'ForumSteiger'

let me add a bit of my own 'wisdom' to my fellow dutchman's post..

normally your file can be used in all languages without problems.
(excel will not 'store' GLEICH but store the numerical reference
to that function, then present it's 'local' name to the user)

the only thing you have to 'worry' about is:
- functions with string arguments.
- functions from Analysis Toolpak (see JKP post for solution)
- functions from other addins (Solver?)

Example function with text argument:
=ZELLE("adresse",a1)

These functions will not translate UNLESS the text argument is
given in English. =ZELLE("address",a1) will work in all languages.


A FUNCTION that uses localized format strings e.g. TEXT()...
will always give you problems but for different reasons.

The localized format string does NOT depend on the EXCEL language, but
on the Operating Systems 'LOCALE'.

note the TEXT functions happens to have the same name in English/German
but that is NOT the problem... the letters used for days/years ARE.

a formula like =TEXT(a1,"tttt") will work IF windows regional settings
use "German", where t is the code for DAY.
The number formats used for cells WILL translate... but again text
arguments for functions will not.

So when writing for 'international use' avoid "hardcoding"

Hope this was instructive.


--
keepITcool
| www.XLsupport.com | keepITcool chello nl | amsterdam


forumsteiger wrote :


Hello,

I live in Germany and thus use a German version of Excel. I have an
Excel file, which contains some formulas, e.g.:

wenn( gleich(A1;A2) ; B2; F8 )

which in English would be something like

if( equals(A1;A2) ; B2; F8 )

I wonder what will happen, if a user in lets say the US will open that
file. That user will have an English version of Excel. Will this
English version be able to parse the German formula "wenn(
gleich(A1;A2) ; B2; F8 )"?
Or will I have to rewrite all formulas, i.e. replace any "wenn" by
"if" and any "gleich" by "equals" and so on?
If this replacement has to been done, is there a software which can do
this transformation automatically or will I have to do the changes
manually?

Thanks in advance for you help
Forumsteiger