SMALL in ONLYOFFICE: Nth-Smallest Values, Zeros and Ties

Use SMALL in ONLYOFFICE to return the value at a chosen position when the observations are ordered from smallest to largest. The working example below describes delivery lead times; its result is measured in hours. The official reference supports the function’s identity and purpose.

This guide separates documentation review from application testing. The expected numbers are independently calculated, not screenshots or results captured from ONLYOFFICE.

SMALL(array, k)

Data range: a numeric range such as A2:A9. Each included observation occupies a position, even when two values are equal.

Position: a positive integer such as 2 for the second observation. The example uses no fractional positions and requires enough numeric data for the requested position.

Use SMALL to inspect the lower end of a numeric register, such as short turnaround times or low order quantities. It returns one value at a requested position; it does not move records or return the identifier attached to the result.

Smallest is a numerical direction, not a judgement of quality. A short completion time may be desirable, while a small order total may not be. Negative adjustments also sort below zero. Decide whether your source should contain adjustments, cancelled records or only completed observations before asking for a low-end value.

A team delivery register with one row per completed shipment provides the scenario. Enter the following numeric observations into A2:A9, one per row, with a header in A1. Use a spare result cell outside the input range.

Download the ONLYOFFICE SMALL practice data (CSV). Import it into a new, blank sheet starting at A1, with a comma as the file delimiter and the header row retained. The CSV contains input values only, not formulas or native test results. Blank spacer columns place the requested position in D2 and any additional test data in column F. Keep observations numeric rather than importing them as text.

Example 1: Find the second-lowest observation

=SMALL(A2:A9,2)

Expected result: 14.

In the requested direction the observations are 10, 14, 18, 18, 22, 22, 26, 30. Position 2 supplies 14. The result is the measurement, not the original row number.

Example 2: Use a position cell and a fixed comparison range

Set D2 to 3 before entering the formula.

=SMALL($A$2:$A$9,D2)

Expected result: 18.

Enter 3 in D2. The formula requests position 3 while keeping the register fixed. For a list of positions, enter consecutive integers below D2 and copy the formula down; keep each position within the numeric count of 8.

Example 3: Check duplicates, zero and negative values

For this check, use F2:F6 containing -8, -3, 0, 6, 6, in that order. These values are included in the practice file.

=SMALL(F2:F6,2)

Expected result: -3.

The ascending order is -8, -3, 0, 6, 6. The second observation is -3; zero is a real observation and the negative values come before it.

The numeric model sorts a copy of the observations and selects the requested one-based position. It retains duplicates and signed values. The production formula examples use ordinary single-result calls; no claim is made about passing an array of positions or automatic spill behaviour. Keep stored results at full available precision and round only the final presentation when a report requires it. The displayed expectations above are rounded where necessary; a different number of displayed decimal places is not by itself a calculation error.

Zero appears before the positive observations. Zero is a valid numeric value, not a blank. Investigate whether it is a real measurement, a default inserted during import or an accidental replacement for missing data.

A position returns no valid result. Use an integer from 1 through the number of numeric observations. This guide deliberately avoids fractional-position coercion. Check the range and requested position before using error suppression.

The original register looks unchanged. SMALL is a calculation, not a sort command. When you need a complete ordered report with associated labels, sort complete records instead of sorting just one measurement column.

The ONLYOFFICE function page supplies the software-specific reference. The documented worksheet form works with numeric values and cell ranges. The examples do not require a separate analysis plug-in, array-spill result or macro.

In the delivery-register example, decide whether the measurement includes weekends, transit time only or the complete time from order to delivery. These are different variables even when their cells are all formatted as hours. Do not mix them in a single range and expect a dispersion or ranking formula to reconcile the definitions.

When reviewing a shared document, keep measurement cells apart from commentary and summary rows. A plain numeric range makes it easier for another editor to audit which shipments are included. The example data is deliberately small enough to check without relying on a chart.

English formulas here use commas between arguments. Follow the separator shown by your configured editor. The current help reference does not prove first-version availability or identical behaviour across every ONLYOFFICE desktop, browser and mobile build.

For the same statistical question in other programs, see SMALL in Microsoft Excel, SMALL in Google Sheets, SMALL in SoftMaker PlanMaker. These links identify corresponding measures, not a guarantee that names, mixed-data rules, error codes or file conversions are identical.

MEDIAN, LARGE, RANK.EQ, STDEV.S, STDEV.P, VAR.S, VAR.P. Browse the ONLYOFFICE function library for the other published guides.

Editorial verification: The vendor documentation was reviewed on 2026-10-12. Scope: The ONLYOFFICE spreadsheet function reference. The reviewed help does not establish the first supported version or identical desktop, browser and mobile behaviour. Three numeric examples were checked with an independent arithmetic model. No native application run was performed. Single-value population edge cases, mixed-data coercion, exact error-code parity and round-trip workbook compatibility remain untested; they are not labelled application-verified.