MOD Function (OpenOffice Calc)
The MOD function in OpenOffice Calc returns the remainder after division. Learn syntax, behavior with negative numbers, examples, and best practices.
Compatibility
▾| Excel | ✔ |
| Gnumeric | ✔ |
| Google_sheets | ✔ |
| Libreoffice | ✔ |
| Numbers | ✔ |
| Onlyoffice | ✔ |
| Openoffice | ✔ |
| Wps | ✔ |
| Zoho | ✔ |
What the MOD Function Does ▾
- Returns the remainder of a division
- Supports positive and negative numbers
- Useful for cycles, patterns, grouping, and indexing
- Works across sheets
- Pairs naturally with INT and FLOOR
MOD is ideal when you need repeating sequences or position within a cycle.
Syntax ▾
MOD(number; divisor)
Arguments:
- number — The value to divide
- divisor — The number to divide by
The divisor cannot be zero.
Behavior With Positive and Negative Numbers ▾
OpenOffice Calc follows the mathematical definition:
[ \text{MOD}(a, b) = a - b \cdot \text{INT}(a/b) ]
This means:
| Example | Result | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
MOD(10; 3) |
1 | 10 = 3×3 + 1 |
MOD(-10; 3) |
2 | -10 = 3×(-4) + 2 |
MOD(10; -3) |
-2 | 10 = (-3)×(-4) + -2 |
Basic Examples ▾
Simple remainder
=MOD(10; 3)
Result: 1
Even/odd test
=MOD(A1; 2)
0 = even, 1 = odd.
Remainder of a formula result
=MOD(A1 - B1; 5)
MOD with cell references
=MOD(A1; B1)
Advanced Examples ▾
Create repeating sequences (1,2,3,1,2,3…)
=MOD(ROW()-1; 3) + 1
Group values into buckets of 10
=MOD(A1; 10)
Extract the fractional part of a number
=MOD(A1; 1)
Determine day of week (0–6)
=MOD(A1 - DATE(1970;1;1); 7)
Pagination logic
Row number within a page of 50:
=MOD(ROW()-1; 50) + 1
Cycle through labels
=CHOOSE(MOD(ROW()-1; 3) + 1; "A"; "B"; "C")
MOD across sheets
=MOD(Sheet1.A1; 12)
Wrap-around indexing
=INDEX(List; MOD(n-1; ROWS(List)) + 1)
MOD for alternating row shading
=MOD(ROW(); 2)
MOD + INT = Full Division Breakdown ▾
You can reconstruct any division:
[ a = b \cdot \text{INT}(a/b) + \text{MOD}(a, b) ]
Calc:
=B1 * INT(A1/B1) + MOD(A1; B1)
Common Errors and Fixes ▾
MOD returns Err:532 (Division by zero)
Occurs when:
- Divisor = 0
- Divisor is empty
- Divisor is text
MOD returns Err:502 (Invalid argument)
Occurs when:
- Inputs are text
- A malformed reference is used
MOD returns unexpected results
Possible causes:
- Negative numbers behaving differently than expected
- Divisor sign affecting remainder sign
- Text numbers not converted to numeric
MOD ignores values you expected it to include
MOD ignores:
- Text numbers (
"123") - Empty cells
- Logical values
- Errors
MOD includes values you expected it to ignore
MOD includes:
- Dates
- Times
- Numeric results of formulas
Err:508 — Missing parenthesis
Usually caused by:
- Missing
) - Using commas instead of semicolons
Best Practices ▾
- Use MOD for cycles, patterns, and grouping
- Use MOD(A1; 2) for even/odd logic
- Use MOD with ROW() for alternating formatting
- Use MOD with INDEX for wrap‑around lists
- Convert imported text numbers to real numbers
- Use named ranges for cleaner formulas
MOD is the backbone of cyclic logic — if something repeats, MOD can model it.