PlanMaker IMNEG: Negate both components and preserve export warnings

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.

ComplexNumber is one required argument in the documented x+yi or x+yj format. SoftMaker’s example =IMNEG("2+4i") returns -2-4i. There are no documented optional arguments.

The export warning is about losing a formula’s future recalculation, not necessarily about an immediately incorrect visible value. A workbook may still display the expected result after conversion while no longer responding to changed inputs. No Excel export or round-trip was performed here; the warning comes from the official PlanMaker reference, including the checked historical references.

Create NegatedParts with Real, Imaginary, Original, Negated, Result_real and Result_imaginary in A1:F1. Fill C2 =COMPLEX(A2,B2), D2 =IMNEG(C2), E2 =IMREAL(D2) and F2 =IMAGINARY(D2) through row 8.

These are component expectations, not promises about minus-zero or abbreviated string formatting. In a copy, change A3 from 3 to -3. E3 changes from -3 to 3, while F3 stays -4. A second negation restores the original coefficients.

SoftMaker recommends this alternative for a value in A1:

=COMPLEX(-IMREAL(A1),-IMAGINARY(A1))

On the original worksheet, enter G2 =COMPLEX(-IMREAL(C2),-IMAGINARY(C2)) and fill through G8. Compare =IMREAL(D2)-IMREAL(G2) and =IMAGINARY(D2)-IMAGINARY(G2) in separate columns. Both differences are mathematically 0 for every sample row.

COMPLEX defaults to i notation. If the intended output convention is j, explicitly supply "j" as its third argument. Component equivalence does not imply that the alternative automatically preserves every source suffix or exact displayed string.

The alternative avoids this particular unsupported function according to SoftMaker’s advice. It is not proof of a completed Excel conversion or universal portability for the entire workbook. Test supported destination formulas, saved bytes and changed-input recalculation before making an interchange guarantee.

For the row-3 original (3,4), =IMSUM(C3,D3) has expected coefficients (0,0). Its modulus is 0. By contrast, adding the conjugate would yield (6,0), because conjugation reverses only the imaginary coefficient. The two operations must not be interchanged.

To simulate the export risk without claiming an actual export, create a copy and replace the negated result D3 with the fixed supported text -3-4i. Then change A3 from 3 to 6. A live IMNEG formula should now produce coefficients (-6,-4), while the fixed text retains (-3,-4). The simulation demonstrates the dependency loss described by the vendor; it is not native evidence of an exporter run.

Verify that the source is a supported complex representation. The help does not give a complete malformed-input, numeric-text, suffix or overflow error table. Preserve original coefficients so sign mistakes can be diagnosed without repeatedly parsing a displayed string.

IMCONJUGATE changes only the imaginary sign. IMREAL and IMAGINARY support the documented replacement. A matching display before and after saving is insufficient evidence that a formula survived.

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.