The Microsoft Excel File Format - OpenOffice.org

3.2 Token Classes
3.2.3 Expected Parameter Classes
Function parameters expect operands of specific operand classes. The expected token classes of all function parameters
are specified in the list of built-in functions (➜3.11). The result of the whole formula is handled as a parameter, called
the root level parameter (the parameter of the equality sign). The root level also expects a specific token class.
Examples for function parameter classes:
• Reference class:
ROW(A1) (the first parameter of the function ROW expects reference class, ROW(1) would produce an error).
• Value class:
ABS(A1) (the first parameter of the function ABS expects value class, it dereferences the cell reference to a
value).
• Array class:
MDETERM(A1:C3) (the first parameter of the function MDETERM expects array class, it dereferences the
cell range to an array of values).
• Root level:
=A1 (parameter is on formula root level, expected class is dependent on formula type).
3.2.4 Token Class Transformation
The final class of a token depends on the combination of the operand class of the token and the expected parameter
class. Furthermore it is dependent on the type of the formula. There are 3 different types of formulas:
Formula type
Cell type formula
Array type formula
Name type formula
Examples
Cell formulas (➜4.7), shared formulas (➜4.8)
Array formulas (➜4.8), conditional formatting (➜4.12), data validity (➜4.14)
Defined names (➜4.10), reference lists (for example chart source range, form control links)
Token class transformation is done in several steps. All steps have to be performed for each classified token in a formula.
• Step 1: Value Operators
If the token has reference operand class, and if it is a direct operand of a unary or binary value operator (tAdd, tSub,
tMul, tDiv, tPower, tConcat, tLT, tLE, tEQ, tGE, tGT, tNE, tUplus, tUminus, or tPercent – the binary reference
operators tRange, tList, and tIsect are not included here), its class will be changed to value class, and further handling is
done regarding this new class (for example it may be changed to array class later).
Example: In the formula =SUM(A1,B1+1), the cell addresses A1 and B1 are represented by tRefR tokens.
Because the second tRefR token containing B1 has reference operand class, and it is an operand of the addition
operator, it will be changed to value class (tRefV). As described below, in array type formulas this token will be
changed to array class then, while the reference class of the first tRefR(A1) token is retained.
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