https://bz.apache.org/ooo/show_bug.cgi?id=24271
[email protected] changed: What |Removed |Added ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- CC| |[email protected] --- Comment #36 from [email protected] --- This should be fixed, somehow. I understand the argument that in -4^2+7, the leading sign indicates negation rather than subtraction [UNLESS one says that by convention this means 0-4^2+7]. HOWEVER, with -x^2+7, the interpretation is different, and should definitely mean -(x^2)+7. I agree with an earlier poster that maintained that the standard Gaussian Normal statistical expression e^(-x^2/2) should be accepted as is without extra parentheses as e^(-(x^2)/2). In my case, I was generating formulae using Maple, then cutting & pasting them into an Open Calc ods spreadsheet; Maple is a bit idiosyncratic about how it orders the various addends in an expression, so even if my input to Maple was, e.g., "7-x^2", there was a chance that the Maple output would read "-x^2+7" without any forewarning. It took me a long time to diagnose the trouble in my ods spreadsheet and then to locate the several offending cases and de-bug them. SUGGESTION: I suggest that the default Open Calc behavior should be as follows. If a formula begins with a "-" a pop-up window should appear presenting the two main options (A) interpret leading "-t..." as "0-t...", and (B) interpret [consistent with Excel] leading "-t..." as "(-t)...". Further, it would be nice to have check-boxes available to "Always interpret in this chosen way". Perhaps a refinement would be to offer the ability to differentiate between leading "-n..." where n is a numerical value versus leading "-x..." where x is a variable or cell reference. COMPLICATION: The issue is broader than just the "leading term" of a formula, in that it also occurs when an expression is input to some function, e.g., SQRT(-x^2+7) or SIN(-x^2+7), etc. At the very least, such situations should trigger a pop-up warning alerting the user to the ambiguity of interpretation. -- You are receiving this mail because: You are on the CC list for the issue. You are the assignee for the issue.
