Why Doesn't the XIRR function work?

Question

In Excel if you have 5 records from a1:b5 then XIRR looks like this:
XIRR(A1:A5, B1:B5) you get a nice neat answer like .35
Here is a version that works in Crystal that would require manual entry of any new quarters numbers and dates-- and if you plug this into Crystal it works:
(XIRR([1000000,-100000,-100000,-100000,-100000,10277.49,-100000], [DateValue(1999,2,1),DateValue(1999,3,1),DateValue(1999,6,1), DateValue(1999,12,1),DateValue(2000,3,1),DateValue(2000,6,1),DateValue(2000,9,1)]))*.100
You do get a nice answer of something like .035.  But this is all done manually and I need it to function automatically when the report is refreshed.
So you have a range for the currency and a range for the date fields. I need to simulate this in crystal. Crystal has an XIRR function, and with the arrays, I should be able to fill in the range, but am having difficulty getting it to work.
After building the arrays, I made another formula to combine the arrays in the XIRR formula.
I am down to this error now after getting this formula this far  --
"Numerical method did not converge; try another value for guess."
Here's where I am with the formula, although they don't want to use the guess part of the XIRR function - they just want to use the XIRR(number/currency, date).  Maybe you could pass this on too?:
/{@Reset} for the group header (NOT using a repeated group header):
whileprintingrecords;
numbervar array x := 0;
datevar array y := date(0,0,0);
numbervar i := 0;
numbervar j := 0;
//{@accum} for the detail section:
whileprintingrecords;
numbervar array x;
datevar array y;
numbervar i := i + 1;
numbervar j := count({table.groupfield},{table.groupfield});
if i <= j then (
redim preserve x[j];
redim preserve y[j];
x<i> := tonumber({table.currency});
y<i> := datevalue({table.datetime})
//{@xirr calc} to be placed in the group footer:
whileprintingrecords;
numbervar array x;
datevar array y;
xirr(x,y)
The array works correctly.  So why do I get that error and why doesn't the XIRR formula work like they say it should?  Has anyone used this successfully in Crystal--maybe you could shed some light?
Thanks!

Answer 1

Hi,
I am receiving that same error when the last item in the array is 0, otherwise all works perfectly.
When I run the same group of numbers and dates in Excel it returns without issue.
-265500.00,-690000.00,-570000.00,16814.25,-855000.00,-619500.00,55293.46,30411.40,15183.76,  0.00
01-25-2007,03-06-2007,05-02-2007,06-29-2007,08-01-2007,08-24-2007,09-17-2007,03-14-2008,05-28-2008,03-31-2010
=XIRR(A2:J2,A1:J1,-0.1)
Is there a known bug in Crystal's XIRR function when the last value is 0? 
Or a hot-fix that will repair this?
Thanks in advance,
Gary
PS. I am using Crystal XI Product Version: 11.0.0.2495