Bug 74538

Summary: Gives reference errors on opening Excel files (xls, xlsx)
Product: LibreOffice Reporter: Marius Marsh <spiritofmar98>
Component: CalcAssignee: Not Assigned <libreoffice-bugs>
Status: RESOLVED FIXED    
Severity: major CC: jmadero.dev, spiritofmar98
Priority: medium    
Version: 4.2.0.4 release   
Hardware: All   
OS: Windows (All)   
Whiteboard:
Crash report or crash signature: Regression By:

Description Marius Marsh 2014-02-04 20:37:13 UTC
When opening a complicated Excel file
 (taken from   http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/environment/en/resources/STDPROD_086520.html  )
 in V.2.0.4 of calc, there were many cells that came up with a reference error.  This did not occur in opening the same file in LibreOffice V4.1. 

I could not determine the exact conditions or algorithms under which the error occurs, as there seemed to be a bit of a random nature to them.  

In checking this one out, you may wish to look at the "Tier 2 Input tab of the above spreadsheet, in rows 69 on, or in "final tables of standards"  tab. 

I set this one as a "Major" problem because it will likely occur elsewhere, and it has the potential to severely limit the ability of people to use LibreOffice for Excel files. 


p.s. LibreOffice 4.1 handles the file perfectly, except for altering the number format to scientific when there is conditional formatting. (see tab "Tables of Drivers - Soil)
Comment 1 Dominique Boutry 2014-02-05 10:10:05 UTC
Hi. When studying your worksheet under LiBO 4.2.0.4 on Win7, I noticed number of #values! that don't appear in Excel 97. By working up along formulas with such #values! content, I reached tab "Physical transport" cells HG9:HP9, where :
- HH9 is empty in LibO (filled with an expression evaluating to value 3,37E+04 in Excel 97),
- HP9 evaluates wrongly the formula =IF(HG9="","",HG9-HH9) to #values!

Two other issues :
- There is an external file linked to your spreadsheet, that we don't have; trouble ?
- the hyperlinks in "Tier 2 Input" tab A31:A34 contain a cell reference (B54, B3, B82, B101) which point to merged cells; there is no such thing in Excel.

When I see :
- the large size of this application,
- the word "random" in the above description,
- the probable recalculate on loading (because of the Office 97 format, not 2007)
I can not help thinking of a multi-thread synchronisation error (a decision that recalculation is over whereas it isn't).
Comment 2 hgkamath 2014-03-31 21:11:18 UTC
There is some serious problem

I think this can be reproduced
Version: 4.2.2.1

Try this

1) create a new spreadhseet
2) click cell B4
3) enter value 42
4) click +sign for new sheet which will automatically be sheet2
5) click cell B3
6) enter value =sheet1.$B$4
7) observe that it works and value 42 is shown
8) save worksheet as try.xslx filetype:"microsoft excel 2007/2010/2013 XML xslx" 
9) close all
10) fresh start reopen file try.xslx
11) see sheet 2 B3 entered contents

It has become 
=#REF!!$B$4

Its possible cell value is currently 42, which maybe cached/saved in with file
but a Shift+Ctrl+F9 
can cause to make value shown refresh to
#REF!

note that no other software except libreoffice-calc was used.
Comment 3 hgkamath 2014-04-08 22:34:36 UTC
What I described was probably Bug 75950

This bug may be related to that.
Comment 4 Joel Madero 2014-04-26 05:58:56 UTC
Hi Marius - can you direct link to the spreadsheet? That links just takes me to a general website not to a spreadsheet.

Marking as NEEDINFO - once a direct link is provided (or even better with permission attaching it to bugzilla -- make sure to get permission though ;) ) please mark as UNCONFIRMED again. Thanks!
Comment 5 QA Administrators 2014-11-02 16:46:41 UTC
Dear Bug Submitter,

This bug has been in NEEDINFO status with no change for at least 6 months. Please provide the requested information as soon as possible and mark the bug as UNCONFIRMED. Due to regular bug tracker maintenance, if the bug is still in NEEDINFO status with no change in 30 days the QA team will close the bug as INVALID due to lack of needed information.

For more information about our NEEDINFO policy please read the wiki located here: 
https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/QA/FDO/NEEDINFO

If you have already provided the requested information, please mark the bug as UNCONFIRMED so that the QA team knows that the bug is ready to be confirmed.


Thank you for helping us make LibreOffice even better for everyone!


Warm Regards,
QA Team
Comment 6 Marius Marsh 2014-11-13 16:43:39 UTC
Hi Joel.  Sorry about the delay.  If you want to get the file you should be able to access it from the 5th item down under "Recommended for you" (and called "Modified Generic Risk Assessment Model (spreadsheet version)" on the right side of the following webpage.  I am not sure whether or not the bug was fixed in the latest version of LibreOffice though. 


http://www.ontario.ca/environment-and-energy/brownfields-redevelopment
Comment 7 Marius Marsh 2014-11-14 19:32:18 UTC
I ran the model and a more recent version in LibraOffice Calc V 4.2.5.2 and it seems to work very well. It appears the bug has been fixed. 
Thanks!