See How to Report Bugs in LibreOffice - The Document Foundation Wiki
This is the same behaviour as Excel.
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It is not “undocumented”: see FAQ.
The thing that user needs to learn to understand what they do, and how to operate the application properly, is: there is a phase of data entry (when they type something into cell/formula bar); and then there is a phase of interpreting of the input into the cell content (it happens after the entry is finished). After that interpretation, the cell content will stay unchanged, until there is another editing action - and simply putting cursor into the formula bar / entering cell edit mode is not an edit, only typing something is.
The FAQ shows other methods to tell the program to re-interpret the cell content: e.g., using Find & Replace; or Text to Columns. Despite talking about numbers, the FAQ actually covers any data that user may enter into a cell, including formulas. This is a universal convention used in the spreadsheet software industry; if it looks unexpected by spreadsheet software users, they need a bit of learning to start using it efficiently. Thinking that a novice user’s problem could be “solved easily” by dumbing the software and making its behavior non-standard is naïve, and would break infinite more complex usage scenarios.
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@mikekaganski , other than pointing out a third source of documentation in addition to the in-application help and these forums, your reply offers nothing useful. Bear in mind, neither confused2 nor I are novices.
I have now found the submit a bug feature (which wasn’t linked from the help pages) I’ve submitted a documentation update request with details, so it is over to the devs now. Thanks @EarnestAl for the link.
The usefulness and effectiveness of a computer program is inversely proportional to the amount of training and support required.
by ML Schumann
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confused2
pwrightkcl
August 10
@mikekaganski , other than pointing out a third source of documentation in addition to the in-application help and these forums, your reply offers nothing useful. Bear in mind, neither confused2 nor I are novices.
I have now found the submit a bug feature (which wasn’t linked from the help pages) I’ve submitted a documentation update request with details, so it is over to the devs now. Thanks @EarnestAl for the link.
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Sounds great, until you think of CAD programs, C++, and all the high level programs that support our industries and lifestyles. Generally, the more complex the task, the more complex the program needs to be.
Training is needed for most human activities, even crossing the road safely.
Hello,
there are two different reasons why you don’t see the result of a formula evaluation but the formula itself.
1. Formatting your cell as Text
If you format a cell as Text (Format Code: @) before you enter a formula, you disable any input recognition and you get your formula as text. If you don’t do so, entering = tells LibreOffice that your are about to enter a formula.
Solution: Remove the text format (CTRL+M) and edit the formula.
2.View Option
You may have set option View -> Show Formula.
Solution: Unset the option
Hope that helps.
Update - see my comment below:
to Opaque
Thanks for your answer. However, my attempts using your instructions did not work. Also, CTRL +M closes a work sheet. CTRL +m seems to do what your intentions imply. Just a comment, but, I NEVER use keyboard command - always mouse and menu. This is because I use too many differing programs on my Mac, PC and Linux. Having to lift my hand from the mouse, except for data entry is quite frustrating.
I began using Excel in 1986 and have hundreds of specialty spread sheets on my Mac and never encountered this formula display problem. Surely there must be a way to eliminate it?
to igortius
I’ve attempted to attach a spreadsheet exemplifying the problem.
“Also, CTRL +M closes a work sheet. CTRL +m seems to do what your intentions imply. Just a comment, but, I NEVER use keyboard command - always mouse and menu.”
From the menu:
Format - Clear Direct Formatting
However, my attempts using your instructions did not work.
Because you did not follow my answer, which stated in 1.Formatting your cell as Text, that you must not format the cells as text before you enter a formula, but you have Format Code: "plane "@, which clearly is a text format code and hence you get your formula as text. Remove the format and add the following formula:
="plane =" & $D$20 & E9 & $E$18 & F9 & $D$21 –or–
="plane " & $D$20 & E9 & $E$18 & F9 & $D$21
(not sure what you want)
See the update in my answer
> I began using Excel in 1986 and have hundreds of specialty spread sheets on my Mac and never encountered this formula display problem
… and now you are using LibreOffice Calc, which isn’t a clone of Excel.
> Surely there must be a way to eliminate it?
Yes - see the answer above, and even if you can’t imagine, there are users (like me) who love the option to quickly show the formulas being used in a sheet.
… Cont
CTRL +M vs. CTRL+m
Ever since I can remember the standard was CTRL+M meaning: Press key CTRL + key labeled M at the same time: You introduce a meaning of: Press key CTRL + key SHIFT + key labeled M. That’s wrong and each documentation would write CTRL+SHIFT+M for that (the nomenclature is addressing labels of keys and there is no key labeled m).
As I know it: There is not “Ctrl” key on the MAC keyboard. The existing key is the “Cmd”: ⌘
But you should have encountered this “problem”. Excel shows the exact same behaviour (since 1995 as far as I am concerned). It used to have a view option to show formulas instead of values and any text formatted cell interpretes any input as literal text.
And just like any other well designed application, Excel will not convert any value by mere change of a formatting attribute. After removing the text format, you’ve got to re-enter all contents.
With Calc, the following trick re-enters all contents:
menu:Edit>>Find&Replace…
Search: .+ (dot plus)
Replace: & (ampersand)
Other options:
[X] Regular expressions
[Replace All]
The text-to-colums method outlined on the Microsoft help page works similarly with Calc.
August 3 2023 - 128p Mountain UnStandard Time [=GMT-0600]
Paul Wright via Ask LibreOffice
karolus via Ask LibreOffice
Andreas Säger via Ask LibreOffice
First, I was surprised to find emails regarding this 2020 topic. My solution back in 2020 was to forget LibreOffice Calc because of this issue. Using the solutions presented, it simply required too much time and effort.
I resorted to using my old Mac with Excel Version 4 (©1985…1992) where this problem just does not exist and I can create formulae the way I want and as I have for the past thirty-plus years - no hassle.
Perhaps some using LibreOffice Calc do not mind putting up with this, or they like it as a feature, from my perspective it is a time consuming obstacle. It renders LibreOffice Calc unusable from a practical, effective and efficient perspective.
Again personally, I would think that this issue, because it is an ever-present complaint in many forums, would have been addressed allowing spreadsheet users to disable it.
still “confused”
Villeroy
July 26
confused2:
I began using Excel in 1986 and have hundreds of specialty spread sheets on my Mac and never encountered this formula display problem.
But you should have encountered this “problem”. Excel shows the exact same behaviour (since 1995 as far as I am concerned). It used to have a view option to show formulas instead of values and any text formatted cell interpretes any input as literal text.
And just like any other well designed application, Excel will not convert any value by mere change of a formatting attribute. After removing the text format, you’ve got to re-enter all contents.
With Calc, the following trick re-enters all contents:
menu:Edit>>Find&Replace…
Search: .+ (dot plus)
Replace: & (ampersand)
Other options:
[X] Regular expressions
[Replace All]
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Hi confused2
I responded to this thread because it was the top search result looking for a solution to formulas being stuck as text in LibreOffice Calc. I wanted to make sure the specific workaround for forcing cell content refresh was clear for others arriving on this thread, and wanted to see if this and the issue of Calc continuing to use cell reference highlighting even in text cells needed bug reports.
I use Linux, so Excel is not an option.
To make a cell dislay the result of a fomula, you have to start the cell content with a = (equal sign)
`=1+2` + Press `ENTER`
[update]
it seems to get the correct / expected behaviour the direct formatting has to be applied after the fomula evaluation.
To fix the sheet you supplied, you have to
- you first have to remove the direct formattinng, (right click into the cell)
- re-apply the fomula (toolbar equal sign)
- re-add the direct format.
That seems to work.
Hope that helps.
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All of my formulas begin with an equal sign “=”. When the cell is displayed, it includes the equal sign as well as the remainder of the formula.
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And the result are not displayed ? Could you share an example file, so i can take a look at it? (You can add it to your question via edit)
I updated my answer … i think the order of operations is important,
First the fomula has to applied and afterward you can add/change the cells format eg. add "plane " suffix.
I just noticed that this more or less is the same as what Opaque said, … but maybe my description is easier / more hands on to the supplied example sheet. If it is still unclear, just leave another comment and i can add some screenshots.
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igorlius
I followed your instructions. They worked - one formual at a time. Thank you.
However, I have about 35 similar cells on the spread sheet from which I took the example and don’t have enough time in a day to do each one individually. I need to be able to use some command or option that removes this annoyance from the whole spread sheet as well as many other spread sheets I have.
I’m wondering why anyone would design a spread sheet to show a formula instead of its result? If someone tells me the circumference of a tree and asks me to tell them the diameter, I don’t present them with the formula d=C/pi: worse yet =A1/PI(). I give them the result.
If the cells are all in one row or colum, i think you can remove the direct format for the entire row / column in one step. And Re-Applying the direct format should also works in one step.
Only applying the cell re-evaluation of the formula without interacting with the toolbar or cell does not seem to have an bulk operator that is equally convinient. At least i could not find any.
Regarding the why LO-calc operates that way, … think about it like this.
- You first specified via the direct formatting that the Cell should display Text .
- Then you enter a fomular and expect the cell to magically know what todo.
- You are disappainted that the cell does what you told it todo in the first step.
Sounds a bit unreasonable doent it?
Even if you are not happy about how it work,
at least now you have a clearer understandy why it behaves tha way.
tl;dr
Don’t mix Text with Fomulas 