CELL in Collabora Office: Inspect a Cell’s Address, Value Type, and Format
Use Collabora CELL with English information keys, inspect explicit references, understand the formula-cell default, and avoid confusing format metadata with data.
Verification status: See the evidence and test scope described in this guide. How formula examples are checked
Quick answer: =CELL("COL";D2) returns documented column number 4, while =CELL("ADDRESS";D2) returns $D$2. CELL reports information about a referenced cell rather than performing a lookup by value.
Syntax and reference rules
=CELL("InfoType" [; Reference])
InfoType is a required English text key; the vendor says uppercase or lowercase is acceptable. Reference is optional. If it is a range, the top-left cell is examined. If omitted, Collabora uses the cell containing the formula, not a changing selection elsewhere in the sheet.
Supply Reference explicitly when auditing another cell. Otherwise a copied formula can inspect its own new location rather than the cell you intended.
Documented information keys
| Key | Returned information |
|---|---|
| COL | Column number |
| ROW | Row number |
| SHEET | Sheet number |
| ADDRESS | Absolute cell address |
| FILENAME | Document path/name with sheet identifier |
| COORD | Complete address in Lotus-style notation |
| CONTENTS | Unformatted cell contents |
| TYPE | b for blank, l for text/label, v for numeric value |
| WIDTH | Column width measured in default-font zero-character capacity |
| PREFIX | Alignment marker |
| PROTECT | 1 for protected cell status, 0 for unprotected |
| FORMAT | Compact number-format code |
| COLOR | 1 when negative values are formatted in color, otherwise 0 |
| PARENTHESES | 1 if the format code contains an opening parenthesis, otherwise 0 |
PROTECT reports the cell’s protection status; it should not be treated as a complete audit of document security. WIDTH is not a pixel measurement. COLOR does not return an arbitrary RGB fill color.
Example: inspect a fixed coordinate
Enter numeric 123.45 in D2. In separate cells use:
| Formula | Documented/independent expectation |
|---|---|
=CELL("COL";D2) |
4 |
=CELL("ROW";D2) |
2 |
=CELL("ADDRESS";D2) |
$D$2 |
=CELL("CONTENTS";D2) |
123.45 |
=CELL("TYPE";D2) |
v |
=CELL("ROW";D2:F9) |
2, from top-left D2 |
Formatting D2 as currency changes its appearance but not the unformatted numeric CONTENTS. Keep data values and presentation metadata distinct.
Advanced example: audit mixed imported values
Put text Pending in D3 and leave D4 genuinely empty. Then =CELL("TYPE";D3) has documented expectation l, while =CELL("TYPE";D4) has expectation b.
The help also classifies a formula returning text as l and a formula returning a number as v. A displayed blank produced by a formula is not automatically the same as a genuinely empty cell; this guide does not extend the blank-cell control to every empty-string case.
ISNUMBER and ISTEXT are related checks when the question is simply whether an imported value is numeric or textual.
Decode common format and alignment metadata
The FORMAT prefixes documented by Collabora include F for a number without a thousands separator, , for a number with one, C for currency, S for scientific notation, and P for percentage. A following number gives decimal places. The source examples map #,##0.0 to ,1 and 00.000% to P3.
Date/time formats use D1–D9 codes, while other formats use G. A trailing minus sign indicates negative numbers formatted in color; trailing parentheses indicate an opening parenthesis in the format code. These codes summarize formatting and are not full original format strings.
PREFIX uses an apostrophe for left alignment, a quotation mark for right alignment, and ^ for centered alignment. The documented repeating marker is currently inactive.
Privacy and troubleshooting
FILENAME and external ADDRESS results can expose file paths, document names, or sheet identifiers. Inspect them before sharing a diagnostic workbook externally. The function does not itself grant access to those files.
If the result refers to the wrong location, check explicit Reference and the top-left rule. If InfoType fails, use an English key rather than a localized translation. The source does not fully specify every unsaved-document, invalid-reference, or refresh behavior, so those outcomes are not certified here.
ROW and COLUMN are related coordinate functions; CELL additionally exposes value and formatting metadata. No native application inspection or runtime file path is claimed by this guide.
Availability and verification
The exact function is documented in Collabora Office 26.04 desktop help, retrieved and reviewed on October 17, 2026. This establishes a documentation scope, not the first release that introduced the function or the last version in which it works; those versions and any retirement date remain unestablished. Collabora Online and mobile support are not inferred from desktop help, nor is behavior in another spreadsheet product.
The examples are documentation-based expectations with independent calculations. They have not been executed in Collabora Office. No application screenshot or native error/coercion certification is implied. Formulas use English function names and semicolon argument separators.
References
- Collabora Office 26.04: CELL (checked October 17, 2026).
- Editorial testing standards.