ODF New Proposal: Generic Format-Handling Functions

ODF New Proposal: Generic Formats

Summary

Proposal owner: Leonard Mada

Proposal short name: Generic Format-Handling Functions

Rationale

Format data using formats defined in the spreadsheet.
Use cases: Recoding variables / values and displaying custom formats.

SAS allows defining specific formats, e.g.:

PROC FORMAT;
    value myFormat
         1 =  'Group 1'
         2 = 'Group 2'
          . = 'Missing'
        other = 'Everything else'
    ;

    value myAgeGroups
          0 - 10 =  '0-10'
         11 - 20 = '11-20'
         21 - high = '> 20'
          . = 'Missing'
    ;

    value myValues
         Low = 1
         Middle = 2
         High = 3
    ;
run;

Then, some data can be formatted using these formats, e.g.:
Data = {4, 7, 8, 21, 55, ., 12}
Data myAgeGroups. => {'0-10', '0-10', '0-10', '> 20', '> 20', 'Mising', 
'11-20'}

SYNTAX:
A new function: =FORMAT(range; {options})

The range is any range in the spreadsheet that consists of 2 columns or 
3 columns.
In the case of 2 columns, the first column contains the value that gets 
recoded and the second column contains the new value.
In the case of 3 columns: the first column contains the lower limit, the 
second column contains the upper limit, and the 3rd column contains the 
new value.
OPTIONS:
- is the upper limit included (applies to 3-column range):
    0 = use default (as defined in some options; may be removed from spec)
    1 = include upper limit and exclude lower limit: (lower limit, upper 
limit]
    2 = do not include upper limit; lower limit will be included: [lower 
limit, upper limit)

This function will define a new format, that can be applied to the 
various cells in the spreadsheet. Also, this format may be used to 
recode values, using a new function (INPUT() - yet to propose):
= <int> INPUT( cell, format)
= <string> INPUT(cell, format), depending on format type;

Impacts
Conformance:
Backwards compatibility: New feature. Is not backwards compatible.
Accessibility impact: No Accessibility impact