"Find and Replace" in Numbers

[ross.32]

I have a bunch of tables in Numbers, and I need to make small changes to some of them. In this instance, I have 7 identical tables with the term Case 1 in them. In the second table, I need to change every instance of Case 1 into Case 2, and so on for Case 3 and Case 4 for the third and fourth table. I have tried selecting the entire table I want to change, going to Find, and trying to "Find and Replace". It has no trouble finding, but it will not replace. Here is a screenshot. Thank you.

 

[icebook2002]

Hi, thought I'd share your angst - the numbers search and replace function seems limited to 'text' only. There is a way of mass replacing but it is a real pain in backside...

All formulas begin with '=' so if you remove the '=' sign from your formulas then all of your specified formula become text - the absolute pain here is that you need to remove the '=' sign by hand, in my case I was replacing within rows so it was easy - but may not be for you case.

You can then merrily search and replace these text strings but you still have to hit 'replace & find' millions of times unless you are happy to hit global replace...

You then reverse the process (much more simply than before) ... as you can then replace your function with =function (in my case I took the = off of sumif and then did replace with =sumif to reverse.

This is an almighty pain in the rear end, you can't select specific cells, rows or columns it just doesn't work - EVEN WITH PURE TEXT!

Hope this helps - I would say, for me, that this is the SINGLE biggest failing of the package... Excel is leaps and bounds ahead here and I was really shocked apple didn't recognise this???? Bizarre!

 

[ross.32]

Well I wouldn't say that this is the biggest failing area of Numbers...no trend lines hold that title in my opinion.

 

[bit density]

You can't do that. Unfortunately(?!)...

But really, your "tables" are designed wrong.

If you really have things that you want to change, you need to reference them. And then you make your changes all in one place.

Numbers like you have, should be static (for the most part).

If you are going to do this more than once... Create a new "table" with your numbers that can change, and then reference them.

 

[ross.32]

I never thought of that. This thread was started a few months ago, so the class I was taking at the time is over. I will be taking a similar one in the fall, however, so I will try referencing the data when making my graphs then.

Thank you,