Re: [libreoffice-users] calc compliance with openformula

On 04/21/2012 05:51 AM, Jean-Francois Nifenecker wrote:
> Le 21/04/2012 10:24, e-letter a écrit :
> > On 20/04/2012, Regina Henschel<rb.henschel@t-online.de>  wrote:
> > > > SUM( { NumberSequenceList N }+ )
> > > >
> > > > e.g. SUM(a1+b2)
> > >
> > > No. it would be SUM(a1;b2)
> >
> > It would be better if calc returned an error, stating incorrect syntax
>
> I'm afraid it is *not* incorrect syntax. Likewise, SUM(5) is correct 
> syntax as well.
>
> > The question is general because a general understanding is required!
> > The example concerns only integers, e.g. where a1=1 and b2=2, the
> > results are correct, but the question is about learning the correct
> > syntax so that formula entered in a calc spreadsheet will not be lost
> > or corrupted when the spreadsheet is opened in another odf compliant
> > software, e.g. gnumeric. I don't want to use a sum syntax such as
> > (a1+b2), which gives the correct result, but if opened in another
> > program, the formula is lost or gives an incorrect answer.
>
> All spreadsheet software I know of are accepting the syntax above. Of 
> course, the syntax to use is preferably SUM(A1:A10), ie using a cell 
> range rather than discrete cell references, but the latter can be 
> useful (see 3. below).
>
> So the following are all syntactically correct:
>
> 1. SUM(A1:A10)
> -> returns the sum of the numerical values within the range. 
> Non-numeric values are ignored.
>
> 2. SUM(A1:A10;Z1:Z10)
> -> like 1, with multiple ranges.
>
> 3. SUM(A1;B2;Z15)
> -> returns the sum of several cells. Non-numeric values are ignored, 
> opposite to what A1+B2+Z15 would return (see Regina's answer).
>
> ...and any combination of the previous.
I think the above syntax was developed for Lotus 123 in the early 
80's(?) and everyone else implemented the rules/syntax to be compatible 
with Lotus. By the mid 80's this syntax was standard for all spreadsheets.

The only real change from Lotus is that (using 1) is in Lotus formulas 
were enter +SUM(A1:A10) while the IMHO the more logical =SUM(A1:A10) was 
introduced later by the mid 80's.
> HTH,


--
Jay Lozier
jslozier@gmail.com


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