Cut, Copy, and Paste

Special rules apply when you use the clipboard in Database Editor.

Cut and Copy

You can cut or copy a cell, text within a cell, multiple cells within columns, a single row, or multiple rows.

Other applications can use the clipboard contents if you copy multiple cells or text within multiple cells.

Paste into a Cell

If you cut or copy a cell, text within a cell, or text from another application, you can paste it into a cell.

If there are multiple cells in the clipboard, pasting will change the corresponding cells in the grid. The clipboard must have cells separated by tabs, and rows separated by new lines.

Paste a Row or Rows

  • If you cut or copy a row or rows, click on a row header to paste new rows. If you click on the first cell in a row, that row will be replaced when you paste.
  • If you paste a group of phases or items into a table, Database Editor does not change the phase or item numbers.

Note: When you edit a cell in the table, the Database Editor checks your entry to ensure that it is valid. If you entered a value or used a format that is not valid for the cell, the program prevents you from editing another cell or moving to another row until you correct your entry.

To undo your changes, press Ctrl+ Z, or click Undo from the Clipboard group on the Home tab.

However, sometimes changing the unit of measure on which the edited cell depends would make the edited value acceptable. In this case:

  1. Press Esc to override the error condition.
  2. Change the other cell as needed.
  3. Provided the dependent value is now correct, move to another cell or row.

You cannot move to another row or copy data to another row until the entire row you are working on is valid.

Copying and pasting columns and rows to and from Excel

When you copy columns from Database Editor, only visible columns are copied, so data from hidden columns is excluded when you paste the copied data into Excel.

When you copy and paste an entire row from the Database Editor into Excel, the column headers from the current layout are automatically copied into Excel. You don't need to select and copy the header line separately.

Note: Columns are pasted in the same order as you copied them, so make sure that your layout matches your selections in Excel before copying and pasting columns.

When copying and pasting rows from Excel into the Database Editor:

  • If the row has category columns, but the column is not in the current layout, Estimating adjusts the current layout so that the affected columns can be pasted.
  • If the row has a rounding precision column, but the rounding direction column is not in the current layout, Estimating sets the rounding direction to Closest.
  • If the row has a Material Class description, but the Material Class column is not in the current layout, the Material Class description remains read-only, and Estimating does not paste it.

Note: Price change dates for categories are calculated, not pasted.