[Libreoffice-bugs] [Bug 128800] INDEX function insufficiently documented (see comment 8)

[bugzilla-daemon at bugs.documentfoundation.org]

https://bugs.documentfoundation.org/show_bug.cgi?id=128800

Eike Rathke <erack at redhat.com> changed:

           What    |Removed                     |Added
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
            Version|6.2.8.2 release             |Inherited From OOo
                 CC|                            |olivier.hallot at libreoffice.
                   |                            |org
                 OS|Linux (All)                 |All
          Component|Calc                        |Documentation
     Ever confirmed|0                           |1
             Status|UNCONFIRMED                 |NEW
           Hardware|x86-64 (AMD64)              |All
            Summary|INDEX function behaviour    |INDEX function
                   |inconsistent with function  |insufficiently documented
                   |wizard and 'tooltip'        |(see comment 8)

--- Comment #8 from Eike Rathke <erack at redhat.com> ---
The INDEX() function is always good for some confusion.. ;-)

What happens here with  {=INDEX(range2;1)}  is that range2 is a one-dimensional
row vector F4:H4, in which case if the Column argument is entirely omitted the
Row argument acts as a column offset into the vector. The function then returns
a reference to a single cell, here F4, which for the array result is repeated
as often as necessary.

Specifying the Column argument as empty like in  {=INDEX(range2;1;)}  lets the
function return a row vector of the width of the given range, here the first of
(the only) F4:H4. Same with Column 0 as in  {=INDEX(range2;1;0)}

That Excel does not handle  {=INDEX(range1;1)}  as the first row vector of
B4:D6 to return B4:D4 and gives #REF! in that case seems to be their
implementation detail. There is no actual reason not to do so.

I agree that our help is lacking details, compare with
https://docs.oasis-open.org/office/v1.2/os/OpenDocument-v1.2-os-part2.html#INDEX
and also note the more detailed syntax there

  INDEX( ReferenceList|Array DataSource ; [ Integer Row ] [ ; [ Integer Column
] ] [ ; Integer AreaNumber = 1 ] )

regarding optional and omitted parameters.

Forwarding to documentation.

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