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Subject: ODFF: list of suggestions
ODFF draft spec: I contributed some suggestions/bug reports here at the end of last year. I know it's unlikely that anyone will get round to doing much about it (my previous suggestions have still not made it onto the to-do list as far as I can tell), but nevertheless I've collected these suggestions/bugs from reading the Dec07 draft: Function descriptions: LEN LEN(A1) where A1 contains a number - it's not specified whether to return the count of the displayed digits or internal storage or what. Calc converts to a number with max decimals (not the default format), and counts that. PERMUT The formula uses P<sub>n,k</sub> which is not the common convention (actually incorrect I think). PERMUTATIONA The formula (not given) is simply n^k - is this function really needed or is it bloat? Excel doesn't have it I think? LEFT, RIGHT The 'see also' list should include MID PERCENTRANK "as a percentage of the data set" - this phrase is surely meaningless - needs a rigorous description. GROWTH misleading to call the parameter 'allowOffset' as this is not an offset but a multiplier. HARMEAN there is no N in the formula CONVERT Care must be taken with prefixes for areas and volumes. 'km2' means '[kilometres] squared' NOT '1000 [metres squared]' - this is potentially misleading, and the draft spec does not say LINEST needs a rewrite into clear English - it's actually wrong about multiple x values as well MUNIT "Summary: Creates a unity matrix of a specified dimension N" - should read 'unit' not unity INDEX page 243 *"this is essentially a 2D version of CHOOSE" - no it's not - CHOOSE cannot accept a range parameter. *"which looks as if Row is taken as the column offset into the vector" - needs to be put more clearly. *"If DataSource is a one-dimensional row vector" - this needs rewording to be clear about whether or not this applies to multiranges. Clearly not in this phrase, yet area number may still be specified? STDEVA "Estimates the standard deviation" - no, it calculates the standard deviation. The standard deviation *is* an estimate (of spread). COUNTA, AVERAGEA, xxxA.... Reword these xxxA functions with consistency eg treatment of text MATCH page 246 *Doesn't specify that array must be single row or column *Constraints not specific enough - eg currently allows Matchtype=0.5 RANK page 369 *Typo: 'Order' has no ascending option (both are descending) *Should say that the number to be ranked must exist in numberlist (otherwise would be sensible too) FIND Needs examples with more than one character in 'find' parameter, to show how it matches. SEARCH The examples should make it clear when regexp / wildcards are on. Also show example to match literal question mark / dot etc.? SHEETS * =SHEETS([.B7]) does return 1 but I misunderstood - explain that B7 is on a single sheet? Contrast with sheet.b7:sheet3.c9? * "referenc" -> 'reference' (typo) FIXED "If the optional parameter OmitSeparators (which defaults to False) is True, then decimal separators are not included in the resulting string." Couldn't this be re-worded? - it's rather open to mistakes, and shouldn't it be 'thousands', not 'decimals'? My offering: "If the optional parameter OmitSeparators is True, then thousands separators are omitted from the resulting string. Thousands separators are included in the absence of this parameter." ================ Other issues: 'DateSequence' is undefined. 'NumberSequence' is not properly defined - it does not specify what happens in an array, nor what happens for a rectangular range (more than one row / column). There is no section actually defining it - merely a 'Conversion to...' section. page 41 * reword 1.2 and 1.3 - both are 'References'. * Actually the whole section could be better worded (what's a 'transpose approach'?) * =A1:C4 in a cell does not use intersection in 'non-array' mode. This could be better defined - it could be more clearly said that intersection is only defined for function arguments. page 42 "=MID("abcd";{1;2};{1;2;3}) => {"a";"bc";#N/A}" no - returns {..;..;#VALUE!}, because MID("abcd";#N/A;3) returns #VALUE! page 427 "Year 1683" ->1583 (typo) page 428 * "Number of either side" - > on either side (typo) * "= i = COMPLEX(1;0)" - should be COMPLEX(0;1) David King
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