How to create an input template/sheet to a summary spreadsheet

Question

I've done this type of sheet in excel and access years ago, but have no clue on how to do it in numbers. Example, I have a spreadsheet that summarizes specific actions for specific individuals in a specific event over the course of many events. What I want to do is create an input template that populates the summary spreadsheet so I can update on the fly such as from my iPad while at the event. I'll use a soccer game as an example. My summary spreadsheet captures goals, shots and assists for each player for each game and sums it up for a season. For capturing multiple stats at a game (event), select the (action) from a radius button or drop down from a pre-defined cell content (e.g. goal or assist), Then pick the player who performed the action from a pre-defined cell content drop down. Hit an execute button and the data populates the spreadsheet behind it, or something similar to this. Does anyone have any ideas on how this front end input template could be executed in Numbers? I currently manually track this manually and its a pain, would love to drop this into the iPad and do it on the fly. Maybe numbers is'nt the right tool? Thanks

Answer 1

DY,
Numbers, in and of itself, won't give you the functionality you're talking about. To be fair, the context you referenced is a spreadsheet, plus a database, plus a programming framework that integrates the two.
You could look at AppleScript or Xcode to provide you the environment in which to create the data entry / data manipulation pieces. Even so, though, you still wouldn't have the database management system (which I'm assuming you use in this example, even though you've just mentioned the data entry and data transport parts).
It's not so much that Numbers "isn't the right tool" -- it's that the environment you're remembering wasn't just a spreadsheet, it was a couple of applications and a macro'ing / programming environment, whereas Numbers is just the spreadsheet part of that environment in an OS X context...