[Solved] Calculation function not working

[sonkraus]

I set my equation beginning with "=" but it doesn't calculate. Do I have something shut off?

[Villeroy]

Tools>Options>Calc>View: Display Formulas = OFF

[sonkraus]

thanks but when I get to "View" there is no "Display Formulas = Off"

[RoryOF]

Try
/Tools /Options /OpenOffice Calc /View and in the Display area uncheck the Formulae checkbox.

[sonkraus]

Ok got there but formula checkbox is already unchecked so this is not problem

[RoryOF]

In that case, please upload to the Forum a small sample file with a trivial calculation so we can see what is happening/wrong.

[acknak]

Check the cell format (menu: Format > Cell > Numbers ...). The format must be something OTHER THAN "Text" in order for the formula to be active.

If the cell format is Text, change it to Category: Number, Format: General (or click the "Reset" button below), then re-enter the formula (you have to change a character to make the edit take effect.

[sonkraus]

let me describe with this example. The cell is not maintaining the equation
A1 A2 A3
44 - 42 = 2 (the equation is "=A1-A2" in cell A3)

However when I change cell A1 or A2 to another number the equation doesn't calculate the change. To correct I have to go in cell 3 and re-enter the equation again. It seems like the equation works once and then like freezes

[coray80]

Tick
menu > Tools > cell contents > auto calculate

[Villeroy]

What do you do? Enter some formula in C1 -- say =A1+B1 -- and edit preceding values A1 and B1.
What do you get? The formula in C1 does not update when preceding values in A1 and B1 change.
What is wrong? You expect that C1 shows the new calculated value according to the modified values in A1 and B1.

Most answers assume the following scenario:
What do you do? Enter some formula in C1 -- say =A1+B1
What do you get? C1 displays the literal text "=A1+B1"
What is wrong? You would expect that C1 shows thenew calculated value according to the values in A1 and B1.
The misleading answers refer to 2 possible causes: there is an option to display all formulas instead of the results and you can format cells so they treat any input as literal text.

How To Ask Questions The Smart Way

[sonkraus]

problem solved see coray80 i.e cell contents not "auto calculate"
Thanks

[JamruLapor]

After using these tips, I was still having the problem. It started working after introducing a space between the function name and the open parenthesis. In other words "=CONCATENATE(A1;B1;C1)" did not work, but "=CONCATENATE (A1;B1;C1)" did. Interestingly, I was unable to reproduce the original problem on another machine, even though both are running OpenOffice 4.1.5 on Windows 10.