Works: Spreadsheet Functions Imported from Excel 2000 to Works

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This article was previously published under Q260893

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SUMMARY

There are 65 functions in Microsoft Excel that you can import and use in Microsoft Works Spreadsheet. If Works Spreadsheet encounters any other Excel function, you may receive the following error message

Problem with formula CellRef.

The formula is too long or too complex, or contains a function that is not supported. Click Yes to see more errors, click NO to ignore other errors, or click Cancel to stop loading the file.

where CellRef is the cell in the spreadsheet in which the formula was ignored.

The cells imported with the ignored formulas have their currently returned value converted to decimal or text format.

NOTE: The total number of formula errors is reported to you.

Functions that return a text string have their last return value imported as text.

Functions that return decimal numbers have their last return value imported as decimal.

Any functions returning binary, octal, hexadecimal, or complex numbers have their last return value imported as text.

MORE INFORMATION

The following table is the list of the Excel functions that can be imported in some form to Works Spreadsheet. The notes explain any changes that are made to the name of the function or the behavior of the function when it is imported. If there is not a note accompanying a function, there is no difference between the behavior of the function in Excel and Works.

FUNCTIONS                NOTES
---------                -----

 ABS 

 ACOS

 AND

 ASIN

 ATAN

 ATAN2

 AVERAGE                  Function changes to AVG.

 CHOOSE                   "Choice" parameter is reduced by 1 to affect
                           change from 1-based to 0-based referencing
                          (the value returned is the same).

 COLUMNS                  Function changes to COLS.

 COS

 COUNTA                   Function changes to COUNT.

 DATE

 DAY                      Returns correct day if the argument is a serial 
                          number, or a cell reference, otherwise returns
                          ERR.

 DDB                      If the "factor" parameter is anything other
                          than 2, the function produces the error
                          described in the "Summary" section of this
                          article.

 EXACT

 EXP

 FALSE

 FIND                     "Offset" parameter is reduced by 1 to affect
                          change from 1-based to 0-based referencing
                          and 1 is added to the return value so that it
                          returns the same value Excel does.

 FIXED                    Function changes to STRING and ignores the
                          "no_commas" parameter so that it always
                          displays with no commas. If the decimals argument
                          is a negative number, ERR is returned.

 HLOOKUP                  "LookupValue" parameter is reduced by 1 to
                          affect change from 1-based to 0-based
                          referencing (the value returned is the same).
                          Works does not import the formula if the
                          "range_lookup" argument is included in the
                          formula.

 HOUR

 IF                       Excel allows the IF statement to have only one
                          comma (after the condition). Excel assumes that 
                          the True condition is a zero and the False
                          statement is FALSE. Works 2000 actually puts a
                          "0" (without the quotation marks) in the True
                          condition and FALSE() in the False condition.

 ISNA                     This Excel function always returns "False",
                          without the quotation marks, when it is imported 
                          by Works Spreadsheet.

 LEFT

 LEN                      Function changes to LENGTH.

 LN

 LOG10                    Function changes to LOG (which is base 10).

 LOWER

 MAX

 MID                      "Offset" parameter is reduced by 1 to affect
                          change from 1-based to 0-based referencing
                          (the value returned is the same). Works
                          Spreadsheet returns ERR if Excel returns empty
                          text. 

 MIN

 MINUTE

 MOD

 MONTH

 N

 NA                       Returned value changes from #N/A to N/A.

 NOT

 NOW                      The default Excel cell format for this function
                          is Custom m/d/yyyy h:mm, and the default Works 
                          cell format for this function is General.

 OR

 PI

 PROPER

 PV                       The parameters are rearranged (because they are
                          in a different order in Works) and the
                          "Payment" parameter is subtracted to make the
                          function work as it did in Excel. If the "fv"
                          or "type" parameters are anything but 0, the
                          formula produces the error described in
                          the "Summary" section of this article.

 RAND                     Note that the number reported automatically
                          changes to a different random number when the 
                          worksheet is imported.

 REPLACE                  "Offset" parameter is reduced by 1 to affect
                          change from 1-based to 0-based referencing
                          (the value returned is the same). Note that Works
                          does not treat a number as a text string 
                          unless it is preceded with quotation marks.

 REPT                     Function changes to REPEAT.

 RIGHT

 ROUND

 ROWS

 SEARCH                   Function changes to FIND and the "Offset"
                          parameter is reduced by 1 to affect change
                          from 1-based to 0-based referencing. Also, 1
                          is added to the return value in an attempt to
                          return the same value as Excel. Importing a 
                          Search function from Excel may cause Works
                          to return an ERR value when Excel returned a    
                          positive value because FIND is case-sensitive
                          and SEARCH is not.

 SECOND

 SIN

 SLN

 SQRT                     Works displays ERR instead of #NUM! when you 
                          attempt to take the square root of a negative 
                          number.

 SUM

 SYD

 T                        Function changes to S.

 TAN

 TIME

 TRIM

 TRUE

 UPPER

 VALUE

 VARP                     Function changes to VAR.

 VLOOKUP                  Works does not import the formula if the 
                          "range_lookup" argument is included in the 
                          formula.

 YEAR                     1900 is added to the return value so the
                          value shown represents the actual year as
                          Excel displays. Works returns ERR if the 
                          argument is less than 1.