CONVERT function in Calc

John_Smith · September 17, 2013, 8:45pm

Hi all.
I'm working on the Appendix B chapter for Calc and I am looking at the =CONVERT function. This function converts a numerical value from one unit of measure, to another unit of measure in the same group, for example feet into yards, both in the distance group.
Within the dialogue of the Function Wizard is a statement "Converts a value according to a conversion table in the configuration (main.xcd)".

My question is basically a two parter; is this list available to a user, and if so how do you access it? and because the two parameters in the function for units are both case sensitive and entered inside quotes, how do you find what the valid entries are for these parameters?
The syntax is CONVERT(Number, "text", "text") where text is the unit of conversion.

I have tried a few of the entries which I found here; http://docs.oasis-open.org/office/v1.2/cs01/OpenDocument-v1.2-cs01-part2.html#CONVERT
such as "lbm" and "stone" for mass, "pt" and "qt" for volume and "ft" and "in" for distance, without success.

Pulling my hair out here:-) . Please help.

Regards
JohnS

Steve_Edmonds · September 17, 2013, 9:37pm

Hi. I have the file /usr/lib64/libreoffice/share/registry/main.xcd. The example in help CONVERT(100,"EUR","DEM") works. I can't find EUR or DEM in main.xcd. My function wizard says the conversion table is in calc.xcu which I don't have.
Steve

Shelagh_Manton · September 17, 2013, 9:41pm

I searched on Google - apparently convert should be convert_add and the
list of units you can use (and works 'cause I tried some out) can be found
for the help of that function.

Now the question is, is it a documentation bug that the convert function is
mentioned in the help, if you are supposed to use convert_add? Or perhaps
convert is for a limited set of conversions. I just tried the exact example
given for the convert function in the help and that works for converting
deutchmarks to euros.

Cheers

Shelagh

Steve_Edmonds · September 17, 2013, 9:46pm

I correct myself, I did now find the currencies in that file, but only currency conversions.
Steve

John_Smith · September 18, 2013, 10:17am

Thanks Shelagh and Steve.
CONVERT_ADD is the next function in the Function Wizard list, and I hadn't yet reached that one. It looks, from reading the Help files, as if that one supersedes CONVERT as the function to use for converting units. I don't know why the function has been left in.
In the Help, it says; "The functions whose names end with _ADD return the same results as the corresponding Microsoft Excel functions". But, does opening a Calc spreadsheet containing CONVERT_ADD, in Excel, cause an error?

Because I can't get CONVERT to work I think I may raise a bug. If it's a dead function then it will hopefully get removed. I can't see much use for a function for dead European currencies.

Regards
JohnS

jeanweber · September 18, 2013, 10:36am

Isn't it, and some other functions, still there so old spreadsheets that used it will still work? (Just a guess; I don't know.)
--Jean

Tom_Davies · September 18, 2013, 11:35am

Hi
This looks like a question that might be good to pass on to the Users Mailing List? They might have answers to the 2 questions here.

Since you can't get Convert to work it might be good to post a bug-report anyway and then wait for feedback from the Users List.

I keep getting told off for liaising between lists so it would be better if you posted the question there rather than me passing it on to them.
Regards from

Tom

John_Smith · September 18, 2013, 5:02pm

Hi Tom
That's another route to go. I'll give it a go. Hope I can do it without signing up to that list.

Hi Jean, it may well be the reason that it's still there. Makes doing the docs a real time-consuming pain though.

As a by-the-by, the location for the two new functions AVERAGEIF and AVERAGEIFS is in the Mathematical category on the Function Wizard. The other AVERAGE, AVEDEV and AVERAGEA functions are in the Statistical category. In Excel all these functions are in the Statistical category. As the first two are new functions I'm wondering if they have been wrongly located? How do we ask that question, and to whom? I'm going to ignore it in the docs and write it as I find it, maybe it'll get changed later.

Feedback from reporting the Function Wizard bug crashing LO is that it will be fixed for 4.1.3. I'll keep an eye on it and remove the Caution from Calc chapter 7 when it's done.

Regards
JohnS