Troubleshooting and FAQ
Reading an error
An error appears in the results where the line would, as a red paragraph, in the Errors dialog, and as an underline in the editor. For a sheet, the line number is the sheet line. Click the line number in the report to jump to the source.
| Message | Cause and fix |
|---|---|
Undefined variable or units: "x" | The name is not defined above this line, or it is misspelled, or a unit is misspelled. Names are case sensitive. A sheet renames some names (phi is φ); a >> line may use either spelling. |
Inconsistent units: "m + s" | You added or compared quantities of different dimensions. Fix the formula. |
Invalid units: "maximum" (or Invalid symbol: "#" on a heading) | The text is being read as a Calcpad worksheet, not as a sheet, so | means a unit conversion and # a directive. The <!--sheet--> marker is missing from the first line. Put it back. |
Cannot rewrite existing units: kip | A custom unit (.kip = ...) has the name of a built-in unit. Choose another name. |
The matrix has complex eigenvalues. | eigenvals, eigenvecs and eigen return real values only. Use ceigenvals and ceigenvecs. See Vectors and matrices. |
Inconsistent units: "unitless" and "m" in a plot | The plot variable carried a unit. Write plot f(x * 1 m) for x in 0..6. See Plots. |
#UI does not support expressions unless 'allowExpression' is true. | The value in a #UI line is not a plain number. Use allowExpression or move the formula into a sheet line. In a sheet, an input line with ? takes a number only: 2*3 m is an error on its line. See Input forms with #UI and Templates. |
The condition could not be evaluated, so the block is unresolved... | An #if or if condition has an error (usually an undefined name). The block runs no branch. |
Python was not run | You answered “Not now” to the Python question. The refusal is remembered until the Python code changes; edit it to be asked again. |
Sheet syntax: ... in red | The sheet compiler found a bad plot line, an unclosed $$ or similar. The marker is on that line. |
Things that go quietly wrong
- Angles. The default is degrees.
sin(π)is not zero in degrees mode. Put>> #radin the sheet when you work in radians and passπor radian values. A plot ofsin(x)over0..2*πin degrees mode is nearly flat. gis a gram. Onlyπandeare built in. Insert the gravity constant from the Insert tab (g = 9.80665m/s^2) before you usegas an acceleration.- A variable called
m,sorL. After a numbermis still the metre. A variable calledmis a variable when it stands alone. In Pythonexportnames, avoid names that are units. - Rounding. The result shows two decimals by default (Settings, Calculation, Decimals), and a number below
one keeps three significant figures (
0.163,0.0856). The number inside is full precision: a utilisation of 1.004 is shown as1, and a check on it (if util <= 1) still sees 1.004. - Every line of a sheet shows an error such as
Invalid symbol: "#". The first line of the file is not<!--sheet-->. Older versions wrote the comment of Save values above that line; the current one writes it under the marker. Delete the stray first line, or put the marker back as the first line. See Templates. - A drop-down opens showing the wrong option. In a raw
>> #UIline the default matches none of thevalues, so the first label is shown while the calculation uses the default. Make the default one of the values. A?line cannot do this. See the known limits in Input forms with #UI. - My saved values are not used. A saved value belongs to the input’s name. If the input was renamed, the old value is ignored. Preview always shows the defaults; use Input or Report.
Frequently asked questions
Is anything sent to a server? No calculation is. The page is static files and the engine runs in your browser. The only network requests are loading the app, and loading Plotly for an interactive chart.
Does it work offline? Yes, after one visit. See Saving.
Can I use my own Python packages? No. A small numpy, matplotlib and Plotly stand-in is built in, and what is missing raises a named error. See Python blocks.
How do I share a calculation? Send the .sheet or .cpd file, or export Word, Excel or PDF.
Can I move a sheet to the Calcpad language? Yes, with Convert to Calcpad. The other direction does not exist.
Why did the interactive chart disappear from my PDF? Print and export cannot run Plotly. Draw a static copy with matplotlib as well.
Is it free? Yes. It is open source under the MIT licence, and the page runs from static files. See Credits and licences.
Where do I report a problem? On the project’s issue tracker at https://github.com/mageaustralia/civilkit-calcs . Say what you typed, what you saw and what you expected.