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Basic

Information Functions

This category contains the Information functions.

To access this function...

The data in the following table serves as the basis for some of the examples in the function descriptions:

C

D

2

x value

y value

3

-5

-3

4

-2

0

5

-1

1

6

0

3

7

2

4

8

4

6

9

6

8


CELL

Returns information on address, formatting or contents of a cell.

Syntax

CELL(Info_type; Reference)

Info_type is the character string that specifies the type of information. The character string is always in English. Upper or lower case is optional.

Info_type

Meaning

COL

Returns the number of the referenced column.

Cell("COL";D2) returns 4.

ROW

Returns the number of the referenced row.

Cell("ROW";D2) returns 2.

SHEET

Returns the number of the referenced sheet.

Cell("Sheet";Sheet3.D2) returns 3.

ADDRESS

Returns the absolute address of the referenced cell.

CELL("ADDRESS";D2) returns $D$2.

CELL("ADDRESS";Sheet3.D2) returns $Sheet3.$D$2.

CELL("ADDRESS";'X:\dr\test.sxc'#$Sheet1.D2) returns 'file:///X:/dr/test.sxc'#$Sheet1.$D$2.

FILENAME

Returns the file name and the sheet number of the referenced cell.

CELL("FILENAME";D2) returns 'file:///X:/dr/own.sxc'#$Sheet1, if the formula in the current document X:\dr\own.sxc is located in Sheet1.

CELL("FILENAME";'X:\dr\test.sxc'#$Sheet1.D2) returns 'file:///X:/dr/test.sxc'#$Sheet1.

COORD

Returns the complete cell address in Lotus(TM) notation.

CELL("COORD"; D2) returns $A:$D$2.

CELL("COORD"; Sheet3.D2) returns $C:$D$2.

CONTENTS

Returns the contents of the referenced cell, without any formatting.

TYPE

Returns the type of cell contents.

b = blank. empty cell

l = label. Text, result of a formula as text

v = value. Value, result of a formula as a number

WIDTH

Returns the width of the referenced column. The unit is the number of zeros (0) that fit into the column in the default text and the default size.

PREFIX

Returns the alignment of the referenced cell.

' = align left or left-justified

" = align right

^ = centered

\ = repeating (currently inactive)

PROTECT

Returns the status of the cell protection for the cell.

1 = cell is protected

0 = cell is not protected

FORMAT

Returns a character string that indicates the number format.

, = number with thousands separator

F = number without thousands separator

C = currency format

S = exponential representation, for example, 1.234+E56

P = percentage

In the above formats, the number of decimal places after the decimal separator is given as a number. Example: the number format #,##0.0 returns ,1 and the number format 00.000% returns P3

D1 = MMM-D-YY, MM-D-YY and similar formats

D2 = DD-MM

D3 = MM-YY

D4 = DD-MM-YYYY HH:MM:SS

D5 = MM-DD

D6 = HH:MM:SS AM/PM

D7 = HH:MM AM/PM

D8 = HH:MM:SS

D9 = HH:MM

G = All other formats

- (Minus) at the end = negative numbers are formatted in color

() (brackets) at the end = there is an opening bracket in the format code

COLOR

Returns 1, if negative values have been formatted in color, otherwise 0.

PARENTHESES

Returns 1 if the format code contains an opening bracket (, otherwise 0.


Reference (list of options) is the position of the cell to be examined. If Reference is a range, the cell moves to the top left of the range. If Reference is missing, OpenOffice.org Calc uses the position of the cell in which this formula is located. Microsoft Excel uses the reference of the cell in which the cursor is positioned.

CURRENT

Calculates the current value of a formula at the actual position.

Syntax

CURRENT()

Example

You can use this function in connection with the cell formatting function TEMPLATE. For example, to assign the current value in a new format to the current cell:

=CURRENT()+TEMPLATE("New")

1+2+CURRENT() yields 6 (1+2=CURRENT+CURRENT=6)

1+CURRENT()+2 yields 4 (1=CURRENT+CURRENT+2=4)

FORMULA

Displays the formula of a formula cell at any position. The formula will be returned as a string in the Reference position. If no formula cell can be found,or if the presented argument is not a reference, the error value #N/A is set.

Syntax

FORMULA(reference)

Example

The cell A8 contains the result of a formula having the value 23. You can now use the Formula function in cell A1 to display the formula in cell A8.

=FORMULA(A8)

ISBLANK

Returns TRUE if the reference to a cell is blank. This function is used to determine if the content of a cell is empty. A cell with a formula inside is not empty.

If an error occurs, the function returns a logical or numerical value.

Syntax

ISBLANK(value)

Value is the content to be tested.

Example

ISBLANK(D2) returns FALSE as a result.

ISERR

Returns TRUE if the value refers to any error value except #N/A. You can use this function to control error values in certain cells.

If an error occurs, the function returns a logical or numerical value.

Syntax

ISERR(value)

Value is any value or expression in which a test is performed to determine whether an error value not equal to #N/A is present.

Example

ISERR(C5) returns FALSE.

ISERROR

The ISERROR tests if the cells contain general error values. ISERROR recognizes the #N/A error value.

If an error occurs, the function returns a logical or numerical value.

Syntax

ISERROR(value)

Value is any value where a test is performed to determine whether it is an error value.

Example

ISERROR(C8) returns FALSE.

ISEVEN_ADD

This function is only available if Analysis AddIn is installed.

Tests for even numbers. Returns TRUE (1) if the number returns a whole number when divided by 2.

The functions whose names end with _ADD return the same results as the corresponding Microsoft Excel functions. Use the functions without _ADD to get results based on international standards. For example, the WEEKNUM function calculates the week number of a given date based on international standard ISO 6801, while WEEKNUM_ADD returns the same week number as Microsoft Excel.

Syntax

ISEVEN_ADD(Number)

Number: the number to be tested.

Example

=ISEVEN_ADD(5) returns 0.

ISFORMULA

Returns TRUE if a cell is a formula cell.

If an error occurs, the function returns a logical or numerical value.

Syntax

ISFORMULA(reference)

Reference indicates the reference to a cell in which a test will be performed to determine if it contains a formula.

Example

ISFORMULA(C4) returns FALSE as a result.

ISLOGICAL

Returns TRUE if the cell contains a logical number format. The function is used in order to check for both TRUE and FALSE values in certain cells.

If an error occurs, the function returns a logical or numerical value.

Syntax

ISLOGICAL(value)

Value is the value to be tested for logical number format.

Example

ISLOGICAL(D5) returns FALSE as a result.

ISNA

Returns TRUE if a cell contains the #N/A (value not available) error value.

If an error occurs, the function returns a logical or numerical value.

Syntax

ISNA(value)

Value is the value or expression to be tested.

Example

ISNA(D3) returns FALSE as a result.

ISNONTEXT

Tests if the cell contents are text or numbers, and returns FALSE if the contents are text.

If an error occurs, the function returns a logical or numerical value.

Syntax

ISNONTEXT(value)

Value is any value or expression where a test is performed to determine whether it is a text or numbers or a Boolean value.

Example

ISNONTEXT(D2) returns FALSE.

ISNONTEXT(D9) returns TRUE.

ISNUMBER

Returns TRUE if the value refers to a number.

If an error occurs, the function returns a logical or numerical value.

Syntax

ISNUMBER(value)

Value is any expression to be tested to determine whether it is a number or text.

Example

ISNUMBER(C3) returns the result TRUE.

ISNUMBER(C2) returns FALSE as a result.

ISODD_ADD

This function is only available if Analysis AddIn is installed.

Returns TRUE (1) if the number does not return a whole number when divided by 2.

The functions whose names end with _ADD return the same results as the corresponding Microsoft Excel functions. Use the functions without _ADD to get results based on international standards. For example, the WEEKNUM function calculates the week number of a given date based on international standard ISO 6801, while WEEKNUM_ADD returns the same week number as Microsoft Excel.

Syntax

ISODD_ADD(Number)

Number: the number to be tested.

Example

=ISODD_ADD(5) returns 1.

ISREF

Tests if the content of one or several cells is a reference. Verifies the type of references in a cell or a range of cells.

If an error occurs, the function returns a logical or numerical value.

Syntax

ISREF(value)

Value is the value to be tested, to determine whether it is a reference.

Example

ISREF(C5) returns the result TRUE

ISTEXT

Returns TRUE if the cell contents refer to text.

If an error occurs, the function returns a logical or numerical value.

Syntax

ISTEXT(value)

Value is a value, number, Boolean value, or an error value to be tested.

Example

ISTEXT(D9) returns the result TRUE.

ISTEXT(C3) returns FALSE as a result.

N

Returns the number 1, if the parameter is TRUE. Returns the parameter, if the parameter is a number. Returns the number 0 for other parameters.

If an error occurs, the function returns a logical or numerical value.

Syntax

N(value)

Value is the parameter to be converted into a number.

Example

N(TRUE) returns 1

N(FALSE) returns 0

N(100) returns 100

N("abc") returns 0

NA

Returns the error value #N/A.

Syntax

NA()

Example

NA() converts the contents of the cell into #N/A.

TYPE

Returns the type of value.

If an error occurs, the function returns a logical or numerical value.

Syntax

TYPE(value)

Value is a specific value for which the data type is determined. Value 1 = number, value 2 = text, value 4 = Boolean value, value 8 = formula, value 16 = error value.

Example (see example table above)

TYPE(C2) returns 2 as a result.

TYPE(D9) returns 1 as a result.

Index

information functions

Function Wizard, information

functions, information

CURRENT function

FORMULA function

formula cells,displaying formulas in other cells

displaying,formulas at any position

ISREF function

references,testing cell contents

cell contents,testing for references

ISERR function

error codes,controlling

ISERROR function

recognizing,general errors

ISFORMULA function

recognizing formula cells

formula cells,recognizing

ISEVEN_ADD function

ISNONTEXT function

cell contents,no text

ISBLANK function

blank cell contents

empty cells, recognizing

ISLOGICAL function

number formats,logical

logical number formats

ISNA function

#N/A error,recognizing

ISTEXT function

cell contents,text

ISODD_ADD function

ISNUMBER function

cell contents,numbers

N function

NA function

#N/A error,assigning to a cell

TYPE function

CELL function

cell information

information on cells

This help text is published from the OpenOffice-Help files under the Public Documentation License 1.0.

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