Date: prev next · Thread: first prev next last
2015 Archives by date, by thread · List index


I just discovered that at least in V4.3.7.2 of LibreOffice the following verbiage found in the 
built-in help for function PMT but that also exists many other places within the built-in help is 
not always, if ever(?), true.

In the LibreOffice Calc functions, parameters marked as "optional" can be left out only
when no parameter follows. For example, in a function with four parameters, where the
last two parameters are marked as "optional", you can leave out parameter 4 or
parameters 3 and 4, but you cannot leave out parameter 3 alone.

Someone obviously went to a lot of work to craft that elegant bit of English prose but try the 
following to see that the above statement is false in at least one instance:

B1: $5662
B2: 12%
B3: 3
B4: =PMT(B2/12,B3*12,B1,,0)

Note that the fourth parameter was "left out" but the fifth parameter was not. Note also that the 
function returns a valid result (negative $188.06). Filling in a zero for the fourth parameter 
yields the same result. To give credit where due, I ran across the formula (designated as valid for 
Excel) at http://math.about.com/library/weekly/aa102503a.htm while researching how a used car 
salesman tried to hornswaggle a senior citizen near here.

Personally I am delighted that LibreOffice has the flexibility to have non-terminal parameters left 
out but it goes to show that the built-in Help is in need of some work.

-- 
Jim
-- 
To unsubscribe e-mail to: users+unsubscribe@global.libreoffice.org
Problems? http://www.libreoffice.org/get-help/mailing-lists/how-to-unsubscribe/
Posting guidelines + more: http://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Netiquette
List archive: http://listarchives.libreoffice.org/global/users/
All messages sent to this list will be publicly archived and cannot be deleted

Context


Privacy Policy | Impressum (Legal Info) | Copyright information: Unless otherwise specified, all text and images on this website are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License. This does not include the source code of LibreOffice, which is licensed under the Mozilla Public License (MPLv2). "LibreOffice" and "The Document Foundation" are registered trademarks of their corresponding registered owners or are in actual use as trademarks in one or more countries. Their respective logos and icons are also subject to international copyright laws. Use thereof is explained in our trademark policy.