Use =SIGN(number). This is the exact English argument order in ONLYOFFICE’s official SIGN reference. The guide gives reproducible input data and expected outputs independently checked with Python decimal arithmetic; it does not claim any native ONLYOFFICE execution.

SIGN gives a compact direction code rather than repeating a long comparison: −1 for a negative number, 0 for zero, and 1 for a positive number. An inventory variance can therefore be classified as shortage, balanced or surplus without losing the original measurement. The official ONLYOFFICE SIGN reference directly defines these three outcomes.

=SIGN(number)

The official argument table lists 1 required numeric argument, with no optional parameters or defaults stated. Placeholder names in the syntax are not values; replace them with appropriate numeric literals, references or expressions. A referenced cell containing number-formatted text should not be treated as safely numeric without checking the installed build.

The official function article documents negative, zero and positive returns. It does not establish a native error matrix for text, blank inputs, arrays, floating-point near-zero calculations or localized data import. The sample arithmetic expectations use standard numeric comparisons, not an observed ONLYOFFICE installation.

this guide uses the unversioned English ONLYOFFICE Docs Spreadsheet Editor function catalogue and the function-specific article, each accessed 2026-10-11 UTC. The article documents the function name and English syntax, but does not name the first supported release. The catalogue documents available functions for Docs; it is not a tested compatibility matrix for all server builds, Desktop Editors, mobile apps, or embedded integrations. No actual Docs web or Desktop installation was available to execute the examples. A product-release banner is not evidence that this function behaves identically in every edition or build.

For the English formulas in this guide, type =, then the function name and parentheses; the official insertion instructions show that multiple arguments use commas. The Advanced Settings reference documents a Formula Language selector and regional configuration. Localized function names, decimal punctuation and argument separators may differ; verify these on the actual user installation. Data below use a period as decimal separator. A displayed number format is not proof of the stored numeric value.

Enter numeric amounts in A2:A8. They can represent accounting adjustments or measured differences; do not include currency symbols as text in the raw cells.

Enter the formula

=SIGN(A2)

1. Open a new worksheet and enter the table numbers as numeric cells, not quoted strings. For signed numbers, use the minus sign before the digits.
2. Select the result cell next to the first row. Enter the formula shown below, using the English punctuation.
3. Fill down through the example range. For the QUOTIENT zero-divisor case, enter the separate IF guard formula instead of an unguarded division.
4. Compare outputs to the independently calculated expected results in the table and companion CSV. The values here have not been observed running in ONLYOFFICE.
5. Change a copy of one input at a time, and document the program version and actual result for any discrepancy. Do not overwrite the original test cells.

The table shows expected results, not screenshots or native observations. The companion data/math-integer-fixtures.csv preserves the corresponding explicit formulas and inputs. Zero, negatives and decimal inputs are included to make differences visible.

Turn the sign into transaction direction

=IF(SIGN(A2)=-1,"OUTFLOW",IF(SIGN(A2)=1,"INFLOW","NONE"))

Expected output: OUTFLOW. A2 is −125; nested IF converts the sign code into a readable class without modifying the original number. This is independently reasoned, not a native ONLYOFFICE observation.

Compare two amounts by direction

=SIGN(A2-A6)

Expected output: -1. Subtract 17 from −125 to obtain −142; the sign of the difference is negative. This is independently reasoned, not a native ONLYOFFICE observation.

Flag a zero balance as reconciled

=IF(SIGN(A4)=0,"RECONCILED","REVIEW")

Expected output: RECONCILED. The reference amount in A4 is exactly zero. This is independently reasoned, not a native ONLYOFFICE observation.

Reconstruct a signed value from magnitude

=ABS(A2)*SIGN(A2)

Expected output: -125. Multiply the absolute magnitude (125) by the direction code (−1) to reconstruct the source value. This is independently reasoned, not a native ONLYOFFICE observation.

Sign is not the same as balance validity

SIGN(A4) provides a direction code for an exact numeric zero. That is useful for dashboard colours or audit buckets, but a financial reconciliation may consider a small difference immaterial, while engineering tolerances may be stricter. A tolerance-based test such as =IF(ABS(A3)<0.05,"WITHIN LIMIT","REVIEW") has expected result WITHIN LIMIT for A3 = −0.01, and its threshold must come from your operating policy. That is a different decision from the direction result SIGN(A3) = −1.

Preserve source values

Keep the raw amount beside the SIGN classification. Audit evidence requires the magnitude and original transaction identifier, not only whether the value was positive or negative.

1. Reading −1 or 1 as the original transaction size: SIGN returns direction only; use the original value or ABS to measure magnitude.
2. Treating a tiny nonzero number as zero: a displayed value of 0.00 may still contain a nonzero stored amount; compare with the business tolerance explicitly.
3. Assuming zero is positive or negative: the official page specifies SIGN(0) returns 0.
4. Classifying a text-imported amount as numeric without checking its storage type; error or coercion rules are not established by the primary article.
5. Trying to use SIGN to round to an integer: SIGN classifies direction, while EVEN, ODD or ROUND families change magnitude.
6. Replacing accounting controls with sign codes alone: SIGN cannot validate currencies, dates, matching IDs or reconcile across multiple records.

1. Formula displays literally rather than calculating. Check that it starts with = and that the result cell is configured to accept formulas rather than text. Insert the function from the Formula tab if unsure.
2. Function name is unknown or arguments are rejected. Search the installed Insert Function dialog for the function; confirm the exact edition/build, formula language, regional separator and copied punctuation.
3. Result differs from an example. Compare the raw input cells, numeric types and signs. Check whether a value merely looks rounded due to display formatting. Compare against the expected-results CSV rather than an unrelated screenshot.
4. Excel output differs from ONLYOFFICE. Use the same literal inputs, cell number formatting and locale in both programs, compare actual build versions and save a minimal test case. Do not call it a vendor defect without reproducing it.
5. Need an audit trail. Save the exact input workbook, the function formula, output cells, screenshots where permitted, operating system, product edition/build and regional settings. The original inputs should remain unchanged.

Excel: Microsoft’s official SIGN reference defines the same three result values. This supports formula intent for ordinary numeric inputs but cannot establish ONLYOFFICE’s build-specific handling of non-numeric text, blank cells or Excel imports. Check expected direction for near-zero numbers after loading the same workbook in Docs web and Desktop Editors before relying on shared output.

• Current ONLYOFFICE Docs English help: documents name, purpose and argument signature. That is documentation checking, not native build testing.
• ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors: same-brand product, but the current Docs function article does not document a first supported Desktop version. Desktop testing remains pending.
• Mobile and integrations: not established by this documentation alone. Test relevant embedded implementations before describing them as compatible.
• Other spreadsheet engines: a shared function name is not a guarantee of matching coercion, error types, sign rules or locale treatment.

Microsoft’s official Excel SIGN function article was checked as cross-software comparison evidence only, not as proof that ONLYOFFICE behaves identically for edge cases.

These vendor references were checked as documentation links, not as live internal Spreadsheet-Tutorials.com pages:

• IF — official ONLYOFFICE function reference
• ABS — official ONLYOFFICE function reference
• ROUND — official ONLYOFFICE function reference
• QUOTIENT — official ONLYOFFICE function reference

• ONLYOFFICE Spreadsheet Editor — function documentation
• function catalogue
• Advanced Settings reference
• IF — official ONLYOFFICE function reference
• ABS — official ONLYOFFICE function reference
• ROUND — official ONLYOFFICE function reference
• QUOTIENT — official ONLYOFFICE function reference

Verification status: Official documentation checked; example outcomes were independently reasoned or arithmetically checked where applicable. Not executed in ONLYOFFICE Spreadsheet Editor.

• No genuine ONLYOFFICE Spreadsheet Editor screenshots are included; this guide does not use mock application images.