PlanMaker XOR: Odd Parity, Two Choices and Exactly-One Tests
Use XOR in PlanMaker with complete two- and three-input truth tables, an exact-choice comparison and historically scoped Excel compatibility.
Verification status: See the evidence and test scope described in this guide. How formula examples are checked
Quick answer: =XOR(TRUE(),FALSE()) returns TRUE, but =XOR(TRUE(),TRUE()) returns FALSE. With more than two arguments, PlanMaker XOR tests whether the count of true conditions is odd. It does not mean exactly one condition is true in every case.
Availability and version history
- Introduced: Documented by the PlanMaker 2010 manual; the original introduction release and date remain unknown.
- Availability: Documented in PlanMaker 2026. This identifies a documented version, not a last-working-version endpoint.
- Scope: The current entry belongs to the 2026/NX manual family; exact FreeOffice and individual mobile-build behavior is not established here.
- Checked: October 14, 2026, against the official XOR reference and historical entry. The examples were independently calculated; no native PlanMaker test was performed.
Syntax, parity and historical compatibility
=XOR(Value1 [, Value2, Value3 ...])
The current reference requires one input, with additional inputs optional. Use logical values or explicit comparisons for the examples here. The page does not provide a complete table for numeric, text, blank, array or error conversion.
The 2010 manual printed two leading Value arguments and warned that then-unsupported Excel exports replaced XOR calculations with fixed results. The current reference instead states that Excel supports XOR from Excel 2013 onward. That is an Excel compatibility boundary, not the date XOR was introduced in PlanMaker or proof of every current workbook round trip.
Reproduce the complete two-input truth table
Create TwoConditions with First, Second, XOR and OR in A1:D1. Enter the Boolean formulas below. Put =XOR(A2,B2) in C2 and =OR(A2,B2) in D2, then fill C2:D2 through row 5.
| Row | A formula | B formula | Expected C | Expected D |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | =TRUE() |
=TRUE() |
FALSE | TRUE |
| 3 | =TRUE() |
=FALSE() |
TRUE | TRUE |
| 4 | =FALSE() |
=TRUE() |
TRUE | TRUE |
| 5 | =FALSE() |
=FALSE() |
FALSE | FALSE |
The C outputs reproduce all four logical cases in the official reference. OR also accepts both true conditions; XOR rejects that particular combination. The distinction matters when a worksheet requires one of two mutually exclusive choices.
Check exactly one of two selections
Create DeliveryChoices with Record, Collect, Deliver and One choice in A1:D1. Enter rows R1 through R4 with the Boolean pairs TRUE/FALSE, FALSE/TRUE, TRUE/TRUE, FALSE/FALSE in B2:C5, using TRUE()/FALSE() formulas.
In D2 enter =XOR(B2,C2) and fill through D5; expect TRUE,TRUE,FALSE,FALSE. In E2 enter =IF(D2,"One choice","Choose one option") and fill through E5. Expect One choice,One choice,Choose one option,Choose one option.
For this two-option rule, both missing and conflicting choices require attention. The formula is an illustrative data check; it does not arrange a delivery or choose a method automatically.
Three true conditions expose the difference from exactly one
Create ThreeConditions, with First, Second, Third, XOR, True count and Exactly one in A1:F1. Enter every Boolean combination in A2:C9:
| Row | A | B | C | Expected D | Expected E | Expected F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | FALSE | FALSE | FALSE | FALSE | 0 | FALSE |
| 3 | FALSE | FALSE | TRUE | TRUE | 1 | TRUE |
| 4 | FALSE | TRUE | FALSE | TRUE | 1 | TRUE |
| 5 | FALSE | TRUE | TRUE | FALSE | 2 | FALSE |
| 6 | TRUE | FALSE | FALSE | TRUE | 1 | TRUE |
| 7 | TRUE | FALSE | TRUE | FALSE | 2 | FALSE |
| 8 | TRUE | TRUE | FALSE | FALSE | 2 | FALSE |
| 9 | TRUE | TRUE | TRUE | TRUE | 3 | FALSE |
Use TRUE()/FALSE() formulas for the printed Boolean inputs. Enter =XOR(A2,B2,C2) in D2. In E2 enter =IF(A2,1,0)+IF(B2,1,0)+IF(C2,1,0). In F2 enter =E2=1. Fill D2:F2 through row 9.
The numeric helper explicitly maps each logical condition with IF, rather than assuming how SUM would treat a reference containing logical values. Row 9 is decisive: XOR is TRUE for three true conditions, while the exactly-one test is FALSE.
Four-input controls and an additional false argument
On a separate ParityControls sheet, enter:
| Cell | Formula | Expected result |
|---|---|---|
| A2 | =XOR(TRUE()) |
TRUE |
| A3 | =XOR(FALSE()) |
FALSE |
| A4 | =XOR(TRUE(),FALSE(),TRUE(),TRUE()) |
TRUE |
| A5 | =XOR(TRUE(),TRUE(),TRUE(),TRUE()) |
FALSE |
| A6 | =XOR(TRUE(),FALSE(),FALSE()) |
TRUE |
| A7 | =XOR(TRUE(),FALSE(),TRUE()) |
FALSE |
The first two follow the current one-required-input signature and odd-count definition. Adding FALSE does not change the true count, while adding TRUE changes its parity. This is a logical model of the documented rule, not a measurement of a particular internal algorithm.
Practical limits and related functions
Do not use a three-or-more-input XOR as an exactly-one-selection validator. The explicit count comparison in ThreeConditions answers that separate question. Also do not infer short-circuit evaluation, arbitrary text conversion or error suppression from the Boolean truth table.
TRUE and FALSE create the stated logical values. OR tests whether at least one supplied logical condition is true; AND requires all of them, and IF builds the explicit count and labels. Confirm formula separators and small known cases in a destination application before relying on exported calculations.