CONVERT_ADD Function (OpenOffice Calc)

• Introduced: First release not established; this name is documented in the OpenOffice.org 3.3 function appendix.
• Supported in: Apache OpenOffice 4.1.16. No final supported release has been established.
• Scope: Desktop Calc. An installed Analysis Add-In is required.
• Checked: October 14, 2026. Pinned source and independent examples checked. Apache OpenOffice was not run; LibreOffice import tests are supplementary only.

The function transforms a numeric measurement from one supported unit into another unit of the same physical category. Length can become another length, area another area, temperature another temperature, and so on. It cannot turn a length into a mass without an additional physical model.

The official function reference lists accepted unit tokens. Use those exact spellings rather than full unit names. Many familiar abbreviations are different: minutes use "mn", pounds of mass use "lbm", and cubic meters use "m3" with an ordinary digit. A visually similar Unicode superscript does not establish the same token.

=CONVERT_ADD(Number; FromUnit; ToUnit)

All three arguments are required. Number is the measurement; FromUnit and ToUnit are case-sensitive text tokens or references to cells containing them. For a measurement in A2, source token in B2 and destination token in C2, enter =CONVERT_ADD(A2;B2;C2) in D2.

Examples use decimal points and semicolon argument separators. A comma inside a quoted unit string does not act as a locale separator. Keep input values numeric and store the unit labels in their own cells rather than entering a combined text value such as “120 in.”

Enter each formula in a separate cell. The expected outputs are independently calculated mathematical references; allow a suitable floating-point tolerance instead of comparing formatted text.

The binary-information prefix in this implementation is lowercase ki: "kibyte" means 1024 bytes. The release prefix parser does not accept uppercase "Kibyte". Decimal "kbyte" means 1000 bytes. Use the application’s exact token rather than substituting a typographic convention from another system.

A component drawing gives a length of 10 yards. =CONVERT_ADD(10;"yd";"cm") returns 914.4 cm. For a worksheet of dimensions, put the original measurement in A2, yd in B2 and cm in C2. Fill =CONVERT_ADD(A2;B2;C2) down column D while retaining the original columns.

If the source and destination units are fixed for the entire table, put them in H2 and I2 and use =CONVERT_ADD(A2;$H$2;$I$2). The absolute references keep the unit choice stable as the formula is copied. Keep the output heading explicit, such as “Length (cm),” so a value does not become detached from its unit.

For packaging clearance, round only at the step required by the physical process. Formatting 914.4 to display no decimals does not change the stored measurement. A deliberate whole-centimeter clearance rule might require rounding upward; an ordinary nearest-integer report answers a different question.

Prefixes act on the unit’s dimension. One kilometer is 1000 meters, but one square kilometer is 1,000,000 square meters and one cubic meter is 1,000,000 cubic centimeters. The source parser applies the squared or cubed multiplier for tokens ending in 2 or 3.

Therefore, =CONVERT_ADD(1;"km2";"m2") returns 1000000. Do not convert an area by multiplying by a length factor once. Likewise, one liter is 1000 cubic centimeters; confusing that with a centimeter-to-meter conversion creates a large error even though both formulas contain familiar metric prefixes.

Temperature conversions can include an offset. The examples give 32 °F as 0 °C, 100 °C as 212 °F and 0 °C as 273.15 K. This means CONVERT_ADD(2*x;"C";"F") is not generally twice CONVERT_ADD(x;"C";"F").

For a temperature difference, do not blindly convert the difference as though it were an absolute temperature. Convert the two absolute endpoints and subtract, or apply an explicitly justified difference scale. For endpoints 20 °C and 30 °C, the Fahrenheit values are 68 and 86; the change is 18 °F, not the 50 °F absolute temperature obtained by converting 10 °C directly.

Unknown tokens and incompatible categories are rejected by the release converter. For example, "m" to "kg" is not a valid direct conversion. Check spelling, capitalization, dimensional category and whether the base unit permits a prefix before changing the input number.

Some categories have several historical unit definitions. Select the named unit that matches the source measurement; do not infer whether a gallon, mile or calorie is the intended variant merely from a short label. The official table and versioned source define the actual conversion factors.

Current LibreOffice uses the name CONVERT for the measurement converter, while Apache OpenOffice uses CONVERT_ADD. Copying the modern name into OpenOffice invokes a different function. Preserve a known reference case, such as 120 inches to 10 feet, and compare it after transferring a workbook.

• Apache OpenOffice CONVERT_ADD syntax and unit list
• Versioned unit and prefix implementation
• Versioned conversion factors