[SOLVED] excel question

[brannsiu]

not exactly Excel, but spreadsheet by OpenOffice, whenever I choose to select a set of numbers it "sometimes" calculates the sum for me in the bottom status bar, but many time it doesn't.
Is it the problem of the formatting of the number? What should I do?

 

[Ralston18]

I have looked at your post a couple of times but did not answer because I use Excel versus Open Office.

Although many of the functions are similar there are a few differences.

So I will hazard the thought that "Auto sum" is somehow involved.

Open a new blank spreadsheet and create a "set of numbers" . And establish another cell where the end total is calculated.

Then explore "auto sum" or other similar functions to discover a check box or other option that automatically calculates the sum in the bottom status bar.

May be some associated "property" of the status bar.

Try googling words and phrasing such as "OpenOffice auto sum status bar".

I found a number of links. For example:

https://bugs.documentfoundation.org/show_bug.cgi?id=42629

Modify the search criteria as necessary for your situation.

 

[Grobe]

I'm not able to replicate the issue (Libre Office Calc 7.0.4.2).

Can you describe the excact version of Open Office you run?

Can you provide a sample document where it's possible (for you) observe the behaviour you mention ?

 

[USAFRet]

I'm not able to replicate the issue (Libre Office Calc 7.0.4.2).

Can you describe the excact version of Open Office you run?

Can you provide a sample document where it's possible (for you) observe the behaviour you mention ?

I tried as well in Libre and could not duplicate.

 

[sizzling]

When this happens in Excel it’s because the values are seen as text and not numbers. You have the option to highlight the the range and select convert to number. Another way to show this is insert another column and creat a formula that references the original column and multiples by 1, for example =A1*1. The new column will behave like numbers while the original behaves like text.

I don’t use OpenOffice but my guess is your data set is being imported as text and not a number.

 

[Nigel Spike]

The field in the Status Bar shows "Cell or object information".
It displays information about the selected items. When a group of cells is selected, the sum of the contents is displayed by default; you can right-click on this field and select other functions, such as the average value, maximum value, minimum value, or count (number of items selected). It can also be set to show nothing.

Info found here.

As for other math functions, cells containing text, or being formatted as text, have the value = 0.

 

[Alabalcho]

Some of the cells could be entered as text (in Excel, precede the number with single apostrophe), and they're not taken into SUM account when a block is selected.

 

[USAFRet]

Absent further info from the OP, the consensus seems to be some it is text, not number.