.


It is theoretical possible to write a script for the Shortcuts app to accomplish the first. But tables in Numbers (unlike worksheets in Excel) typically aren't that large so you don't usually need something like that. What would you use it for?


The second, copying value to the cell below, could also be done via script. But it is more easily accomplished by hovering over the bottom edge of the cell and dragging the yellow dot (search for 'autofill' at Help > Numbers Help in your menu):



SG





3 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Feb 12, 2023 6:09 AM in response to djpom

djpom wrote:

"go to the next empty/ non-empty cell" ... copy the current cell's value to the cell below."


Neither of those actions are menu picks in Numbers and they aren't in the long list of keyboard shortcuts at Help > Keyboard shortcuts in your menu. So it isn't easy to just customize keyboard shortcuts for them.


It is theoretical possible to write a script for the Shortcuts app to accomplish the first. But tables in Numbers (unlike worksheets in Excel) typically aren't that large so you don't usually need something like that. What would you use it for?


The second, copying value to the cell below, could also be done via script. But it is more easily accomplished by hovering over the bottom edge of the cell and dragging the yellow dot (search for 'autofill' at Help > Numbers Help in your menu):



SG





Feb 12, 2023 8:42 AM in response to djpom

Shortcuts can run AppleScript. AppleScript can do GUI scripted keystrokes. It should be possible to script any combination of commands if there are existing shortcuts for them (though I haven't tried it). AppleScript can also be written to perform the same actions as built-in commands and do things there are no built-in commands for. However, unless you are going to be performing this exact combination of keystrokes/commands a lot, writing an AppleScript to do something very limited in scope and applicable to only one spreadsheet is often a waste of time. It is more time efficient to just do whatever needs done using the built-in commands and keystrokes the few times you need to do it.


custom navigation keyboard shortcuts

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