INFO in Collabora Office: Read Environment Information Without Misreading Compatibility Values
Use Collabora INFO with English keys, distinguish real environment fields from fixed compatibility strings, and document runtime values without inventing them.
Verification status: See the evidence and test scope described in this guide. How formula examples are checked
Quick answer: =INFO("numfile") is documented to return 1 for compatibility reasons. It is not a live count of all open files. Likewise, the documented osversion result is a fixed compatibility string rather than reliable OS detection.
Syntax and recalculation
=INFO("Type")
Type is one required text argument, either a quoted literal or a reference containing the key. Collabora accepts English keys, even when its interface uses another language. The function recalculates whenever a recalculation occurs.
The return value depends on the key. Some fields describe the running environment; others deliberately return fixed values. Treat those two categories differently in a diagnostic worksheet.
Complete documented keys
| Type | Documented result |
|---|---|
| osversion | Always Windows (32-bit) NT 5.01, for compatibility |
| system | Operating-system/platform identifier |
| release | Product release identifier |
| numfile | Always 1, for compatibility |
| recalc | Automatic or Manual recalculation mode, localized |
The literal osversion string does not prove the computer runs that Windows version. The literal numfile result does not prove only one document is open. These are explicit vendor caveats, not bugs inferred from a test.
Example: two deterministic documentation controls
Enter =INFO("numfile") in B2 and =INFO("osversion") in B3. The documented expectations are 1 and Windows (32-bit) NT 5.01, respectively.
These values come from the vendor contract. No Collabora runtime was queried for this guide. A recorded expectation should not be presented as evidence about the current machine’s actual operating system.
Example: query the system through a key cell
Put the text system in D5, then enter =INFO(D5) in E5. The result depends on the actual running environment. The source lists these platform identifiers:
- ANDROID, DRAGONFLY, EMSCRIPTEN
- FREEBSD, OPENBSD, NETBSD
- HAIKU, iOS, LINUX
- MACOSX, SOLARIS, WNT
For example, LINUX is the documented identifier for a GNU/Linux-based system. This is a conditional mapping, not a claim that E5 produced LINUX in an actual test.
The presence of a browser or mobile identifier in this information table does not establish that every spreadsheet function works in Collabora Online or mobile deployments.
Advanced application: create a small diagnostic block
Use rows labeled Product release, Platform, and Calculation mode, with formulas =INFO("release"), =INFO("system"), and =INFO("recalc").
The release output is an implementation-specific identifier. The vendor’s sample 300m25(Build:9876) is illustrative; do not hard-code it as the result expected from Collabora Office 26.04. Record the value actually displayed in the application you are diagnosing.
For recalc, the help says the strings corresponding to Automatic and Manual are localized. A formula that compares the result only with English “Automatic” may not work under another interface language. Preserve the raw value and language context rather than assuming a universal English output.
Advanced use: separate a snapshot from a live diagnostic
Because INFO recalculates, a live formula can change after software updates or environment changes. If a support record needs the state at a particular time, preserve a verified values-only copy and record the time and product context separately.
The function does not capture screenshots, installed extensions, every calculation setting, or a complete operating-system inventory. A release string alone is not proof that a particular function was executed successfully.
IF can turn a known result into a diagnostic label, and CONCATENATE can combine descriptive text with a value. Do not let a friendly label obscure the original field that produced it.
Errors, privacy, and limitations
Use one of the documented English Type strings. The section does not fully specify invalid-key errors, case handling, or every platform’s exact release format. Those cases are not certified here.
Environment identifiers can be useful support information, but inspect any diagnostic workbook before sharing it. INFO does not establish account identity, licensing status, security compliance, or the number of files actually open. Its fixed compatibility values should never be repurposed as trustworthy measurements of those conditions.
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: INFO (checked October 17, 2026).
- Editorial testing standards.