DELTA in Calligra Sheets: Test Whether Two Numbers Match

=DELTA(3;3) has an independently expected result of 1 (numeric match). The one-input =DELTA(0) also has an expected result of 1 because the missing comparison value defaults to zero. All results here are independent arithmetic expectations, not Calligra runtime observations. The exact function name and 1–2-argument registration appear in KDE’s pinned 26.08.2 source; details are confirmed with the calculation branch, XML function definition and official handbook. Source consultation: 2026-10-13.

• First introduced: Introduction version not established.
• Current support: Registered in Calligra Sheets 26.08.2; see the function-specific source and official release listing. This is support evidence for that release, not a final supported version.
• Platform and retirement: The KDE application listing provides Linux installation. Other packaged platforms/builds and a retirement endpoint have not been established.
• Checked: October 14, 2026. Native test: Not executed in Calligra Sheets.

Examples use semicolons and decimal points, matching the English formula handbook. Numerical results were checked independently against the published implementation. Calligra itself was not run, so packaged-build behavior, locale handling and displayed errors remain untested.

=DELTA(x)
=DELTA(x;y)

The pinned registration permits one or two arguments, with an explicit alternate compatibility name COM.SUN.STAR.SHEET.ADDIN.ANALYSIS.GETDELTA. This is a compatibility spelling of the same registered function; use the shorter name in ordinary formulas. KDE’s engineering XML and C++ registration were checked separately.

Optional input: the second argument has an explicit documented default of numeric zero only when omitted; a blank cell referred to as B2 is not the same evidentiary claim.

1. Open a blank Calligra Sheets document. Enter First input / value in A1, Second input / bound (optional) in B1, and Formula result in C1. Use D1 for notes if recording native observations later. Confirm the formula editor recognizes the = prefix and ; separator in your locale.
2. Type the numeric values below into A2:B14. Rows labelled omit optional argument are intentionally single-argument formulas; leave the B cell blank and do not pass B in that row’s formula. The blank column cell alone is not a demonstrated default.
3. Copy the displayed formula text for each row into the corresponding C cell. Each example uses its own references. Do not simply fill down a two-argument formula across single-argument rows.
4. Format the output column as an integer flag. Compare with the independent expected output column. The values are predictions derived outside Calligra, not screenshots or logs of native runs.
5. If running the test independently, note Calligra version, operating system, locale and any observed errors; do not treat source predictions as proof that the application returned them.

DELTA turns a numeric equality comparison into an integer 1 for a match and 0 for a non-match. With one argument, its reference value is zero. An example such as =DELTA(0) therefore has an independent expected result of 1, whereas =DELTA(5) has an expected result of 0. A change of sign matters: =DELTA(-3;3) does not match.

Implementation nuance: DELTA calls ValueCalc::approxEqual(), not an ordinary string comparison. The inspected comparison first checks exact equality for two internal integers, then converts other numeric values and uses a tiny relative tolerance around the first argument. Its threshold comes from the source expression abs(a-b) < abs(a) × 1e-14, after an exact converted-equality check. This explains why a mathematical statement of perfect equality is a useful user-level description but does not guarantee bit-for-bit floating point equality. Do not assume that a tiny difference near zero is accepted: the tolerance also becomes tiny as the first argument approaches zero. This is a source-code observation, not a native Calligra test. Calculation branch; approximate-comparison helper.

Do not use DELTA for text matching without separate native validation. Its declared parameters are numeric, while its source delegates to a numeric comparison helper; text conversion and application-visible errors have not been exercised here. For actual text use cases the Calligra handbook separately lists EXACT; that different function is not a substitute for checking DELTA behavior.

Count matches between two inspected rows

Enter three pairs of numeric control measurements in A2:B4: (4,4), (5,4), (9,9). In C2 enter =DELTA(A2;B2) and fill to C4. Independently expected flags: 1, 0, 1. The total =SUM(C2:C4) has an independently expected value 2. The SUM portion is a separate documented function, not an application test of a nested expression. This pattern can detect agreement between two numeric imports without building a separate IF for each row.

Compare against a fixed set point

Put target 50 in E2 and readings 50, 48, 50 in A2:A4. In B2 use =DELTA(A2;$E$2) and fill down; expected 1, 0, 1. The $ signs keep the target cell fixed when filling, as described by the KDE formula handbook. To allow tolerances such as ±0.5 units, use a separately designed range check, because DELTA’s internal floating-point tolerance is far smaller than a business tolerance and is not user-configurable.

Detect zero inputs without a second argument

Enter readings 0, -2 and 5 in A2:A4. Use =DELTA(A2) in B2 and fill down. Independently expected flags are 1, 0, 0. Because the second argument is genuinely omitted (not an empty-reference value), this only uses the documented default and avoids making untested blank-coercion claims.

DELTA is for equality, not magnitude or threshold testing. Use GESTEP for x >= y; =GESTEP(10;8) would produce a 1 even though =DELTA(10;8) would not. This illustrates the difference between passing a minimum and exactly matching a reference value. If you need one output for many rows, use reference-based formulas and fill down; no undocumented array behavior is assumed.

• Official DELTA function entry
• 26.08.2 registration and argument count
• Function-specific parameter metadata
• Numeric equality and comparison helpers

These are documentation and source checks. All displayed results are independent expectations, not claims of an executed Calligra worksheet.