Binary package hint: openoffice.org
When opening an MS excel sheet with wildcards used in an IF statement the Microsoft version recognises it and uses it in the calculation, but OpenOffice.org doesn't, with the result the value been set to 0. Here's an example:
In row 2 we've got a number of cells with codes in it, let's say B2...L2. In an other cell there's the formula =(COUNTIF(B2:L2;"A")). When OpenOffice sees the V in a cell in the list, the cell is counted as it should be. But when the formula is modified with wildcards in it: =(COUNTIF(B2:L2;"*A*")) the V will not be recognised in the cell, and MS Office sees every V listed in it, also when the cell contains information like AW, the A will be regognised in a cell with the formula =(COUNTIF(B2:L2;"*A*")) and the W will be regognised in an other cell with =(COUNTIF(B2:L2;"*W*")) in it. This is very important that when a cell is marked with both characters that they should be extracted to both formulas, so the ASAP jobs (A) and the Waiting for new parts (W) will be calculated.
This bug also includes the =(COUNTIF(B2:L2;"?A?")) question mark method when a cell always contains 3 characters and the middle character is being recognised as an A. This will also result in miscalculation. BTW as far as i'm well informed, the wildcards and question signs are undocumented features of MS Office.
An example sheet is listed here:
http://www.snertwerk.com/members/laurens/tmp/spreadsheet.ods
To get OpenOffice more compatible with importing MS Office documents these options should be implemented.
Confirmed on Ubuntu Hardy with openoffice.org 1:2.3.1-3ubuntu3