Calc formula syntax assistance

users
#1

Hi,

Running :open_mouth: 5.0.3.2 on IMac and have seen there is a 5.0.4 update, however, perhaps my issue does not require an update.

Anyway, the formula involves COUNTIF with the search range on another sheet and the search criteria in a cell adjacent to the countif formula.

=COUNTIF(Data.$C$4:C$492,$B17)

Each search criteria (B17), is text consisting of spaces, numbers and special characters i.e. BLUE GUM LANE (NO'S 1 – 17)

On my version of LO this formula displays a zero as the count of the search criteria however on reviewing the Data sheet, I can identify at least one exact replica within range, yet it is not counted?

Any ideas to get the correct answer of the number of times a field appears?

Regards
Hylton

#2

Hi,

Running :open_mouth: 5.0.3.2 on IMac and have seen there is a 5.0.4 update,
however, perhaps my issue does not require an update.

Anyway, the formula involves COUNTIF with the search range on another
sheet and the search criteria in a cell adjacent to the countif formula.

=COUNTIF(Data.$C$4:C$492,$B17)

[Did you try this?
=COUNTIF(Data.$C$4:$C$492,<sheet name>.$b17)
Note, I made two adjustments to your formula
• Absolute column reference for the end of the range (your probable intent)
• Sheet reference in the search criteria
The second change is likely to resolve your problem. If not, then you may have one or more cells with extraneous space(s). If the extraneous space(s) are in the search criteria you can add the TRIM function call there. -- jl]

Each search criteria (B17), is text consisting of spaces, numbers and
special characters i.e. BLUE GUM LANE (NO'S 1 – 17)

On my version of LO this formula displays a zero as the count of the
search criteria however on reviewing the Data sheet, I can identify at
least one exact replica within range, yet it is not counted?

Any ideas to get the correct answer of the number of times a field appears?

Regards
Hylton

#3

There are simple ways to debug problems such as this - which you can do with your actual spreadsheet but you deprive anyone offering to help you from doing!
o Set up a model spreadsheet with very simple entries so that something works - to establish that you understand exactly what COUNTIF() does.
o Make a copy of your real spreadsheet and simplify it - removing material and simplifying the data - until it works. Whatever you changed last to make the function spring into life will be the culprit.

As the help text explains about COUNTIF(), "[t]he search supports regular expressions." With regular expression enabled, the parentheses in your example data are interpreted as marking off the enclosed text as a reference. This can be referred to later in a search string (or in a replacement string, where relevant). This means that the parentheses are punctuation within the search string and not part of it: your example string would match "BLUE GUM LANE NO'S 1 - 17" but not "BLUE GUM LANE (NO'S 1 ­ 17)".

If this is the problem, there are two alternative techniques to solve it. Either:
o Disable regular expressions in formulae by removing the tick from Tools | Options... | LibreOffice Calc | Calculate | Enable regular expressions in formulae. (That will be Preferences... on the Mac, won't it?)
Or:
o Escape the parentheses by preceding them by backslashes in the search string: BLUE GUM LANE \(NO'S 1 - 17\) - so that they are treated as nothing more than the simple text characters you mean them to be.

I trust this helps.

Brian Barker

#4

https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/images/4/47/CG41-CalcGuideLO.pdf
(chapter 8 on pivot tables)