XOR in Collabora Office: Test Odd Parity Across Logical Conditions
Use Collabora XOR for two-choice exclusivity and understand why three true inputs still return TRUE.
Verification status: See the evidence and test scope described in this guide. How formula examples are checked
Quick answer: =XOR(TRUE();TRUE();TRUE()) returns TRUE under the documented rule. XOR is true when an odd number of its inputs is true, not only when exactly one is true.
Syntax and parity rule
=XOR(Logical1 [; Logical2 ...])
At least one logical argument is required. The dedicated Collabora help lists up to 255 arguments and allows Boolean expressions, references and ranges. A range can supply multiple logical values within one argument.
For two conditions, XOR is true exactly when the conditions differ. With three or more, the general rule is odd parity: one, three, five and other odd counts of true values produce TRUE; zero, two, four and other even counts produce FALSE.
The current source also tests scalar numeric values as nonzero/zero. It rejects direct text and has separate reference/range paths. These details are corroboration from the moving source, not a new native execution.
Example 1: reproduce the two-input truth table
Put TRUE, TRUE, FALSE, FALSE in A2:A5 and TRUE, FALSE, TRUE, FALSE in B2:B5 as Boolean values. Enter =XOR(A2;B2) in C2 and fill down.
Independent results are FALSE, TRUE, TRUE and FALSE. Exactly one condition is true in the two middle rows; both agreement rows return FALSE.
The documented formulas =XOR(TRUE();TRUE()) and =XOR(FALSE();TRUE()) correspond to the first and third rows. Keep inputs as Boolean expressions or values rather than assuming the text string “TRUE” will be treated identically.
Example 2: expose the three-input difference
Compare =XOR(TRUE();FALSE();FALSE()), =XOR(TRUE();TRUE();FALSE()) and =XOR(TRUE();TRUE();TRUE()). Independent targets are TRUE, FALSE and TRUE.
The last result is the important distinction from an exactly-one rule. If three options must have precisely one selection, use an explicit numeric selection count and compare it with one instead of using XOR alone.
For example, put numeric flags 1,0,0 in D2:F2, and 1,1,1 in D3:F3. =SUM(D2:F2)=1 gives TRUE for the first row and FALSE for the second, while XOR of each row is TRUE for both.
Advanced application: compare two status checks
Suppose A2 is an expected count and B2 an observed count, with a separate Boolean override in C2. =XOR(A2=B2;C2) asks whether exactly one of “counts match” and “override active” is true.
For illustrative rows (5;5;FALSE), (5;4;TRUE), (5;5;TRUE), (5;4;FALSE), independent outputs are TRUE, TRUE, FALSE and FALSE. This is a chosen logical rule; it does not imply that such an override policy is appropriate for a real process.
Name each condition separately when the combined formula becomes hard to read. XOR cannot explain which one was true unless those component results remain visible.
Advanced application: use numeric parity controls
Current source treats zero as false and nonzero numbers as true. Thus =XOR(0;2;-3) has independent source-model result FALSE, while =XOR(0;2;0) has TRUE. It is the count of nonzero inputs that matters, not whether their sum is odd.
For example, 2 and -3 sum to -1 but still represent two true conditions. Summing arbitrary values and testing their oddness would answer a different question from XOR.
Errors and troubleshooting
Ordinary nonnumeric referenced cells are ignored by the numeric reference path, but direct strings follow a no-value error path. The source requires at least one usable value; a range containing only ignored text or empties is not automatically FALSE. Referenced errors are not safely suppressed by the presence of other conditions.
The guide does not certify all array, Boolean-format or imported-file coercions. Decide whether the task calls for odd parity, exactly one selection, any selection or every selection before choosing a logical function. Those four questions can yield different results from the same inputs.
Availability and verification
The exact function is documented in Collabora Office 26.04 desktop help. This function’s cited help snapshot was retrieved on 2026-10-13 and hash-verified on October 15, 2026. Desktop documentation does not establish Online or mobile support. First introduction and last functioning release are unknown in this evidence.
No native Collabora Office execution occurred. Worked results are independent logical, calendar, structural or mathematical expectations. Formulas use English names and semicolon argument separators.
Implementation details are corroborated by Collabora current source, retrieved October 15, 2026. This moving-main snapshot is not a pinned 26.04 binary or an application test.