Works: Functions Imported from Excel 4.0 to Works

ID: Q107988

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Excel for Windows, version 4.0
Microsoft Works for Windows, versions 3.0, 4.0, 4.0a, 4.5, 4.5a

SUMMARY

There are 65 functions in Excel 4.0 that will translate in some form into Works for Windows if the Excel text converter is properly installed. If Works encounters any other Excel function, you will get the following error message

Formula ignored: not valid: <CellRef>.
Continue to display errors?"

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

At this point you can choose Yes to continue to display errors or "NO" to hide any additional errors, or Cancel to stop opening the file. The total number of errors encountered while opening the file will be displayed at the end of the conversion.

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

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

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

Any functions returning Binary, Octal, Hexadecimal, or Complex numbers will have their last return value imported as text.

MORE INFORMATION

The following table is the list of the Excel 4.0 functions that will import in some form to Works. 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, then there is no difference between Excel 4.0 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
 COUNT
 COUNTA                   Function changes to COUNT.
 DATE
 DAY
 DDB                      If the "factor" parameter is anything other
                          than 2, the function will produce the error
                          described in the summary.
 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 it will
                          return the same value Excel did.
 FIXED                    Function changes to STRING and ignores the
                          "no_commas" parameter so it will always
                          display with no commas.
 HLOOKUP                  "LookupValue" parameter is reduced by 1 to
                          affect change from 1-based to 0-based
                          referencing (the value returned is the same).
 HOUR
 IF                       Excel allows the IF statement to only have one
                          comma (after the condition). Excel will assume
                          the True condition is a zero and the False
                          statement is FALSE. Works will actually put a
                          "0" (without the quotation marks) in the True
                          condition and FALSE() in the False condition.
 ISNA
 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).
 MIN
 MINUTE
 MOD
 MONTH
 N
 NA
 NOT
 NOW                      Note that Works does not display the time as
                          Excel does with this function.
 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 will produce the error described in
                          the summary.
 RAND
 REPLACE                  "Offset" parameter is reduced by 1 to affect
                          change from 1-based to 0-based referencing
                          (the value returned is the same).
 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. Using FIND in
                          this way may cause an ERR return value where
                          Excel returned a positive value because FIND
                          is case-sensitive and SEARCH is not.
 SECOND
 SIN
 SLN
 SQRT
 SUM
 SYD
 T                        Function changes to S.
 TAN
 TIME
 TRIM
 TRUE
 UPPER
 VALUE
 VARP                     Function changes to VAR.
 VLOOKUP
 YEAR                     1900 is added to the return value so the
                          value shown represents the actual year as
                          Excel displays.

Additional query words: 3.00 4.00 4.00a 4.50 4.50a kbhowto kbusage ss formula w_excel w_works

Keywords :
Version : WINDOWS:4.0; WINDOWS|MACINTOS:3.0,4.0,4.0a,4.5,4.5a
Platform : WINDOWS WINDOWS|MACINTOS
Issue type : kbinfo