Cannot Paste Duration data--format changes upon Paste!

Question

I'm pasting some tabular data and one column is Duration (Ex: 01:19:00) and when I paste the data in values like 01:19:00 become 1:19 AM.
I need the actual durations so they can be computed.... how can I get Numbers to stop automatically changing these values???
Thanks,
Robert

Answer 1

For those which don't want to pre-format a table, I wrote this script which protect the durations.
CAUTION :
as the developers forgot to include duration in the list of formats settable thru AppleScript, I apply the format text. You will have to change it to duration 0:00:00.
--[SCRIPT iTunestoNumbers]
Enregistrer le script en tant que Script : iTunestoNumbers.scpt
déplacer le fichier ainsi créé dans le dossier
<VolumeDeDémarrage>:Users:<votreCompte>:Library:Scripts:Applications:Numbers:
Il vous faudra peut-être créer le dossier Numbers et peut-être même le dossier Applications.
Copier des données dans iTunes. Si elles contiennent des durées,
aller au menu Scripts , choisir Numbers puis choisir “iTunestoNumbers”
Le script les colle dans une table d'un nouveau document Numbers
dont certaines colonnes sont définies au format texte pour préserver les dites durées.
Il vous faudra retoucher le format en spécifiant durée, 0:00:00 dans l'Inspecteur de cellules.
Je suis désolé mais les dévelopeurs ont oublié d'inclure durée dans les formats applicables à l’aide d’AppleScript.
--=====
L’aide du Finder explique:
L’Utilitaire AppleScript permet d’activer le Menu des scripts :
Ouvrez l’Utilitaire AppleScript situé dans le dossier Applications/AppleScript.
Cochez la case “Afficher le menu des scripts dans la barre de menus”.
Sous 10.6.x,
aller dans le panneau “Général” du dialogue Préférences de l’Éditeur Applescript
puis cocher la case “Afficher le menu des scripts dans la barre des menus”.
--=====
Save the script as a Script: iTunestoNumbers.scpt
Move the newly created file into the folder:
<startup Volume>:Users:<yourAccount>:Library:Scripts:Applications:Numbers:
Maybe you would have to create the folder Numbers and even the folder Applications by yourself.
Copy datas from iTunes. If they contain durations,
go to the Scripts Menu, choose Numbers, then choose “iTunestoNumbers”
The script will paste the datas in a Numbers new table
whose some columns are defined as text to protect the duration entries.
You will have to adjust the format to duration 0:00:00 thru the Inspector of Cells.
I apologize but the develpers forgot to include duration in the list of formats settable thru AppleScript.
--=====
The Finder’s Help explains:
To make the Script menu appear:
Open the AppleScript utility located in Applications/AppleScript.
Select the “Show Script Menu in menu bar” checkbox.
Under 10.6.x,
go to the General panel of AppleScript Editor’s Preferences dialog box
and check the “Show Script menu in menu bar” option.
--=====
Yvan KOENIG (VALLAURIS, France)
2011/03/24
--=====
on run
run script doyourduty
--my doyourduty()
end run
--=====
script doyourduty
-- on doyourduty()
local le_fichier, en_liste, ligne_10, nb_colonnes, colonnesdedurees, c, item_c
local format_duree, j, r, une_ligne, en_texte, myNewDoc, n_colonnes, nb_colonnes
my activateGUIscripting()
Extract the datas from the clipboard.
set en_liste to paragraphs of (the clipboard as text)
Search values containing durations to be able to apply the format duration to their columns.
set ligne_10 to my decoupe(item 10 of en_liste, tab)
set nb_colonnes to count of ligne_10
set colonnesdedurees to {}
repeat with c from 1 to nb_colonnes
set item_c to item c of ligne_10
if item_c contains ":" then
set format_duree to true
repeat with j from 1 to count of item_c
if character j of item_c is not in {"0", "1", "2", "3", "4", "5", "6", "7", "8", "9", ":"} then
set format_duree to false
exit repeat
end if
end repeat -- with j
if format_duree then copy c to end of colonnesdedurees
end if -- item_c contains…
end repeat -- with i
Create a new Numbers document from the Apple's Blank template.
set myNewDoc to my makeAnIworkDoc("Numbers")
tell application "Numbers" to tell document myNewDoc to tell sheet 1 to tell table 1
Remove header row and header column.
remove row 1
remove column 1
Insert the required columns.
set n_colonnes to count column
repeat nb_colonnes - n_colonnes times
add column after last column
end repeat
Define the format of columns which must be set to text.
if colonnesdedurees is not {} then
repeat with c from 1 to count of colonnesdedurees
set une_colonne to item c of colonnesdedurees
set format of range ((name of cell 1 of column une_colonne) & ":" & (name of cell -1 of column une_colonne)) to text
end repeat
end if -- colonnesdedurees is not {}…
Define the first cell to paste in.
set selection range to range "A1"
end tell -- Numbers
Concatenate the rows with carriage return as separators. Pass the result to the clipboard.
set the clipboard to my recolle(en_liste, return)
with timeout of (10 * 60) seconds
my raccourci("Numbers", "v", "cas") (* Paste and Match Style *)
end timeout
Select every cells except the column 1.
tell application "Numbers" to tell document myNewDoc to tell sheet 1 to tell table 1
set selection range to range ("A1:" & name of last cell)
end tell -- Numbers
As there is no shortcut, trigger the menu item itself.
my select_menu("Numbers", 6, 17) (* Table > Resize Columns to Fit Contents *)
if colonnesdedurees is not {} then
set colonnesde_dureestext to my recolle(colonnesdedurees, ", ")
tell application "Numbers"
if not my parleAnglais() then
if (count of colonnesdedurees) = 1 then
display dialog "Don’t forget to set the format" & return & "of column “" & colonnesdedurees & "” to duration 0:00:00 !"
else
display dialog "Don’t forget to set the format" & return & "of columns “" & my recolle(colonnesdedurees, ", ") & "” to duration 0:00:00 !"
end if -- (count of colonnesdedurees)…
else
if (count of colonnesdedurees) = 1 then
display dialog "N'oubliez pas de fixer le format" & return & "de la colonne « " & colonnesdedurees & " » à durée 0:00:00 !"
else
display dialog "N'oubliez pas de fixer le format" & return & "des colonnes « " & my recolle(colonnesdedurees, ", ") & " » à durée 0:00:00 !"
end if -- (count of colonnesdedurees)…
end if -- parleAnglais{}
end tell
end if -- colonnesdedurees is not {}…
-- end doyourduty
end script
--=====
on parleAnglais()
local z
try
tell application "Numbers" to set z to localized string "Cancel"
on error
set z to "Cancel"
end try
return (z is not "Annuler")
end parleAnglais
--=====
on decoupe(t, d)
local oTIDs, l
set oTIDs to AppleScript's text item delimiters
set AppleScript's text item delimiters to d
set l to text items of t
set AppleScript's text item delimiters to oTIDs
return l
end decoupe
--=====
on recolle(l, d)
local oTIDs, t
set oTIDs to AppleScript's text item delimiters
set AppleScript's text item delimiters to d
set t to l as text
set AppleScript's text item delimiters to oTIDs
return t
end recolle
--=====
removes every occurences of d in text t
on supprime(t, d)
local oTIDs, l
set oTIDs to AppleScript's text item delimiters
set AppleScript's text item delimiters to d
set l to text items of t
set AppleScript's text item delimiters to ""
set t to l as text
set AppleScript's text item delimiters to oTIDs
return t
end supprime
--=====
Creates a new iWork document from the Blank template and returns its name.
example:
set myNewDoc to my makeAnIworkDoc(theApp)
on makeAnIworkDoc(the_app)
local maybe, pathto_theApp, nb_doc, doc_name
if the_app is "Pages" then
tell application "Pages"
set nb_doc to count of documents
make new document with properties {template name:item 1 of templates}
end tell
else if the_app is "Numbers" then
tell application "System Events" to set maybe to the_app is in title of every application process
if not maybe then tell application the_app to activate
tell application "System Events"
set pathto_theApp to get application file of application process the_app
end tell
tell application "Numbers"
set nb_doc to count of documents
open ((pathto_theApp as text) & "Contents:Resources:Templates:Blank.nmbtemplate:")
end tell
else
if my parleAnglais(the_app) then
error "The application “" & the_app & "“ is not accepted !"
else
error "l’application « " & the_app & " » n’est pas gérée !"
end if
end if
tell application the_app
repeat until (count of documents) > nb_doc
delay 0.1
end repeat
set doc_name to name of document 1
end tell -- the_App
return doc_name
end makeAnIworkDoc
--=====
on activateGUIscripting()
(* to be sure than GUI scripting will be active *)
tell application "System Events"
if not (UI elements enabled) then set (UI elements enabled) to true
end tell
end activateGUIscripting
--=====
==== Uses GUIscripting ====
This handler may be used to 'type' text, invisible characters if the third parameter is an empty string.
It may be used to 'type' keyboard raccourcis if the third parameter describe the required modifier keys.
I changed its name « shortcut » to « raccourci » to get rid of a name conflict in Smile.
on raccourci(a, t, d)
local k
tell application a to activate
tell application "System Events" to tell application process a
set frontmost to true
try
t * 1
if d is "" then
key code t
else if d is "c" then
key code t using {command down}
else if d is "a" then
key code t using {option down}
else if d is "k" then
key code t using {control down}
else if d is "s" then
key code t using {shift down}
else if d is in {"ac", "ca"} then
key code t using {command down, option down}
else if d is in {"as", "sa"} then
key code t using {shift down, option down}
else if d is in {"sc", "cs"} then
key code t using {command down, shift down}
else if d is in {"kc", "ck"} then
key code t using {command down, control down}
else if d is in {"ks", "sk"} then
key code t using {shift down, control down}
else if (d contains "c") and (d contains "s") and d contains "k" then
key code t using {command down, shift down, control down}
else if (d contains "c") and (d contains "s") and d contains "a" then
key code t using {command down, shift down, option down}
end if
on error
repeat with k in t
if d is "" then
keystroke (k as text)
else if d is "c" then
keystroke (k as text) using {command down}
else if d is "a" then
keystroke k using {option down}
else if d is "k" then
keystroke (k as text) using {control down}
else if d is "s" then
keystroke k using {shift down}
else if d is in {"ac", "ca"} then
keystroke (k as text) using {command down, option down}
else if d is in {"as", "sa"} then
keystroke (k as text) using {shift down, option down}
else if d is in {"sc", "cs"} then
keystroke (k as text) using {command down, shift down}
else if d is in {"kc", "ck"} then
keystroke (k as text) using {command down, control down}
else if d is in {"ks", "sk"} then
keystroke (k as text) using {shift down, control down}
else if (d contains "c") and (d contains "s") and d contains "k" then
keystroke (k as text) using {command down, shift down, control down}
else if (d contains "c") and (d contains "s") and d contains "a" then
keystroke (k as text) using {command down, shift down, option down}
end if
end repeat
end try
end tell
end raccourci
--=====
my selectMenu("Numbers",6, 17) (* Table > Resize Columns to Fit Contents *)
==== Uses GUIscripting ====
on selectMenu(theApp, mt, mi)
tell application theApp
activate
tell application "System Events" to tell process theApp to tell menu bar 1 to ¬
tell menu bar item mt to tell menu 1 to click menu item mi
end tell -- application theApp
end selectMenu
--=====
useful to get the indexs of the triggered item
my select_Menu("Numbers",6, 17) (* Table > Resize Columns to Fit Contents *)
on select_menu(theApp, mt, mi)
tell application theApp
activate
tell application "System Events" to tell (first process whose title is theApp) to tell menu bar 1
get name of menu bar items
01 - "Apple",
02 - "Numbers",
03 - "File",
04 - "Edit",
05 - "Insert",
06 - "Table",
07 - "Format",
08 - "Arrange",
09 - "View",
10 - "Window",
11 - "Share",
12 - "Help"}
get name of menu bar item mt
-- {"Table"}
tell menu bar item mt to tell menu 1
get name of menu items
01 - "Add Row Above",
02 - "Add Row Below",
03 - missing value
04 - "Add Column Before",
05 - "Add Column After",
06 - missing value,
07 - "Delete Row",
08 - "Delete Column",
09 - missing value,
10 - "Header Rows",
11 - "Header Columns",
12 - "Freeze Header Rows",
13 - "Freeze Header Columns",
14 - "Footer Rows",
15 - missing value,
16 - "Resize Rows to Fit Content",
17 - "Resize Columns to Fit Content",
18 - missing value,
19 - "Unhide All Rows",
20 - "Unhide All Columns",
21 - "Enable All Categories",
22 - missing value,
23 - "Merge Cells",
24 - "Split into Rows"
25 - "Split into Columns"
26 - missing value
27 - "Distribute Rows Evenly"
28 - "Distribute Columns Evenly"
29 - missing value
30 - "Allow Border Selection"
31 - missing value
32 - "Show Reorganize Panel"}
get name of menu item mi
--{"Resize Columns to Fit Content"}
click menu item mi
end tell -- menu bar item…
end tell -- System Events…
end tell -- application theApp
end select_menu
--=====
--[/SCRIPT]
Yvan KOENIG (VALLAURIS, France) jeudi 24 mars 2011 17:08:42