RAND Function in ONLYOFFICE Spreadsheet Editor: Syntax and Examples

=RAND() produces a random real number greater than or equal to 0 and strictly less than 1. It takes no arguments. =RAND()*6+2 has an expected mathematical range of [2, 8)—it is not guaranteed to produce an exact decimal that can be predicted before recalculation. The bounds and the scaled-interval technique are documented in the official RAND reference (accessed 2026-10-13).

Use RAND to create sample data, random practice problems, simulation inputs, or a temporary randomized sorting key. Do not use it for secure passwords, tokens, lotteries or other security-critical draws: the vendor article does not document cryptographic suitability or statistical quality.

=RAND()

• Required arguments: none; the parentheses remain part of the formula.
• Optional arguments/defaults: none; no seed, minimum or maximum argument is documented.
• Documented result: a numeric real value in the half-open interval 0 ≤ x < 1.
• Formula separator: none is needed for RAND alone; nested IF, INT or AND examples use commas in the English documented syntax.
• No fixed result: examples can verify types, logical properties and range bounds, not an exact random decimal.

Official source: RAND syntax and example. The official INT reference documents the integer-part/floor behaviour needed for the dice example. Any particular decimal displayed by RAND is intentionally omitted.

The English ONLYOFFICE function catalogue and the official function article below were accessed on 2026-10-13. The catalogue covers the Spreadsheet Editor, while the Formula tab documentation explicitly illustrates both online and desktop interfaces. Neither article provides a minimum compatible Desktop Editors build or a release-by-release runtime matrix for this particular function.

• ONLYOFFICE Docs/web: included in the shared unversioned English Spreadsheet Editor help; behaviour described below is documentation-checked, not observed in a live web editor.
• ONLYOFFICE Desktop: the same function help is relevant to the desktop spreadsheet interface, but no installed version was executed; minimum supported build and edge-case parity remain unverified.
• Other editors: Excel compatibility is discussed only where official Microsoft documentation was checked; it is not a guarantee for LibreOffice, Google Sheets, imported workbooks, or all locales.
• Locale: all copy-ready examples use English names and commas, as illustrated in the English ONLYOFFICE documentation. Regional or localized installations may display other separators or translated function names. Inspect the function tooltip and regional settings in your own editor instead of blindly pasting examples (Advanced Settings).
• Validation performed: vendor documentation checking and independent mathematical calculations/range proofs for expected outputs. Native ONLYOFFICE Desktop execution: not run. Native ONLYOFFICE web execution: not run. No screenshots or observed formula outputs are claimed.

Open a blank worksheet, enter the provided inputs into the named cells, select an output cell, and type the formula with a leading =. Alternatively use Formula → Function, or the shortcut documented in the Insert Functions help. The Formula tab’s Calculation control can recalculate a sheet or workbook (Formula tab). If your installation rejects comma separators, use its actual localized formula syntax. Do not copy a column’s displayed sample results as though they were measured outputs.

Create an empty sheet with the following numeric constants. Set the cells to General/Number, not text:

The formulas in C2 and D2 should reference the same single RAND cell, so the E2 check verifies that sample. Using separate RAND calls in different parts of a formula can sample different values, and is not appropriate when you need one shared draw. This is a range proof, not a measurement from ONLYOFFICE.

All numeric outcomes that vary are shown as a mathematical range, not a fabricated sample value. The exact TRUE/FALSE/zero cases above follow directly from 0 ≤ RAND() < 1. The AND formula uses two separate calls, but each call satisfies the same documented bounds.

Random six-sided die without decimal results

=INT(RAND()*6)+1 returns one of the integers 1 through 6. The derivation is 0 ≤ RAND()*6 < 6; applying INT makes an integer from 0 through 5; adding one gives 1 through 6. The INT rule is supported by ONLYOFFICE’s INT article. No particular face can be predicted in advance.

Random real number in a user-defined interval

With A2 = 2 and B2 = 8, use =A2+RAND()*(B2-A2) in an unused cell such as F2. The expected interval is [2,8) if A2 < B2. Changing B2 to a smaller value changes how the interval transforms, so do not reuse the label “lower” or the bound claim without testing input order. If you need a random integer including both endpoints, see the separately documented RANDBETWEEN function.

Sampling and preserving one value

For repeated calculations that must all refer to the same draw, put RAND in one helper cell and reference the helper; avoid calling RAND independently in every derived formula. To make a random value permanent, copy a result and use a paste-values workflow supported by your editor, then inspect that the cell no longer contains the original RAND formula. The vendor RAND article does not specify a cross-platform keyboard shortcut for freezing random results; do not apply an Excel-only shortcut without checking.

Recalculation and downstream effects

The ONLYOFFICE insertion guide says formula recalculation normally occurs when referenced inputs change, and the Formula tab provides manual recalculation. A RAND result may change after recalculation; a new draw can coincidentally equal an old value in a finite-precision implementation. Frequency, exact recalculation triggers, generation algorithm and reproducible seeding were not verified for a specific Desktop or web release.

Limits not established by this source: quality of pseudorandom distribution, independence, cryptographic security, precision, seeding options, and build-specific recalculation policy. These are not asserted. A mathematical range does not prove statistical uniformity in a particular implementation.

The Microsoft Excel RAND reference describes the same RAND() syntax and range, including Excel-specific recalculation behaviour. This establishes documented formula intent, not identical runtime behaviour on every ONLYOFFICE Desktop/web version. Google Sheets or LibreOffice support is not tested here. A workbook exported as XLSX should be opened and recalculated in the target product before relying on its output.

• ONLYOFFICE RAND function — exact syntax, no arguments, range, scaled interval. Accessed 2026-10-13; unversioned current English documentation.
• ONLYOFFICE Insert Functions — entry and recalculation basics, accessed 2026-10-13.
• ONLYOFFICE Formula tab — desktop/web UI and manual calculation, accessed 2026-10-13.
• ONLYOFFICE INT — integer operation used in examples, accessed 2026-10-13.
• ONLYOFFICE Advanced Settings — regional decimal/thousands formatting, accessed 2026-10-13.
• Microsoft Excel RAND — external compatibility cross-check only; accessed 2026-10-13.

Verification limits: Native Desktop/web execution, localized parsing, precise recalculation triggers and random-generator quality were not tested. Historical release support remains unestablished.