PDURATION Function in ONLYOFFICE Spreadsheet Editor: Syntax, Examples and Troubleshooting
Calculate how many compounding periods a single sum needs to reach a positive target value.
Verification status: See the evidence and test scope described in this guide. How formula examples are checked
Quick answer: Calculate how many compounding periods a single sum needs to reach a positive target value. The exact English function and argument order are documented by ONLYOFFICE (checked 2026-10-13). Numerical results below are computed independently, not observed in the editor.
Availability and version history
- Introduced: ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors 5.1.27. Other client-family introduction versions are not inferred.
- Availability: Documented in the current ONLYOFFICE Spreadsheet Editor help; no final working-version endpoint is established.
- Scope: Docs and Desktop Editors release separately. This unversioned help does not establish availability in every older build, mobile client or deployment.
- Checked: October 14, 2026, against the official function reference. Documentation check; not a new native test.
What the function calculates — and when to use it
PDURATION answers a goal-timing question: with a constant positive growth rate, how many periods until a lump sum reaches a target? The answer is a mathematical count of periods, which can be fractional; it does not represent scheduled contributions. The reference explicitly states that all arguments must be positive.
Exact ONLYOFFICE syntax and argument order
=PDURATION(rate, pv, fv)
| Position | Argument | Required status, type and meaning | When omitted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | rate |
Required numeric interest rate per period; vendor explicitly requires positive | none |
| 2 | pv |
Required numeric present value of the investment; vendor explicitly requires positive | none |
| 3 | fv |
Required numeric desired future value; vendor explicitly requires positive | none |
All listed arguments are required; the official reference does not specify an omitted-argument default. Enter all parameters in the order shown. Do not type the argument placeholders literally.
Documented vendor-specific note: ONLYOFFICE documentation: all three PDURATION arguments must be positive. No defaults or error-message codes are given. The examples keep each argument positive; the baseline is a single upfront investment, without deposits.
Independent mathematical model: periods = ln(fv/pv) / ln(1+rate). Inverse check: pv × (1+rate)^periods = fv. This is an explanatory calculation model and is not an assertion about native error handling.
Reproduce the baseline worksheet, step by step
- Start a blank workbook in ONLYOFFICE Spreadsheet Editor and select an empty sheet. Use English formula names for the displayed examples.
- Enter the following input cells exactly. Enter amounts and period counts as numbers; enter rate schedules as numeric percentages where specified.
- Enter the first formula in the worked-example table into a blank output cell, such as
H2, unless the setup names a particular output cell. Avoid overwriting the input ranges. - Press Enter. Increase displayed precision to at least six decimal places. Compare with the independently calculated expected result.
- For the remaining rows, place each formula in a fresh blank output cell (
H3,H4, and so on). Cells/ranges in the sample setup remain fixed unless an example explicitly uses different literal arguments.
| Cell | Value | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
B2 |
8% |
constant rate per year in this example |
B3 |
1000 |
current investment value |
B4 |
2000 |
desired investment value |
D2 |
=PDURATION(B2,B3,B4) |
theoretical number of years to hit the target |
D3 |
=B3*(1+B2)^D2 |
reconstructed target for mathematical validation |
Baseline interpretation: =PDURATION(B2,B3,B4) computes a theoretical fractional number of years to double a $1000 single lump sum at 8% growth each year. Compare D3 to 2000 to verify the underlying compounding mathematics.
Twelve copyable worked formulas and independently calculated answers
The expected result uses a decimal number with six digits after the decimal point (half-up rounding). Results are mathematical expectations from a 60-digit Decimal calculation checked with a separate floating-point implementation; no formula was executed inside ONLYOFFICE.
| # | Enter this exact formula | Expected numerical result | What this case demonstrates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | =PDURATION(B2,B3,B4) |
9.006468 |
eight percent growth until investment doubles |
| 2 | =PDURATION(10%,1000,2000) |
7.272541 |
higher rate shortens doubling time |
| 3 | =PDURATION(5%,1000,1500) |
8.310386 |
five-percent goal scenario |
| 4 | =PDURATION(20%,1000,2000) |
3.801784 |
fast-growth scenario |
| 5 | =PDURATION(6%,2500,4000) |
8.066114 |
higher initial capital |
| 6 | =PDURATION(8%,500,750) |
5.268446 |
fifty-percent growth target |
| 7 | =PDURATION(8%,1000,1000) |
0.000000 |
already at goal: zero mathematically required periods |
| 8 | =PDURATION(2%,1000,2000) |
35.002789 |
small rate increases time needed |
| 9 | =PDURATION(10%,5000,10000) |
7.272541 |
different capital scale; same ratio |
| 10 | =PDURATION(3%,2000,2500) |
7.549141 |
modest goal with modest return |
| 11 | =PDURATION(12%,500,1000) |
6.116255 |
doubling at a higher per-period rate |
| 12 | =PDURATION(7%,10000,12000) |
2.694727 |
twenty-percent growth target |
Advanced applications, interpretation and checks
Make a goal-based investing timetable
Use one worksheet row per scenario, with rate, starting amount and target in neighboring columns. Enter =PDURATION(rate_cell,start_cell,goal_cell) for each row. Explain that the result is a model output for a constant rate and does not guarantee returns or market timing.
Convert model periods to calendar planning
When the rate is annual, the answer is in years; when the rate is monthly, the answer is in months. For a 6% nominal annual assumption compounded monthly, a per-month rate assumption such as 6%/12 produces month units. Do not mix monthly rates with annual periods.
Do not confuse PDURATION with bond duration
Bond-price sensitivity measures commonly called duration or modified duration are different computations. PDURATION here models the elapsed number of compounding periods for a single principal to reach a target. It is not a sensitivity measure for cash-flow-bearing bonds.
Check the inversion
Given r = RRI(n,pv,fv) from the official RRI reference, the mathematical expected PDURATION(r,pv,fv) is n for positive growing values. It is a cross-function expectation, not a native-application test result.
Common errors, limits and troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely cause / investigation |
|---|---|
| Blank/wrong result for a zero rate | Vendor states all arguments must be positive. A zero rate invalidates the logarithmic denominator. |
| Result unexpectedly small | Used annual 8 as 800%, rather than 8% or 0.08. |
| Result unit misunderstood | The output unit matches the input rate’s period. |
| Expecting whole months or years | A mathematical period count may be fractional; separately decide how to schedule actual contributions or calendar deadlines. |
| Goal below current amount | The formula can yield a negative mathematical count even if inputs are positive; the vendor does not document all runtime interpretations. These examples avoid this case. |
Additional validation and edge-case checklist
- All three arguments must be strictly positive per official notes; do not use a zero input.
- The model assumes a constant rate; a range of changing rates calls for a different scenario method.
- Check the target reconstruction
=B3*(1+B2)^D2to six or more decimals before planning.
Error handling: The vendor reference does not list every invalid-input result. Diagnose an actual error using the entered values and installed build rather than importing an error rule from another spreadsheet.
Locale and workbook compatibility
The examples use English function names, decimal points and comma argument separators, matching the function-entry guide. Adapt notation to the installed formula-language and region settings. When moving a workbook between products, recalculate the small sample in the destination version before trusting the full model. Display precision is separate from the stored value; retain unrounded intermediate values when reconciling totals.
Official references
- ONLYOFFICE PDURATION function reference: purpose, syntax and argument meanings.
- Spreadsheet Editor formula entry: function catalog and English entry syntax.
- Docs release history and Desktop Editors release history: separate product timelines.