COUNTIF fails in openoffice.org calc Err:508

[lunomad]

Binary package hint: openoffice.org

I am running Intrepid 8.10 with oo.org 3.0.1.

1:3.0.1-1ubuntu1~intrepid1

I am trying to use the COUNTIF function in calc. Because I was so frustrated at repeated Err:508, I opened the help file and did exactly what the help file says:

Example
A1:A10 is a cell range containing the numbers 2000 to 2009. Cell B1 contains the number 2006. In cell B2, you enter a formula:
=COUNTIF(A1:A10;2006) - this returns 1

Please see the attached screenshot showing that even this basic example fails.

[C. Cooke (ccooke)]

Hi, thanks for submitting a bug report.

Your openoffice.org version number appears to be from http://ppa.launchpad.net/openoffice-pkgs/ubuntu - is that correct?

[lunomad (damon-metapaso)]

Yes. I have that ppa in my sources list. I have a few other ppas also, but I'm pretty sure that's the one where my openoffice.org package came from.

Should I report the bug straight to their PPA?

This is x64. I forgot to mention it.

[Chris Cheney (ccheney)]

Use a comma instead of a semicolon, the separators have been localized. There is already a bug open regarding the fact that the documentation needs to be updated. If you use the function wizard it will create the function for you with the comma automatically.

Thanks,

Chris Cheney

[Oli Wade (olithered)]

Which is the documentation bug?

[Peter Leon Collins (peter-peter-collins)]

Time's a-passing. And erroneous documentation is a serious BUG. "Bug" = "fails to function correctly", where "correctly" = "as documented". I really don't care whether it's the documentation or the code that has the fault. You could fix the problem by changing the code to ";" or by changing the user guide to "," - 'either' would do, but 'neither' leaves you with A BUG.
I have a concern about the quality of user guides. They do cause user problems. The documentation could perhaps be improved with better guidance for the authors and editors of the manuals. The standard for coding are great, but those for manuals are less so.
This "BUG" is a perfect example of the problems caused by poor "testing" of the manuals.