PlanMaker COMPLEX: Construct complex numbers from visible coefficients
COMPLEX constructs a complex number from its real and imaginary coefficients. PlanMaker accepts the lowercase suffix i or j, and the documented default is i. Keep the coefficients in separate numeric cells when you want to audit the construction.
Verification status: See the evidence and test scope described in this guide. How formula examples are checked
COMPLEX constructs a complex number from its real and imaginary coefficients. PlanMaker accepts the lowercase suffix i or j, and the documented default is i. Keep the coefficients in separate numeric cells when you want to audit the construction.
Availability and evidence
The 2026 function reference, 2024 reference and 2021 reference were retrieved and read on October 15, 2026. They establish documented support in those PlanMaker manual families. The original introduction and any last-working-version endpoint remain unverified; 2021 is the oldest reference checked here, not an introduction claim. Specific FreeOffice/mobile builds and every desktop platform were not tested.
The tables combine documented function rules with independent component arithmetic and high-precision mathematical calculations. No native PlanMaker execution, screenshot, export or import test was performed. Complex result components are used where native string formatting is not established. English examples use commas between arguments; adapt locale syntax only after checking the installed editor.
Exact syntax
=COMPLEX(Real, Imag [, Suffix])
Required coefficients and optional suffix
Real and Imag are required. Suffix is optional and must be the lowercase text “i” or “j” according to the reference. The vendor’s controls are =COMPLEX(2,4) and =COMPLEX(2,4,"i"), both giving 2+4i, and =COMPLEX(2,4,"j"), giving 2+4j.
SoftMaker also permits entering a supported complex representation directly into a cell. Inside a formula, use quotes for a literal such as "2+4i". The notation is not ordinary worksheet multiplication: an unquoted i is not a magic imaginary constant in a general arithmetic expression.
Build and inspect a coefficient table
Create ComplexParts with Real, Imaginary, Constructed, Returned_real and Returned_imaginary in A1:E1. Enter these numeric A:B pairs. Fill C2 =COMPLEX(A2,B2), D2 =IMREAL(C2) and E2 =IMAGINARY(C2) through row 8.
| Row | A real | B imaginary | Expected D | Expected E |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 4 |
| 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| 4 | -3 | 4 | -3 | 4 |
| 5 | -3 | -4 | -3 | -4 |
| 6 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| 7 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The numeric component checks deliberately avoid asserting a particular display spelling when a coefficient is zero or one. Equivalent notations may omit a zero term. Component equality is the relevant mathematical check, while the precise native rendering has not been observed.
In a copy, change B3 from 4 to -4. D3 stays 3, while E3 becomes -4. Changing only the imaginary coefficient does not negate the entire complex number.
Advanced: choose notation without changing the number
On the original sheet, enter F2 =COMPLEX(A2,B2,"j") and fill through F8. Compare G2 =IMREAL(C2)-IMREAL(F2) and H2 =IMAGINARY(C2)-IMAGINARY(F2), filling downward. Both comparison columns are mathematically 0 for every row: i and j identify the same imaginary unit in the supported notation.
This does not establish that every later function accepts a mixture of i-suffixed and j-suffixed arguments. Keep one chosen suffix throughout a workflow unless the relevant function and installed build have been checked. A display convention is separate from a numeric coefficient.
For an explicitly specified offset, put 10 in J2 and construct =COMPLEX(A3+J2,B3) in J3 on the original sheet. Its expected coefficients are 13 and 4, because row 3 originally contains 3 and 4. The modulus changes from 5 to √185, approximately 13.601470509. Recreate that magnitude using =IMABS(J3). A real-axis offset is not the same as scaling both coefficients.
Errors and troubleshooting
Check the required comma-separated coefficient arguments and quotation marks around the optional suffix. Uppercase I/J, unsupported letters, malformed complex strings, numeric text and blank coercion are not certified by these examples. The official page does not give a complete exact-error table for those inputs.
A complex representation should be processed by the documented IM functions rather than assumed to behave as an ordinary real number in every aggregate. Preserve the numeric source columns when importing or exporting data. IMREAL and IMAGINARY inspect the two coefficients; IMABS calculates their combined magnitude.
Verify in an installed version
Record the exact product/build, edition, platform, locale and workbook format. Enter the full source table, inspect components and apply the changed-input controls on separate copies. Keep full precision for calculations and round only the display. Saved-file recalculation and destination compatibility require their own tests.