TRANSPOSE in Collabora Office: Swap Matrix Rows and Columns Reliably
Transpose Collabora ranges with exact output dimensions, complete rectangular examples and product-order checks.
Verification status: See the evidence and test scope described in this guide. How formula examples are checked
Quick answer: TRANSPOSE swaps rows and columns. A two-row, three-column input becomes a three-row, two-column result. Each input value keeps its row-column relationship under that swap; the function does not sort or reverse the data.
Availability and version history
- Introduced: original Collabora release and launch date are not established by the sources reviewed.
- Availability: documented in Collabora Office 26.04 help, scoped to the desktop-help release.
- Platform scope: support in every online or mobile deployment is not inferred from desktop documentation.
- Checked: October 14, 2026. Function-specific documentation and independently derived controls; no native Collabora test was performed.
Syntax and output dimensions
=TRANSPOSE(Array)
The argument is the source range or array. If the source has r rows and c columns, select a result rectangle with c rows and r columns. The Collabora example explicitly uses this reversed-dimension rule.
These examples use numeric ranges and ordinary English formulas. Text/formula-reference transformation edge cases are not inferred from the numeric controls.
Enter the complete array result
These examples follow the desktop array-entry workflow documented for Collabora Office 26.04. Select the full output rectangle before entering a multi-cell formula. In the Function Wizard, select Array; for direct entry use the client-appropriate array-entry shortcut shown in the help, Ctrl+Shift+Enter or Command+Shift+Enter. Do not type the displayed outer braces manually.
Input cells and output cells must be separate. The help describes a linked array result whose cells are edited as a group; selecting too small an output rectangle does not redefine the mathematics of the source arrays. This workflow is not a claim that every online or mobile client has the same controls.
Example 1: transpose a rectangular matrix
Enter these numbers in A2:C3 without headings inside that range:
| Worksheet row | A | B | C |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 3 | 1 | 3 | −1 |
Select E2:F4 and enter as an array formula:
=TRANSPOSE(A2:C3)
Expected output:
| Worksheet row | E | F |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 4 | 1 | −1 |
Original cell B3, containing 3, is in relative row two and column two, so it maps to relative row two and column two of the output, F3. Original C2, in relative row one and column three, maps to relative row three and column one, E4.
Example 2: transpose twice
Select H2:J3 and enter:
=TRANSPOSE(E2:F4)
Expected output returns to rows (2,0,1) and (1,3,−1), the original matrix. Applying the swap twice restores each pair of row and column coordinates.
This is a useful structural check. It does not prove that the initial data were correct, but it can reveal a mistaken output shape or a source selection that accidentally included a heading row.
Advanced example: convert a row vector into a column
Enter 12,18,25 in A7:C7. Select E7:E9 and use array entry:
=TRANSPOSE(A7:C7)
Expected values are 12,18,25 down the column, in the same order. Their sum remains 55. The operation changes orientation, not units or values.
A column-to-row conversion works in the opposite direction. Do not use TRANSPOSE as a substitute for sorting: the sequence does not become 25,18,12 or reorder itself by magnitude.
Advanced example: combine transposition with a product
Retain the original A2:C3 and its transpose E2:F4. Select a separate two-by-two output range and enter:
=MMULT(A2:C3;E2:F4)
Expected output has rows (5,1) and (1,11). The top-left entry is 2²+0²+1²=5; the bottom-right is 1²+3²+(−1)²=11. Each off-diagonal entry is 2×1+0×3+1×(−1)=1.
Reversing the factors produces a three-by-three matrix with rows (5,3,1), (3,9,−3) and (1,−3,2). Both products are valid and symmetric, but their sizes and values differ. MMULT uses the row-by-column product, not elementwise multiplication.
Advanced check: transposing a product reverses factor order
Use a separate two-by-two matrix P with rows (1,2) and (0,1), and Q with rows (3,0) and (4,5). Their product P×Q has rows (11,10) and (4,5); its transpose has rows (11,4) and (10,5).
The independent product Qᵀ×Pᵀ gives that same transposed output. Keeping the original order Pᵀ×Qᵀ instead gives rows (3,4) and (6,13), which differ. This mathematical identity is a useful reason to track both orientation and factor order rather than adding TRANSPOSE blindly until dimensions happen to fit.
Troubleshooting and scope
A two-by-three input needs three-by-two output space. Including one extra source header row would change the dimensions and transpose the header values too. Keep the original ranges explicit and avoid placing results on top of their inputs.
The source describes automatic protection of cells in the linked result array against individual changes. Work with the entire array when editing it, following the desktop workflow, rather than interpreting that protection as an error in the numeric result.
Exact native behavior for undersized selections, mixed types, formula-source copying semantics and different online/mobile interfaces has not been exercised here. These numeric examples are independently calculated expectations supported by the documented transpose operation.
References and verification
Complete matrices and outputs were independently calculated using arithmetic and exact rational checks where appropriate. They are documentation-backed expectations, not native Collabora captures or a certification of every type, error and client boundary.