Numbers '08 Hot Tips

You may perform basic calculations by dragging a formula from the Summary Pane onto a table. Begin by selecting two or more cells on any table, for example, cells B2:B5, as in the image above. The Summary Pane at the bottom-left of the screen will show basic calculations using the selected cells. To add a calculation into a table, grab the bubble and drop it on an empty cell as shown for the "sum" bubble.

Sliders allow you to quickly change values in a cell and see how new values effect other cells or charts.

To add a slider, click the More Cell Formats disclosure triangle in the Format Bar and and choose Slider. A slider with default settings, which are visible in the Cells Inspector, is created. You may also use Cell Format in the Cells Inspector to add sliders.

Multiple tables are a great way to maintain different types of information on one Sheet. For instance, when planning a party, you might use a table for guest names and a separate table for the party budget. If you wish to add more tables to your spreadsheet, click Tables in the toolbar and select the type of table you wish to add.

The header row and column provide label names for the data in tables. A header row consists of the topmost cell in each column. A header column consists of the leftmost cell in each row. The footer row consists of the bottom-most cell in each column. Use the footer row for summary and other calculations.

You can add or remove headers and the footer using theses buttons on the Format Bar.

You may also choose Table > Add Header Row or Table > Delete Header Row, etc.

When a table contains headers, you may use header names in formulas instead of traditional spreadsheet addresses. For example, the sum of column D above may be expressed as either =SUM(D) or =SUM(Total). If you wish to turn off readable formulas, use the Preferences panel. Choose Pages > Preferences and select the General tab. Deselect "Use header cell names as references."

You can easily move an entire row or column by grabbing its address tab and moving it elsewhere within the table. In the previous example, you could grab the 'C' tab directly above the '2009' column and move it between column A and Column B. The updated table would have '2009' in column B and '2008' in column C.

You can easily sort entire rows in tables. Select the column that contains the values to be sorted and click on the menu triangle on the tab. In the example above, rows will be sorted based on 'Total' value. Note that the header and footer rows will not be sorted.

Each Numbers template has coordinated chart textures to compliment table styles and texture fills. However, you can easily change chart textures using the Chart Colors panel. Open the panel by selecting Chart Colors in the Chart Inspector. You can drag colors from the Chart Colors panel onto a chart series or click Apply All to use all of the new colors.

With Numbers, printing your spreadsheet is easier than ever. Choose File > Show Print View to see your spreadsheet as it will appear on printed pages. While in Print View, you can still work on tables, charts, images and more as before. Use the Content Scale slider at the bottom of the screen to increase or reduce the scale of objects on the printed page, or use the portrait and landscape buttons to change page orientation. When you're ready to print, choose File > Print Sheet.