Documentation/Calc Functions/Guidelines
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Guidelines
While editing wiki pages can seem tricky, following certain guidelines and practices make the process much simpler. This page mentions all the attention to details that one must offer while improving the wiki pages for Calc functions.
Summary
It will contain a brief summary of the function.
Syntax
- This section mentions the format for formula being passed.
- If there are optional paramaters, they are mentioned in square brackets [ ] for example,
ACCRINT(Issue; FirstInterest; Settlement; Rate; [Par]; Frequency[; Basis]) - In case an argument is needed only if earlier arguments are passed then make use of nested square brackets [ ] for example,
STDEV(Number 1[; Number 2[; ...[; Number 255]]]) - Make the arguments bold. Follow this styling for the arguments throughout the page.
Returns
- This section describes the type of value that the function returns.
- It mentions what the function does with the passed arguments mentioned in the syntax.
- A function can return a real number, text, logical values, etc.
- It also mentions the range of the returned result in the case of real numbers.
- For example consider the function CHIDIST,
Return a real number which is a right-tailed probability of the chi-square distribution. It is a probability hence it ranges from 0 to 1, i.e. [0,1].
Arguments
- This section describes each argument in detail.
- For each argument mention the range of input allowed by the function like whether the argument is passed as an integer, real number, text, as a reference to a cell, as an array of real number/text, as a reference to a range of cells, etc.
- Describe all borderline cases and error cases for the various values of arguments being passed. For error case, explain what errors are returned by the function for a particular type or range of arguments.
Additional details
- This section contains any other information that could not be adjusted in the above sections.
- This section can contain an image of the graph or illustration of a function displaying how the function varies with the given range of arguments. For example, OR
- This section can contain a formula that the function implements. For example, CHIDIST function has the following equation
- This section can contain a link to Wikipedia for those people interested in knowing more about any topic that the function covers.
- This section can contain instructions about activating certain features like wildcards, regular expression, etc.
- This section can contain a warning or a note or a tip message for the user. Please use templates for them as mentioned below.
Warning:
Add text here
Note:
Add text here
Tip:
Add text here
- In case there isn't any additional detail to mention then this section says "None".
Examples
- This section is filled with all types of examples for the given function.
- Add those examples where the function returns error cases for certain invalid arguments to make the function's page completely satisfy all user queries.
- Please use the tabular format for inserting examples mentioned in an example below.
| Formula | Description | Returns |
|---|---|---|
| =STDEV(3; 4; 5; 6; 2; 3; 1) | Calculate the sample standard deviation of the data | 1.71824938596845 |
| =STDEV(3; 4; −5; 6.05; 2; 3; −1.5) | Calculate the sample standard deviation of the data | 3.71472295961175 |
| =STDEV(3; "alpha"; −5; 6.05; 2; 3; −1.5) | The function returns an error value, since one of the numbers is a string. | Err:504 |
| =STDEV(A1:A5)
where A1:A5 contains 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
Calculate the sample standard deviation of the data passed as a reference to the cells. | 1.58113883008419 |
| =STDEV(3) | The function will return a division error since less than 2 arguments are available. | #DIV/0! |
- Add an additional table for indicating the cell referencing like below. This is needed for formulas like
=VLOOKUP("Charlie"; A1:E4; 3; FALSE())
| A | B | C | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Avery | Hazel | Jack | William |
| 2 | Carter | Grayson | James | Scarlett |
| 3 | Charlie | Harper | Lily | Jackson |
| 4 | Ella | Julian | Lillian | Mason |
Related LibreOffice functions
- This section contains a link to all the related functions available in LibreOffice. For details about which functions are related refer to the corresponding function in the ODF section. Add link like below (e.g. for the
ACCRINTMfunction):
[[Special:MyLanguage/Documentation/Calc_Functions/ACCRINTM|{{Calc_fn_name|ACCRINTM|{{PAGELANGUAGE}}}}]]
ODF standard
- This section links the wiki page of the function to its corresponding ODF function.
- The function's ODF link can be found from here and added as shown below:
- Please make sure to mention the Section number of the function correctly.
- In case there isn't an exact same ODF function then this section says "None".
Related (or similar) Excel functions:
- In case there isn't a very similar, equivalent or closely related Excel function then this section says "None".
Tips
Where to refer
- For populating the wiki pages and finding any missing information only refer to:
Copyright
- While adding any text, image or formula please make sure that none of them is similar or verbatim taken from any website like MS Excel documentation, Google Sheets docs, etc.
Images, Graphs and Formulas
- For images and graphs, please generate images using either Calc or using visualization libraries like Matplotlib in python.
- For the formula either capture an image of the ODF section or generate a formula's image using javascript application or latex or any other process that gives a png/jpg/jpeg image.
- Please make sure that images for graphs and illustration state the name of the function in the caption, has a thumb format, and are centered. (SINH graph above)
- Please make sure that images for formula has a none format and is centered. (CHIDIST equation above)
- Please make sure not to take images from any source that may be subject to copyrights as mentioned in the above section.