https://bugs.documentfoundation.org/show_bug.cgi?id=106151
--- Comment #11 from Colin <[email protected]> --- I believe this misalignment between Excel and LO CALC regarding the CELL("row") function presents a serious usability and compatibility issue. In Excel, CELL("row") returns the row number of the last active cell, enabling dynamic calculations and concatenation with other critical information. However, CALC deviates from this behaviour, instead returning the row number of the cell containing the function call—an outcome that serves little practical purpose and undermines Excel's long-established functionality. This discrepancy is more than a minor inconvenience—it negates a feature that has existed in Excel since Excel 4, long before OASIS specifications took shape. While standardization is valuable, should it come at the cost of legacy functionality that has been in use for decades? Excel predates OASIS by nearly 20 years, meaning CALC’s rigid adherence to the specification disregards important historical functionality. A pragmatic approach would be to either: 1. Align CALC's implementation of CELL("row") with Excel’s behaviour for continuity and usability. 2. Introduce an alternative function—such as EXCELL() or EX.CELL()—to ensure Excel-based spreadsheets retain their intended functionality when imported into CALC. Additionally, the current state of macros in CALC compounds the issue, as they lack the ability to preserve the undo stack—a critical oversight that leads to irreversible actions rather than safe experimentation AND implementation. While standardisation matters, preserving the usability of long-standing functions should take precedence over rigid adherence to specifications that fail to account for established practices. It’s time to reconsider this implementation before valuable functionality is lost for good. The "me too" moment - it has prevented me from coaxing a potential user from Excel to LO because there is no practical workaround - like YOU, I can count the global number of users who didn't go "Oh Heck, NO, UNDO" on the fingers on the tail of a Doberman.. -- You are receiving this mail because: You are the assignee for the bug.
