DOLLARFR in Calligra Sheets: Turn Decimal Values into Fractional Price Notation

Fractional quotations appear in some price and securities datasets. DOLLARFR can turn a conventional numeric value into a representation whose digits after the decimal point designate fractional parts of a selected denominator. The inverse operation is DOLLARDE. Use DOLLARFR only when the destination’s documented notation and denominator match your workflow. Always preserve source numeric values separately if money calculations require auditing or a more precise decimal representation.

=DOLLARFR(decimal_dollar;fraction)

The XML definition labels the first parameter “Decimal Dollar”, but its example syntax string calls that argument “fractional dollar”. That is a KDE XML wording inconsistency: the callback accepts a decimal input and returns the fraction-encoded form, as the example DOLLARFR(1.125;16) = 1.02 establishes. This guide uses the clearer name decimal_dollar for the first argument. The source registration fixes the count at exactly two required arguments. No defaults are documented. The separately registered alternate name COM.SUN.STAR.SHEET.ADDIN.ANALYSIS.GETDOLLARFR is an add-in compatibility identifier, not a different function.

In the English KDE handbook, use a semicolon between multiple parameters. The literal values below use a period for the decimal separator; numeric input and formula separators may be locale-specific. Use numeric cells instead of quoted numeric text.

Create the following small worksheet:

Expected C2: 1.02, corresponding to one and two sixteenths, because (1.125 - 1) × 16 = 2. This agrees with KDE’s published example, but has not been confirmed by running the application. If the cell displays 1.0 or 1.02 differently, check the number of decimals shown rather than changing the mathematical input.

Enter the numeric columns A and B shown here, place =DOLLARFR(A2;B2) in C2 and fill it through C5.

C5 might display as 1.1 if the cell’s number format suppresses trailing zeros. Record numerator and denominator in separate columns if a source format requires fixed-width fractional digits. Formula output values are numbers; they are not self-describing strings. Each result above is independently calculated, not natively executed.

A defensible check is to run a decimal through DOLLARFR and its inverse at the same denominator:

=DOLLARDE(DOLLARFR(2.4375;16);16)

The expected numerical result is approximately 2.4375, subject to ordinary floating-point precision. The calculation encodes the fraction as 2.07 and then decodes it as 2 + 7/16. This does not mean the text appearance “2.07” should be used as a decimal cash amount.

Compare these two formulas:

=DOLLARFR(1.125;16)
=DOLLARFR(1.125;32)

Expected results: 1.02 and 1.04, respectively. The underlying decimal input is unchanged; it is two sixteenths or four thirty-seconds. If a quotation arrives without its denominator, this is precisely the ambiguity that must be resolved before calculating or recording a trade. For the same numeric input, changing denominators changes the notation and may change digit precision; automatic format interpretation should not be guessed.

Zero or negative denominator: The version-pinned source callback converts the second argument to an integer and, if the integer is ≤ 0, returns its Value::errorVALUE() path. That is a source-inferred value-type error; the string a user sees in a localized spreadsheet was not observed. This is different from Excel’s documented distinction between zero and negative denominator errors.

Fractional denominator: KDE’s XML declares an integer; the C++ code performs conversion to an integer. Fractional numeric or text input may behave differently from the canonical positive-integer case depending on earlier conversion steps; do not assume an unverified coercion rule. Always supply a positive whole denominator directly and validate imported columns.

Quotations versus currency: An expected 1.02 from DOLLARFR(1.125;16) is a notation meaning 1 + 2/16, not a quote for one dollar and two cents. If you require conventional decimal prices for arithmetic, use DOLLARDE to decode before calculating. A formatted currency cell can mislead users because its symbol and rounding conventions do not encode the denominator.

Precision and impossible representations: Floating-point arithmetic and denominators that produce more fractional digits than a cell shows can make round trips look nonidentical. Fractional parts not evenly expressible at the selected denominator can have more representation error; no blanket accuracy guarantee or digit-truncation rule has been native-tested. Show enough decimals and compare within a considered tolerance, never by assuming display strings are exact.

Locale and missing arguments: Check the localized function separator and enter both parameters. If a formula parser rejects ;, consult the actual installed locale settings; do not assume a comma or pasted numeric string always works.

• Calligra 26.08.2: Its DOLLARFR handbook entry and source implementation use two required parameters and a value-error path for nonpositive denominators. The native behavior has not been executed or observed for this guide.
• Microsoft Excel: Microsoft documents DOLLARFR with decimal-dollar and fraction arguments. A denominator less than zero produces its documented numeric error, and zero is documented differently; Excel’s precise error types are not guarantees about Calligra.
• LibreOffice Calc: Its official Financial function help covers these conversions too. Comparable purpose does not prove identical error propagation, fractional conversion or locale behavior across spreadsheet programs.

Officially documented related tools are DOLLARDE, which decodes fractions, and TRUNC, which is a numeric truncation function rather than a fraction encoder.