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Subject: Re: [office] Excel 2007 != Ecma spec YEARFRAC. Not even slightly. What should we do?
I don't see any substantive difference beteween using strings and using numbers to identify the basis. My main reason for suggesting string representation was so that when I look at an odf formula, I can use the string as a neumonic instead of having to go back to the standard to find out what basis==0 means. wt On Fri, Apr 18, 2008 at 12:59 PM, <robert_weir@us.ibm.com> wrote: > > From a storage perspective, is there any backwards compatibility problem > caused by moving from our current integer bases to strings, where five of > the strings are "0", "1", "2", "3" and "4" ? > > If we did that we could add others like "NYSE_X25", "ISDA_Rule25" or > whatever. > > -Rob > > > "David A. Wheeler" <dwheeler@dwheeler.com> wrote on 04/18/2008 02:56:31 PM: > > > > > In general, the formula specification tries to follow EXISTING > > conventions wherever reasonable. _All_ spreadsheet implementations > > use integer "basis" values for all their functions that have > > such a parameter. I agree that using a string has its merits, > > but using an integer is reasonable enough. > > In fact, integers make it easy to create "ranges", and would > > actually _ease_ transitions if there are differing interpretations > > of basis values. > > > > I think we should try to AVOID spec'ing something incompatible > > with all existing implementations unless we have a pressing > > need to do so, and I don't think this is compelling. That said... > > > > > > > On Fri, Apr 18, 2008 at 7:00 AM, David A. Wheeler > > <dwheeler@dwheeler.com> wrote: > > > > The problem is that basis values need not be a constant in the > > cell; it might be > > > > from another cell and/or a calculation (directly or indirectly), > e.g.: > > > > YEARFRAC([.A5];[.B5];[.C5]+1) > > > > Warren Turkal: > > > This seems like an unrealistic use case. In all sincerity, why would > > > someone do that? Is it common? I just don't see folks selecting the > > > basis by saying I want whatever the basis is identified by taking the > > > identifier of some basis (e.g. actual/actual) and adding 1 to it. > > > > You're right, that was a silly example. > > > > But a more realistic one is: > > > > YEARFRAC([.A5];[.B5]; IF(CONVENTION="US"; 0; 4)) > > > > Now the filter has to start digging through the expression tree, > > or end up with a complicated resulting expression. Ugh. > > > > > Having said that. If people do it, import filters can just map it to > > > whatever fixed string it's value corresponds to on import... > > > > Yes, import filters can fix it... but let's try to make it easy on > > the filters! > > Simple implementation is very important for getting a spec implemented. > > > > Switching from an integer to a string representation does NOT > > really ease the "different basis interpretation" problem at all. > > It just means that EVERYONE has to convert, instead of only > > SOME people having to convert. That makes things worse, not better. > > Integers also tend to be more efficient, and make it easy to > > do conversions of whole groups (e.g., we could make the > > Excel 2007 and OOXML conventions differ by 128, and then > > adding/subtracting 128). > > > > Since everyone uses integers NOW for basis values, let's try to stick > > with that if it's practical to do so. And I think it is. > > > > --- David A. Wheeler > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > > To unsubscribe from this mail list, you must leave the OASIS TC that > > generates this mail. You may a link to this group and all your TCs in > OASIS > > at: > > https://www.oasis-open.org/apps/org/workgroup/portal/my_workgroups.php > > >
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