Re: [office-formula] Syntax issues

[Andreas J Guelzow <aguelzow@math.concordia.ab.ca>]

On Wed, 2006-06-09 at 21:15 -0400, David A. Wheeler wrote:
> Original text:
> > > >> ='Sheet1'.$$Hello            # Look for Sheet-local name first, THEN global.
> 
> Eike Rathke said:
> > > > I don't get it why a global name should be tried at all in this
> > > > constellation. Of course one _can_ do, but writing the sheet prefix plus
> > > > global name would be an error, or what am I missing?
> > > >   
> > > Hmm, this construct could have two different possible semantics.
> > > If possible, we should be very specific.
> > > 
> > > I think we ought to duplicate whatever the typical semantics are
> > > for applications that support sheet-local names.  I know Gnumeric and
> > > Excel have them - can someone double-check their semantics?
> 
> Andreas J. Guelzow said:
> > Gnumeric will default to the global name. In fact without that fall back
> > there would be little need for sheet-local and global names since then
> > sheet-local names could be eumulated by a naming scheme. 
> > 
> > For example I want to be able to access the database used on Sheet1,
> > which may be the global database.
> 
> Um, agree, but I don't think that's what Eike was asking about.
> Obviously what I wrote was unclear - sorry, let me try again.

I guess it wasn't you that wasn't clear but I.

> 
> Clearly, in this construct:
> > > >> ='Sheet1'.$$Hello
> You better look at sheet Sheet1 for the variable "Hello".
> 
> But let's say that you have a sheet-local reference, but there is
> NO sheet-local variable defined (no "Hello"); what should the spec require next?
> 1. Look for a global name, and return that if found (and error if not).
> 2. Error out, because there wasn't a sheet-local name?
> 3. Do either of the above (implementation-defined which one)?

I think (1) is what we want. If we wanted (2) I could have a similar
effect by having only one level of names and using a name Sheet1_Hello.

Why do I want this two (or more) level with fallback to a global name:

Imagine we have a hundert sheets S00 to S99 we have a global name
Data_Base that gives the default database on each sheet: let's say
[.A1:.Z26]

On some sheets (S07, S17 and S27) the database range is different so I
have sheet-local names Data_Base on those 3 sheets that define some
other regions.

This is nice because I was able to duplicate the sheets originally since
all the calculations are the same. On each of those sheets of course I
refer to each used database just by the name Data_Base.

Now I have an overview sheet OView on which I want to collect some
general statistics on all databases. It is nice to be able to refer to 
'S01'.$$Data_Base to 'S99'.$$Data_Base, knowing that 'S01'.$$Data_Base
is really 'S01'.A1:.Z26, 'S02'.$$Data_Base is really 'S02'.A1:.Z26 but
'S07'.$$Data_Base refers to that other region on sheet S07.

I hope this is clearer.

Andreas