Re: problem with fractions in spreadsheet

[Brian Barker]

At 10:26 28/06/2016 -0400, Vincent A. Juliano wrote:
Whenever I've entered a fraction or a mixed number into my 
spreadsheet, upon hitting the enter button, the fraction immediately 
changes into a date. For example I enter 5/32, upon hitting Enter 
the fraction shows up in the cell as 05/01/32.  Should I enter 6-1/3 
it will show as 6 1/3.  However the screw size 4-40 will show as 
04/01/40.  6 11/16  shows as 6 2/3.  This is not accuracy that is 
possible to use.


You need to appreciate that spreadsheets interpret your input when 
assembling the value to be actually inserted in the cell. By default, 
input sequences that appear to be dates or fractions will be 
interpreted that way. (The same applies to percentages, currency 
amounts, boolean values, and so on.) As well as the input sequence 
being interpreted, the format of the cell is set appropriately. This 
is a regular part of how spreadsheets work.


How can I get the spreadsheet to enter the fractions and mixed 
numbers as written? Format -Numbers-Fractions yields no better results.


That depends on what you need. You talk about "entering fractions" - 
but your screw size is not a fraction, of course, and perhaps none of 
your values are. If you want what you type to appear in the cell 
exactly as it is, you don't want a spreadsheet's normal numeric 
values at all, but text. Format your cells (columns, ranges, 
whatever) as Text *before* you enter the values and they will not be 
(mis)interpreted. Yes, you can use the leading apostrophe trick - 
which has the same effect - but that is intended for occasional 
values that differ from those normally in, say, a column. You will 
generally know in advance that values in a column need to be text and 
entered just as you typed them, and simply formatting the column as 
Text first is much simpler. You need to make simple design decisions 
like this before entering values into any spreadsheet.


There are many sorts of data that look like numbers but are actually 
not; other examples are numeric postal codes or telephone numbers. 
What is the significance of one postal code or telephone number being 
exactly twice another? None at all, as they are not really numbers 
but strings of digits that look like numbers. Another clue is that a 
leading zero on a postal code or telephone number is significant and 
its inclusion or omission changes the meaning and effect.


Note that if you enter "5/32" as text, you will not be able to 
calculate with its value. But in the above scenario you will not want 
to do this. After all, two 4-40 screws do not in any sense make 8-80.


At 12:14 28/06/2016 -0400, Vincent A. Juliano wrote:
In writing a fraction after going through the above. When entering 3 
11/16  the actual number printed is 3 2/3. That's a no no. the 
fraction value has been changed!
I would venture to say there's a glitch somewhere. It's either in 
the open office or it's in my side. But something is not working at 
a all here. How can I follow up to get it fixed?


There is no glitch. If you enter "3 11/16" you will indeed see "3 
2/3" in the cell display. Select the cell and look in the Input Line. 
You will see "3.6875", which is the correct value. If your values 
really were fractions, you would now have the correct (numeric) value 
in the cell. But cell displays are always rounded, and the reason why 
it appears as it does is that Calc's default Fraction format is "# 
?/?" - which limits the numerator and denominator of the fraction to 
single digits. If you change the Fraction format to "# ??/??" (which 
you can do either before or after you enter the data), you will see 
"3 11/16" displayed in the cell. But since you presumably don't want 
numeric values at all, this is very probably irrelevant.


I trust this helps.

Brian Barker


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RE: problem with fractions in spreadsheet.

[Dennis E. Hamilton]

Also, try entering the value as a formula.  E.g., "=5/32" (without quotes), so 
that the result is required to be numeric. Then the Fraction formatting will 
also work.

> -Original Message-
> From: Wade Smart [mailto:wadesm...@gmail.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, June 28, 2016 07:41
> To: users@openoffice.apache.org
> Subject: Re: problem with fractions in spreadsheet.
> 
> Right click in the cell. Select Format.
> In the window that comes up, left Tab Numbers,
> in the Category if you scroll down you can select Fraction.
> It will now look like a fraction when you write 6 1/3.
> 
> 
> 
> --
> Registered Linux User: #480675
> Registered Linux Machine: #408606
> Linux since June 2005
> 
> On Tue, Jun 28, 2016 at 9:26 AM, Vincent A. Juliano
> <vjuli...@optonline.net <mailto:vjuli...@optonline.net> > wrote:
> 
> 
>   Thank you Wade for the reply.  Now on to the question.
> 
> Whenever I’ve entered a fraction or a mixed number into my
> spreadsheet, upon hitting the enter button, the fraction immediately
> changes into a date.
> 
>   For example I enter 5/32, upon hitting Enter the fraction shows up
> in the cell as 05/01/32.  Should I enter 6-1/3 it will show as 6 1/3.
> However the screw size 4-40 will show as 04/01/40.  6 11/16  shows as 6
> 2/3.  This is not accuracy that is possible to use.
> 
>   How can I get the spreadsheet to enter the fractions and mixed
> numbers as written?
>   Format -Numbers-Fractions yields no better results.
> 
>   Please spell out the suggested solutions as simply as possible. I
> am definitely NOT computer savvy
> 
>   Thank you for any help or suggestions.
> 
>   Vince
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>   Vincent Juliano
>   vjuli...@optonline.net <mailto:vjuli...@optonline.net>
> 
> 
> 
>   On Jun 28, 2016, at 8:43 AM, Wade Smart <wadesm...@gmail.com
> <mailto:wadesm...@gmail.com> > wrote:
> 
> 
>   Vincent, you just have to ask your question.
>   Someone will respond.
> 
>   --
>   Registered Linux User: #480675
>   Registered Linux Machine: #408606
>   Linux since June 2005
> 
>   On Tue, Jun 28, 2016 at 7:38 AM, Vincent A. Juliano
> <vjuli...@optonline.net <mailto:vjuli...@optonline.net> > wrote:
> 
> 
>   What is the proper email address to get help for open
> office.
> 
>   Using Open office since version 2.0 and forgot almost
> everything,
> 
>   Thank you
>   Vince
> 
>   Vincent Juliano
>   vjuli...@optonline.net <mailto:vjuli...@optonline.net>
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 



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Re: problem with fractions in spreadsheet.

[Wade Smart]

Right click in the cell. Select Format.
In the window that comes up, left Tab Numbers,
in the Category if you scroll down you can select Fraction.
It will now look like a fraction when you write 6 1/3.



-- 
Registered Linux User: #480675
Registered Linux Machine: #408606
Linux since June 2005

On Tue, Jun 28, 2016 at 9:26 AM, Vincent A. Juliano 
wrote:

> Thank you Wade for the reply.  Now on to the question.
>
>   Whenever I’ve entered a fraction or a mixed number into my spreadsheet,
> upon hitting the enter button, the fraction immediately changes into a date.
>
> For example I enter 5/32, upon hitting Enter the fraction shows up in the
> cell as 05/01/32.  Should I enter 6-1/3 it will show as 6 1/3.  However the
> screw size 4-40 will show as 04/01/40.  6 11/16  shows as 6 2/3.  This is
> not accuracy that is possible to use.
>
> How can I get the spreadsheet to enter the fractions and mixed numbers as
> written?
> Format -Numbers-Fractions yields no better results.
>
> Please spell out the suggested solutions as simply as possible. I am
> definitely NOT computer savvy
>
> Thank you for any help or suggestions.
>
> Vince
>
>
>
>
>
> Vincent Juliano
> vjuli...@optonline.net
>
>
> On Jun 28, 2016, at 8:43 AM, Wade Smart  wrote:
>
> Vincent, you just have to ask your question.
> Someone will respond.
>
> --
> Registered Linux User: #480675
> Registered Linux Machine: #408606
> Linux since June 2005
>
> On Tue, Jun 28, 2016 at 7:38 AM, Vincent A. Juliano <
> vjuli...@optonline.net> wrote:
>
>> What is the proper email address to get help for open office.
>>
>> Using Open office since version 2.0 and forgot almost everything,
>>
>> Thank you
>> Vince
>>
>> Vincent Juliano
>> vjuli...@optonline.net
>>
>>
>>
>
>