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INFO Function (LibreOffice Calc)

Information Intermediate LibreOffice Calc Introduced in LibreOffice 3.0
information system environment diagnostics compatibility

The INFO function in LibreOffice Calc returns system and environment information, such as operating system type, recalculation mode, and memory limits. It is useful for diagnostics, compatibility checks, and advanced spreadsheet automation.

Compatibility

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What the INFO Function Does â–ľ

  • Returns system/environment information
  • Supports a limited set of keywords in LibreOffice
  • Useful for diagnostics and compatibility logic
  • Behavior differs from Excel and other spreadsheet engines

It is designed to be informative, low‑level, and environment‑aware.

Syntax â–ľ 

INFO(type)

Arguments

  • type:
    A text keyword specifying the information to return.

Supported INFO Types in LibreOffice Calc â–ľ

LibreOffice supports only a subset of Excel’s INFO keywords.

Keyword Description Example Output
“system” Operating system type “LINUX”, “WINDOWS”, “MACOSX”
“release” LibreOffice version “7.6.4.1”
“recalc” Recalculation mode “AUTO” or “MANUAL”
“memavail” Approx. available memory Platform‑dependent
“memused” Approx. memory used Platform‑dependent

Unsupported keywords return Err:502.

Basic Examples â–ľ

Get the operating system

=INFO("system")

Returns something like "WINDOWS" or "LINUX".

Get the LibreOffice version

=INFO("release")

Check recalculation mode

=INFO("recalc")

Returns "AUTO" or "MANUAL".

Get available memory

=INFO("memavail")

Get memory usage

=INFO("memused")

Advanced Examples â–ľ

Build OS‑specific logic

=IF(INFO("system")="WINDOWS"; "Win Path"; "Unix Path")

Useful for macros or file‑path logic.

Display version information in a dashboard

="LibreOffice Version: " & INFO("release")

Conditional behavior based on recalculation mode

=IF(INFO("recalc")="MANUAL"; "Press F9"; "Auto‑Recalc Enabled")

Memory diagnostics for large spreadsheets

=INFO("memused")

Create a system information summary cell

="OS: " & INFO("system") & " | Version: " & INFO("release")

Use INFO in compatibility checks

=IF(INFO("system")="MACOSX"; "Use Cmd"; "Use Ctrl")

Edge Cases and Behavior Details â–ľ

Unsupported keywords return Err:502

=INFO("directory")  
=INFO("origin")  
=INFO("numfile")

These are Excel‑only.

INFO values are static until recalculation

  • Changing OS or memory state may not update immediately
  • Press F9 or recalc sheet to refresh

Memory values are approximate

  • Not intended for precise measurement
  • Useful only for diagnostics

INFO(“system”) returns uppercase OS names

"WINDOWS"  
"LINUX"  
"MACOSX"

INFO(“release”) returns LibreOffice version string

Format varies by build.

Common Errors and Fixes â–ľ

Err:502 — Invalid argument

Occurs when:

  • Keyword is unsupported
  • Keyword is misspelled
  • Keyword is not text

INFO returns unexpected values

Cause:

  • Platform differences
  • LibreOffice version differences
  • Memory values are approximate

INFO returns outdated values

Cause:

  • Sheet not recalculated
  • Cached environment data

Fix:
Recalculate sheet manually.

Best Practices â–ľ

  • Use INFO for diagnostics, not critical logic
  • Avoid relying on memory values for precise calculations
  • Use INFO(“system”) for OS‑specific file paths
  • Use INFO(“release”) for version‑dependent behavior
  • Validate keywords before using them in production sheets
INFO is a niche but powerful tool — perfect for diagnostics, environment‑aware logic, and advanced automation workflows.

Related Patterns and Alternatives â–ľ

  • Use TYPE to inspect data types
  • Use CELL for cell‑specific metadata
  • Use INDIRECT and ADDRESS for dynamic references
  • Use ISERROR and ISREF for validation
  • Use IF to build environment‑aware logic

By mastering INFO and its companion functions, you can build environment‑aware, diagnostic‑friendly spreadsheets in LibreOffice Calc.

Related Functions

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