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# Placing equals sign in front of function text in Calc corrupts the formula

In recent version (5.2.2.2) of Calc, if I enter the text of a function without the equals sign, e.g. FIND(“Ach Deposit”;A18) and then edit this cell by placing an = at the beginning, the result is FIND() and an Err:501. Typing exactly the same thing, i.e. =FIND("Ach Deposit";A18) gives a valid response (the number 1). This was not previously the case (I have used Find and Replace to remove the equals sign so that a formula could be copied elsewhere without changing the cell reference, and then putting the equals sign back), and makes no sense to me. What is wrong?

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## Comments

Perhaps the problem is in quotes. While the formula is entered as text Calc applies AutoCorrect to quotes - https://help.libreoffice.org/5.2/Comm... And after conversion into the formula does not understand what kind of quotes. IMHO!

( 2016-10-27 16:33:57 +0100 )edit

I tried to repeat this by removing the '=', then copied the cell and pasted to a new cell, then edit the new cell to add '=', but this was no problem. Also using 5.2.2.2. Perhaps I have different option set for autocorrect.

( 2016-10-27 16:45:48 +0100 )edit

## 1 Answer

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FIND(“Ach Deposit”;A18) and FIND("Ach Deposit";A18) are not exactly the same. The first has different characters for quote than the second.

If I copy the first into a calc cell then add the '=' I get an error 501.

If I copy the second into a calc cell and then add the '=' then it works.

You may have copied the first example from some source other than Calc, maybe a web page.

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## Comments

If the 'Replace double quote' (with "typographic" quotes as defined for the locale is chosen under 'Autocorrect options' LibO will do so when the supposed formula is entered as a text. Trying later to make it a formula will not revert this. "typographic" quotes, on the other hand, are not recognised inside formulae. Unfortunately the option cannot be set differently for 'Writer' and for 'Calc'. Due to a leading "=" the cell editor will know the intention and omit the replacement.

( 2016-10-27 21:19:15 +0100 )edit

Thank you to both; I was not sensitive to this difference.

( 2016-11-27 21:19:34 +0100 )edit

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Asked: 2016-10-27 15:53:28 +0100

Seen: 356 times

Last updated: Oct 27 '16