BINOM.DIST.RANGE in FreeOffice PlanMaker: Syntax and Worked Examples

=BINOM.DIST.RANGE(10,0.5,4,8) is expected to return 0.8173828125, the probability of four through eight successes inclusive. Omitting the upper bound gives the probability of exactly the lower-bound count.

The legacy PlanMaker function B uses the same argument order for ordinary cases, but its documentation excludes probability endpoints that the modern page includes. That discrepancy must remain visible when comparing the names.

=BINOM.DIST.RANGE(n, p, k1, [k2])
=B(n, p, k1, [k2])

The first three arguments are required. n is the number of independent binary trials with a fixed success probability p. k1 is the lower success count. If k2 is omitted, the function calculates P(X=k1); if present, it calculates P(k1≤X≤k2).

The modern help specifies n≥0, 0≤p≤1, 0≤k1≤n and k1≤k2≤n. It says decimal parts of n, k1 and k2 are truncated. Prefer intentional integer counts and check that the interval remains meaningful.

Do not copy the argument order of BINOM.DIST: that function starts with the success count, while this one starts with the number of trials.

1. Put trial count 10 in A2 and probability 0.5 in B2.
2. Put lower count 4 in C2 and upper count 8 in D2.
3. Enter =BINOM.DIST.RANGE(A2,B2,C2,D2).
4. Expected result: 0.8173828125, or about 81.7383%.

The independent sum is:

P(4≤X≤8) = [COMBIN(10,4)+COMBIN(10,5)+COMBIN(10,6)
             +COMBIN(10,7)+COMBIN(10,8)] / 2^10
          = (210+252+210+120+45)/1024
          = 837/1024 = 0.8173828125

=BINOM.DIST.RANGE(10,0.5,4) and =BINOM.DIST.RANGE(10,0.5,4,4) both have the expected point mass 0.205078125. An interval containing one count is not an empty interval.

The probability outside the inclusive 4–8 interval is 1−837/1024=0.1826171875. This consists of counts 0–3 and 9–10. Keeping the included and excluded boundaries explicit helps avoid adding or removing a count twice.

=BINOM.DIST.RANGE(10.9,0.5,4.9,8.9) is expected to use the truncated counts 10, 4 and 8 and return 0.8173828125. The function does not round them to 11, 5 and 9.

These controls assume independent trials and an unchanged success probability. A probability computed correctly under those assumptions does not prove that real observations follow the binomial model.

The official B page describes B as retained for PlanMaker 97 compatibility and recommends Excel-compatible alternatives. For interior probabilities, it gives equivalences with the point-mass or interval functions.

However, that page states 0<p<1, while BINOM.DIST.RANGE explicitly allows 0≤p≤1. The modern degenerate cases =BINOM.DIST.RANGE(10,0,0) and =BINOM.DIST.RANGE(10,1,10) have expected probability 1. Direct native B entries for these two cases produced 1 in revision F1238.1005, despite the legacy help’s strict endpoint wording. Saving to PMDX normalized their expressions to BINOM.DIST.RANGE. This supports the stated inputs in this build, not an unqualified equivalence claim for every version or input. The original spelling and saved expression must be distinguished.

B is a documented compatibility spelling, not evidence of a retired function. Its help warns that saving in Excel format replaces B calculations with their current fixed results. Keep a native PMDX master to preserve live calculations, while recognizing that this build normalizes the B spelling to BINOM.DIST.RANGE. The modern function is documented as compatible with Excel 2013 or later; no export roundtrip is inferred from that statement.

The documentation defines valid counts and bounds but does not name all error tokens or coercion outcomes. Reject reversed intervals or out-of-domain probabilities in your input validation rather than relying on an assumed error message. The examples do not test huge trial counts, numeric underflow or every invalid input.

The six originally entered BINOM.DIST.RANGE formulas matched their independent values, including endpoint probabilities 1. Direct native B entries for the point mass, interval, p=0 and p=1 cases produced 0.205078125, 0.8173828125, 1 and 1. PMDX saving normalized all four B expressions to BINOM.DIST.RANGE, so the original B spelling was not preserved. The reopened workbook confirms the canonical formulas and values; it is not evidence that a saved B formula remained unchanged. A separate pre-save observation showed B(10,0,0)=1, distinct from the reopened screenshot below.

Selected J2 shows the modern point-mass formula. Column I retains labels for originally entered formulas, including B; column J contains native results. After save and reopen, the four B-labeled rows actually store BINOM.DIST.RANGE expressions. J6:J9 show endpoint values 1.

The official FreeOffice PlanMaker 2024 reference was checked October 18, 2026. The installed application is FreeOffice PlanMaker 2024 revision F1238.1005. The original introduction version is not established by this evidence; the current reference does not identify the function as deprecated or retired. No availability claim for a different edition or a 2026 release is implied.

The native section identifies the exact tested subset and outcomes from revision F1238.1005. Cell-reference walkthroughs and additional mathematical controls were not separate native cases. Screenshots show the reopened PMDX workbook; any spelling normalization or endpoint mismatch is stated explicitly. File-exchange notes are vendor guidance, not an Excel-export test. English formulas in this guide use commas; use the separators required by your formula settings.

• COMBIN
• FACT