An oddity if not a bug

Begs the question why Gnumeric didn't automatically recalc the file
when it opened.

Because...

(a) it isn't supposed to matter.
(b) doing so would change values:
(b1) Missing functions.
(b2) Randon numbers.
(b3) Circular dependencies.

M.

wrote...
Begs the question why Gnumeric didn't automatically recalc the file
when it opened.

Because...

(a) it isn't supposed to matter.

Now proven wrong when sharing files with other spreadsheet
applications.

You should consider having foreign format files, e.g., XLS and WK4,
behave on opening like they do in their native applications. If you
want to do something different with native Gnumeric format files
(.gnumeric), fine.

(b) doing so would change values:

Kinda the whole point . . .

(b1) Missing functions.

Other spreadsheet applications, e.g., Excel when loading .WK? files and
Lotus 123 when loading XLS files, retain the values of cells with
formulas calling missing functions.

(b2) Randon numbers.

Does Gnumeric distinguish between volatile and nonvolatile functions as
Excel does? If so, all volatile functions would change. At the least
this would also include NOW and TODAY.

(b3) Circular dependencies.

Yup.

(b2) and (b3) will change anyway as soon as something triggers recalc.
The question is whether opening a file should trigger recalc. Actually,
it seems to already. I created an XLS file in Excel with cell A1
containing the formula =RAND(). I noted the value and saved the file.
The value did change due to saving the file. Then I closed the file.
When I opened it in Gnumeric 1.6.3, the value changed. So it appears
(b2) isn't really a reason. Is it an aspiration?

As for (b3), it doesn't work the same as in Excel. I also set iteration
to 1 and entered the formulas =B3 in cell A3, =A3+1 in cell B3, =A4 in
cell B4 and =B4+1 in cell A4. In Excel, this starts off with 0 in A3
and B1 and 1 in B3 and A4. Repeatedly pressing [F9] increments all
cells, but B3 remains one more than A3 and A4 remains one more than B4.
In Gnumeric, this starts with 0 in A3, B3, A4 and B4, and repeatedly
pressing [F9] increments all cells so they all remain equal. FWIW,
Lotus 123 works the same as Excel in this regard.

If your goal was providing the same iterative circular recalc semantics
as other spreadsheets that provide this functionality, you haven't yet
achieved it.

You seem to believe it's a good thing that Gnumeric behaves
significantly differently than other spreadsheets in terms of file open
triggering recalc, though note that you seem to be wrong about (b2). Is
there any public discussion of why it'd be a good thing for Gnumeric to
behave differently than Excel or 123 (or OpenOffice Calc) in this
regard?