Python in Excel for Microsoft 365 Insiders 1

[IDS]

I see that Microsoft have just released a beta version of support for Python code directly from Excel, available to Beta level "Insiders" only.

Does anyone here have access?

Any comments?

I'm particularly interested in advantages/disadvantages compared with add-ins such as pyxll or Xlwings.


Doug Jenkins
Interactive Design Services

http://newtonexcelbach.wordpress.com/

 

[OffshoreWindStructures]

I have no knowledge but thanks for sharing the news. Could be very useful in the future. You might have more luck on a forum with a community that is more focused on excel or python.

From looking at a few pages on the topic, it sounds like it's only for cloud based "microsoft 365" and the python code also runs on the cloud, so might not have the option for a local version, which reduces the appeal.

edit: if you want access yourself and have a office 365 license, it looks easy to join the beta group

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us...9428c8308545#bkmk_enable_python_excel_preview

 

[IDS]

it sounds like it's only for cloud based "microsoft 365" and the python code also runs on the cloud, so might not have the option for a local version, which reduces the appeal.

Yes, I'm not keen on the cloud based approach either.

Another thing that doesn't sound so great:

"No need to install any add-ins and no clunky separate windows for writing the code."
From:

https://www.myonlinetraininghub.com/python-in-excel

I'm sure we all remember how much more efficient it was coding in Excel when you wrote the code on a worksheet, rather than the clunky separate VBA window!

Doug Jenkins
Interactive Design Services

http://newtonexcelbach.wordpress.com/

 

[OffshoreWindStructures]

Yeah the lack of dedicated interface is definitely disappointing, I've watched one or two videos on youtube that show it in practice and I'm not sure I'll have much interest in it's current form.

If I had to guess I would say this is excel's way of staying relevant for data analysis and machine learning , which python seems to have a good handle on. I've worked with large datasets in the past but it isn't something I'm currently looking at but if that changes I might have another look at this.

 

[Agent666]

I'm sure we all remember how much more efficient it was coding in Excel when you wrote the code on a worksheet, rather than the clunky separate VBA window!

Yeah I don't really get this design choice, but I guess time will tell. All I can say is I've waited with baited breath for python to be added, but the form of it on paper (not having tried it yet) has left me a little underwhelmed.

I was hoping for more, like external integration with code editor of choice and ability to store python files or directories somehow within the xlsm file system. The whole cloud thing seems a bit of a weird one, but is similar to how excel works on mobile I guess.

Have not tried it but plan to, so might be surprise me...

https://engineervsheep.com

 

[IRstuff]

I know this is about Python and Excel, but "baited" should be "bated", as in "abated." ;-)

Until I eventually saw in text, I had wondered what "baited" had to do with waiting, other than rhyming...

TTFN (ta ta for now)
I can do absolutely anything. I'm an expert!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKorP55Aqvg

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[IDS]

Agent666 - have you looked at using pyxll or xlwings? I think they already do pretty much what you want to do.

Doug Jenkins
Interactive Design Services

http://newtonexcelbach.wordpress.com/

 

[Agent666]

I'm trying to catch the perfect python excel fish ... English is my first language unfortunately, pretty much failed it at school many moons ago.

Yeah I've used xlwings, I guess I was thinking for excel more like a python virtual environment within a file sort of thing. Then easy to share with non python people as everything is included...

I was hoping for something builtin that basically as seemless as VBA. The whole writing it out in cells is very counterintuitive especially if there are no linting/formarting features (unsure if there is or not) is going to be very unfriendly to use. Despite using python for a few years having something like vs ode and black formatter is still a no Brainerd for me to avoid issues.

https://engineervsheep.com

 

[IRstuff]

Introducing Python in Excel

Seems like something that could do certain things easier than with VBA, since you don't have to go into a separate environment, and it's always live. The ability to use Matplotlib seems like a plus; Excel's graphing capabilities are generally pretty good, but its 3D graphing used to be way better. I could see using Matplotlib for live 3D graphing and the 2x2 array of graphs with synchronized axes seems plausibly useful; I've had issues with getting separate graphs to line up and look the same, so that's maybe a plus

TTFN (ta ta for now)
I can do absolutely anything. I'm an expert!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKorP55Aqvg

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[IDS]

But using Matplotlib inside Excel has been available for years with pyxll and (I think) xlwings.

Some examples at:

https://newtonexcelbach.com/2022/02/28/display-matplotlib-animations-in-excel/

Doug Jenkins
Interactive Design Services

http://newtonexcelbach.wordpress.com/

 

[hacksaw]

If Pyton can produce dll's You can always VBA to run it