I receive the following message while trying to SUM times: Values being summed by SUM must be either all durations or all numbers, unless one value is a date. BUT, when I try to change to duration it simply doesn't do it.
MacBook Pro 15″, macOS 10.14
You may have to post a screenshot or something so we can see what is going on. All I say below is conjecture.
To be clear, "time" usually means the time of day part of a Date&Time value. Times cannot be summed. I think you meant "durations", which can be summed. Durations can also be summed along with one (and only one) Date&Time value.
In general, if you try to format a cell and the format does not stick, it is because the value in the cell does not fit the format you are trying to force upon it. Given that yours is a question about durations, Date&Time values that are set to display only the time often look just like duration values but are not. Maybe that is the problem. If so, delete the contents of that cell, format it as duration, then enter the duration.
You may have to post a screenshot or something so we can see what is going on. All I say below is conjecture.
To be clear, "time" usually means the time of day part of a Date&Time value. Times cannot be summed. I think you meant "durations", which can be summed. Durations can also be summed along with one (and only one) Date&Time value.
In general, if you try to format a cell and the format does not stick, it is because the value in the cell does not fit the format you are trying to force upon it. Given that yours is a question about durations, Date&Time values that are set to display only the time often look just like duration values but are not. Maybe that is the problem. If so, delete the contents of that cell, format it as duration, then enter the duration.
Could you please post a screenshot of your table?
Numbers will normally ignore a change to the format if data that are in a cell can not be displayed in this new format!
Example: If you have a date & time information in a cell you can not change it in duration.
Ralf
Thanks for your response as I now understand what I was overlooking. I had summed the column expecting the total hours (set up as a time sheet) but since it had defaulted to automatic in some cells, it resulted in the error message. I cleared the column and it was fine.
"BUT, when I try to change to duration it simply doesn't do it."
What values are you 'trying to change to duration(s)? Are they 'number' values?
How are these values created in your spreadsheet?
Duration values express the mount of 'time' that has passed (or that will pass) between two Date and Time values.
Duration values are in Weeks, Days, Hours, Minutes, Seconds, and milliSeconds.
responses to the questions above will likely aid in determining an answer to your unexpressed question.
Regards,
Barry
Different time zones.
(At the time of our posts above)
You're up in the wee small hours of tomorrow,
I'm about to say goodby to what's left of today, and
Ralf's already up and on the go tomorrow morning.
And my question is why are we all on here answering questions at 2 in the morning (or at least it is for me)?
OK I'm in Germany, therefore it was already 8am
Error message in numbers re: duration
