Re: [libreoffice-users] Calc multiplication & division formulas acting strangely (Mac 5.2.3)

On 2016-11-06 8:43 PM, "Brian Barker" <b.m.barker@btinternet.com> wrote:
At 20:06 06/11/2016 -0500, Bonly Noname wrote:
Today I created a spreadsheet in 5.2.3 (Mac) and each time I try to do a
multiplication with a decimal, Calc gives me a #NAME?. In cell A1R1 =4*1.5
gives #NAME? In each spreadsheet that I've opened I get the same problem.
When I do 4*150%, Calc changes the formula to =4*1.5 and gives 6. Then I
try =4/1.5 and I get #NAME?
[...]
What's going on here? What should I be looking into?

This is exactly what you will see if your settings are for a locale which
uses the comma instead of the point as the fractional separator (as many
do). You can confirm this easily by entering (to modify your first example):
=4*1,5
- which should work.

You need to tell Calc to expect the point as the fractional separator.
Before installing any application software, select appropriate locale
settings in your operating system. Only if necessary, modify the settings
in the application. In LibreOffice, go to Tools | Options... | Language
Settings | Languages and make appropriate selections there. (Oh, on the
Mac, for "Tools | Options..." read "LibreOffice | Preferences".)

I trust this helps.
=====================
Thank you Brian.

I thought that was the issue, but I've tried =4*1, 5 and it gives me
Err:509.

I have used LO since it started as a fork from SO and never had this
problem before.

The decimal separator is the same as the locale English (Canada) which is (
. ).

I can open old Calc spreadsheets with decimal inputs and have no problem
until I try to enter new numbers.

I've noticed that if the formula is multiply by less than 1.0, the
calculation works.  As soon as I try any decimal greater than 1.0, I get
the #NAME?.

=0.99 * 0.99 works
=1.1*0.99 gives #NAME?
=2*0.99 works
=2.1*1 #NAME?

Very weird.

I'm using OSX 10.10.5 if that points to anything.

I also tried LO 5.1.6 with same result.

Thanks again for any suggestions and help.

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