It would be nice for a column to keep its existing content by default when the formula is cleared.
Every once in a while, I want to change a formula column to a non-formula column. When I do this, the existing content of the column is cleared. Maybe sometimes this is what I want, but it’s not that helpful as a feature since it’s trivial for me to manually clear a column. What requires a little more effort, however, is what I normally do in this situation: create and format a new column, copy the content from the first column to that new column, clear the formula in the first column, copy the content back, and finally delete the new column.
For me it’s a minor annoyance, for others it may be a minor roadblock if they don’t initially think of my 5-step solution.
Edit: just found a slightly easier way: copy the formula before clearing it, then set default to this formula, and checking that little “apply to all blank rows?” option.
Another feature possibility would be to give the maker a choice (small dialog box?) when the formula is cleared:
- Clear all existing values in column
- Keep all existing values in column
- Reset values to column default value