Text, number and filling · Martinとコード

A number adds. Text does not.

The spreadsheet looks at what you typed. Not at how it looks to you. To you 10 points looks like a number. To the spreadsheet it does not.

10 is a number. It can be added, averaged, put into a chart.
10 points is text. It looks like a number, but it will not add.
1.5 is a number (in English a dot). 1,5 often works too. 1, 5 with a space is already text.
=2+2 is a formula (next time). 2+2 without equals is the text 2+2.

Write grades as 1, 2, 3 — not “one”, not “1*”, not “2-”. A star and a dash turn a number into text, or later a weird formula.

Do a small try on sheet メモs, so you see it with your own eyes.

Open sheet メモs. In A1 type try. In A2 10. In A3 10 points. In A4 1.5.
Look at the alignment. In Sheets a number often sits on the right in the cell. Text on the left. A2 and A4 on the right. A3 on the left.
Click A2. In the formula bar is 10. Click A3. In the formula bar is 10 points — all of it, including the word.

When later you write =SUM(...) and you get zero or an error, the first suspect is text in a column where you expect a number.

⚠️

When later the average shows an error or zero, the first suspect is text in a column where you expect a number. A cell aligned left is often text. A number in Sheets often stays on the right. In Excel on a computer it is the same rule. (Watch out: when you centre the cell with a button, that trick disappears. Then look at the formula bar.)

Apostrophe — a hidden switch to text

Sometimes you type 10 and it sits on the left. In the formula bar you will see '10 — an apostrophe at the start. The apostrophe says: treat this as text, even if it looks like a number.

Delete the cell and type 10 again, without an apostrophe. Enter. It should jump right.

An apostrophe is useful when you want a phone 777123456 and you do not want the spreadsheet to turn it into 777 123 456 or 7.77E+08. You do not want it on grades.

A small square = laziness that helps

Click a cell. In the bottom-right corner of the green frame is a small square. In Sheets it is dark. In Excel too. Grab it and drag down. That is fill (fill handle).

Drag 1 down → 2, 3, 4, 5.
Drag Mon down → Tue, Wed, Thu… (or po, út — depending on the account language).
Drag January → February, March.
Drag Monday → Tuesday, Wednesday.

When you drag one cell with 1, Sheets sometimes only copies ones. Then select two cells under each other (1 and 2), grab the square and drag. The series understands the step.

When you drag two selected cells 1 and 3, it can do a series in twos: 1, 3, 5, 7.

On sheet メモs delete the old try, or start from column C, so you do not mix A.
In C1 type 1. In C2 type 2. Select both cells (click C1, hold Shift, click C2).
Grab the square in the corner of C2 and drag to C7. You have 1 to 7.
In D1 type Mon. Click D1. Drag the square to D7. You have Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun — or Czech shortcuts if the account is Czech.

What you should see: column C are numbers on the right, column D are day shortcuts on the left. No hole in the series. If in D4 Thu lights up and in D5 Mon again, you did not drag — you copied one cell around. Delete D2:D7 and drag again from D1.

💡

A double-click on the square fills the series down to neighbouring data. You do not need that now. If you do it by mistake and 200 rows fill, select the extra and Delete. Nothing breaks.

Common fill bugs

You drag right instead of down. From Mon you get nonsense or a copy. We want days under each other, in a column.

You have the whole column selected. The square then pulls thousands of rows and the browser freezes. Click one cell and start again.

You typed monday without a capital. Sheets knows English days better as Mon or Monday. If the series does not run, type Monday and Tuesday into two cells and drag both.

A Czech account. po → út is fine. It is not a mistake. You can leave Czech shortcuts, or write English hard Mon, Tue…

💰 Pocket money — start

Add a new sheet: plus at the bottom, double-click, name Pocket.

In A1 type Day. In A2 type Mon. Fill with the square to A8, so you have Mon–Sun (seven days). If the account only fills copies of Mon, type Tue into A3, select A2:A3 and drag to A8.

Leave columns B, C, D empty for now. Income and the left formula come in Formula kid. Today the week skeleton is enough.

If you want headings ahead (not required): B1 In, C1 Spent, D1 Left. You do not need numbers in B and C yet.

Now you 💪

Two mini-tasks. First grades, then a series.

On Grades click every grade in column B. Does it sit on the right? In the formula bar is only a number, no word “points” and no apostrophe? If not, rewrite the cell to 1 / 2 / 3.
On メモs (or Pocket) you have days filled without tapping every cell by hand. Click the middle of the series — is Wednesday / Wed there, not Monday again?
Second exercise: in E1 type January, drag to E3. You must see January, February, March (or leden, únor, březen).

If a grade sits on the left and in the formula bar is 2 with a space at the end, the space makes it text. Delete the cell, type 2, Enter.

✅

Check: You can fill a series without tapping every cell. Grades are numbers (on the right, formula bar without a word). On Pocket or in notes you have weekdays from the square.

What to take from this lesson

The spreadsheet can tell a number from text. 10 adds, 10 Kč or 10 points does not — until it is a number plus a currency format (that comes in Chart maker).
A number often sits on the right, text on the left. An apostrophe '10 holds a number as text.
The square in the corner fills a series. Two selected cells teach the step (1, 2, 3… or 1, 3, 5…).
You do not have to type days and months by hand. Mon or January is enough to drag.
Write grades as 1, 2, 3. On sheet Pocket a week skeleton can already hang.