Calc provides feedback for errors of miscalculation, incorrect use of functions, invalid cell references and values, and other user initiated mistakes. The feedback may be displayed within the cell that contains the error (Figure 1) or on the status bar (Figure 2) or in both, depending on the type of error. Generally speaking, if the error occurs in the cell that is selected (or contains the cursor), the error message is displayed on the status bar.
As an example, Figure 1 shows the error code returned when a column is too narrow to display the entire formatted date. The date displayed within the input line, 04/05/1998, would fit within the cell without a problem, but the format used by the cell produces the date value Sunday, April 05, 1998.
When the cell displaying the #REF error code in Figure 1 is selected, the status bar displays the error message as shown in Figure 2. This message is more descriptive than the message displayed in the cell, but it still may not provide enough information to correctly diagnose the problem. For fuller explanations, consult the following tables and the Help topic, Error Codes in LibreOffice Calc.
This appendix presents error codes in two tables. This first table explains error messages which are displayed within the cell that actually contains the error. Except in the case of the ### error, they all correspond to a Calc error code number. The second table explains all of the error codes, listed by code number, including those errors codes in the first table.
Error codes displayed within cells
| Cell error | Code | Explanation of the error |
| ### | N/A | The column is too narrow to display the complete formatted contents of the cell. This is not really an error value, so there is no corresponding numerical error code. The solutions to this problem are to increase the width of the column. or select Format > Cells > Alignment and click either Wrap text automatically or Shrink to fit cell size to make the text match the current column width. |
| Err502 | 502 | Function argument is not valid, or more than one matching cell is found by the DGET function. |
| #NUM! | 503 | A calculation resulted in an overflow of the defined value range. |
| #VALUE | 519 | The formula within the cell returns a value that does not correspond to the definition of the formula or functions used. This error could also mean that the cell referenced by the formula contains text instead of a number. |
| #REF! | 524 | The formula within the cell uses a reference that does not exist. Either a column or row description name could not be resolved, or the column, row, or sheet that contains a referenced cell is missing. |
| #NAME? | 525 | An identifier could not be evaluated: no valid reference, no valid domain name, no column/row label, no macro, incorrect decimal divider, add-in not found. For example, entering in a cell =sum(bob*5) where there is no cell named “bob†or containing the text “bob†generates this error. |
| #DIV/0! | 532 | Division operator / if the denominator is 0. Some more functions return this error; see next table for details. |
General error codes
Note : Errors described as Internal errors should not be encountered by users under normal conditions. Errors listed as Not used are not currently assigned to any error condition and will not occur.
| Code | Message | Explanation of the error |
| 501 | Invalid character | Character in a formula is not valid. This error is the same as the Invalid Name error (525) except that it occurs within a formula. The cell containing the error will display the #NAME? error reference. |
| 502 | Invalid argument | Function argument is not valid; for example, a negative number for the root function. This error also occurs if more than one matching cell is found by the DGET function. |
| 503 | Invalid floating point operation (cell displays #NUM!) | Division by 0, or another calculation that results in an overflow of the defined value range (a value too big or too small). |
| 504 | Parameter list error | Function parameter is not valid; for example, text instead of a number, or a domain reference instead of a cell reference. |
| 505 | Internal syntax error | Not used. |
| 506 | Invalid semicolon | Not used. |
| 507 | Pair missing | Not used. |
| 508 | Pair missing | Missing bracket or parenthesis; for example, closing brackets but no opening brackets. |
| 509 | Missing operator | Operator is missing; for example, "=2(3+4) * ", where the operator between "2" and "(" is missing. |
| 510 | Missing variable | Variable is missing; for example, when two operators are together "=1+*2". |
| 511 | Missing variable | Function requires more variables than are provided; for example, AND() and OR(). |
| 512 | Formula overflow | The total number of internal tokens (that is, operators, variables, brackets) in the formula exceeds 512, or the total number of matrices the formula creates exceeds 150. This includes basic functions that receive too large an array as a parameter. |
| 513 | String overflow | An identifier in the formula exceeds 64 KB in size, or a result of a string operation exceeds 64 KB in size. |
| 514 | Internal overflow | Sort operation attempted on too much numerical data (max. 100000) or a calculation stack overflow. |
| 515 | Internal syntax error | Not used. |
| 516 | Internal syntax error | Matrix is expected on the calculation stack, but is not available. |
| 517 | Internal syntax error | Unknown error; for example, a document with a newer function is loaded in an older version of Calc that does not contain the function. |
| 518 | Internal syntax error | Variable is not available. |
| 519 | No result (cell displays #VALUE) | Formula yields a value that does not correspond to the definition, or a cell that is referenced in the formula contains text instead of a number. |
| 520 | Internal syntax error | Compiler creates an unknown compiler code. |
| 521 | Internal syntax error | No result. |
| 522 | Circular reference | Formula refers directly or indirectly to itself and the Iterations option is not selected under Tools > Options > LibreOffice Calc > Calculate. |
| 523 | The calculation procedure does not converge | Financial statistics function missed a targeted value, or iterations of circular references do not reach the minimum change within the maximum steps that are set. |
| 524 | Invalid references (cell displays #REF!) | A column or row description name could not be resolved, or the column, row, or sheet that contains a referenced cell is missing. |
| 525 | Invalid names (cell displays #NAME?) | An identifier could not be evaluated; for example, no valid reference, no valid domain name, no column/row label, no macro, incorrect decimal divider, add-in not found. |
| 526 | Internal syntax error | Obsolete, no longer used, but could come from old documents if the result is a formula from a domain. |
| 527 | Internal overflow | References, such as when a cell references a cell, are too encapsulated or deeply nested. This is an internal error and should not be displayed in LibreOffice. |
| 532 | Division by zero | Division operator / if the denominator is 0. Some more functions return this error; for example: VARP with less than 1 argument STDEVP with less than 1 argument VAR with less than 2 arguments STDEV with less than 2 arguments STANDARDIZE with stdev=0 NORMDIST with stdev=0 |