Calc multiplication & division formulas acting strangely (Mac 5.2.3)

users
#1

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?

The cell is formatted as Number:General so it should calculate.

I've opened spreadsheets created in Excel in LO Calc and they have the same problem.

Functions are OK as far as I can tell.

I've checked all formats, settings that make sense, Googled and checked the help if something has changed but I'm at a loss.

??What's going on here??

What should I be looking into?

B.

PS On digest mode so please CC me directly. Thank you!

#2

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.

Brian Barker

#3

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.

#4

Using LO 5.2.3.3 on OS X 10.11.6 with the decimal separator (.), I do not
reproduce the problem.
I do get an error with the decimal separator (,)

My system is set to US English.
When I set the system to CDN English, I do not get an error either.

Is there a issue with OS X 10.10.5?

#5

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".)

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

Well, it will - since you've inserted that unhelpful space! We need the number one-and-a-half, not the two separate numbers one and five. The test is =4*1,5 - as I suggested. I'm sticking with my suggestion that this will work!

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

That's also consistent with my suggestion. Formulae in existing documents are reinterpreted in the light of your new settings.

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 don't immediately see what is happening here, but it has to be said that there are very many places where locales and languages are set. It's difficult to test every possibility without messing up my system. Note, for example, that the cell formatting has its own language setting (at Format | Cells... | Numbers | Language), though that ought to affect only the display of results, not the interpretation of input.

You might want to get someone to look at a sample document to see what is happening.

Brian Barker

#6

Thanks again Brian. Appreciate that you take time to comment and help!

Some additional comments inline below.

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".)

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

Well, it will - since you've inserted that unhelpful space! We need the
number one-and-a-half, not the two separate numbers one and five. The test
is =4*1,5 - as I suggested. I'm sticking with my suggestion that this will
work!

This was just an additional space typo due to autocorrect or thumb typing
on my tablet.

I can open old Calc spreadsheets with decimal inputs and have no problem

until I try to enter new numbers.

That's also consistent with my suggestion. Formulae in existing documents
are reinterpreted in the light of your new settings.

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 don't immediately see what is happening here, but it has to be said that
there are very many places where locales and languages are set. It's
difficult to test every possibility without messing up my system. Note, for
example, that the cell formatting has its own language setting (at Format |
Cells... | Numbers | Language), though that ought to affect only the
display of results, not the interpretation of input.

It is confusing. As a summary, any number entered that is a decimal less
than 1.0 (one) can be entered OK and calculates OK. Any decimal number
greater than 1.0 gives the $NAME# error.

I didn't realize that there was another language setting in the cell
format. I've checked and it is set to the default which is "Canada
English". So it is consistent (exactly the same) between the Mac OSX
10.10.5 and the various places in LO.

You might want to get someone to look at a sample document to see what is
happening.

Brian Barker

I'm happy to provide a sample document. How would I go about finding
someone who would look at it?

Thanks again,
B.