1y ago

Microsoft is bringing Python to Excel

www.theverge.com Microsoft is bringing Python to Excel

Python code will run on Microsoft’s Cloud.

41 comments

Python calculations run in the Microsoft Cloud
some functionality will be restricted without a paid license [in addition to a Microsoft365 subscription]
saved you from premature excitement
- This is stupid, why can't I just point it at my interpreter? Oh, right, money. smh
  
  Think it'd actually be better than just importing your excel files to pandas or something though? If you've set up your own interpreter that doesn't seem out of your skillset.
- Unfortunately I already read the headline, is there anywhere I can offload this now unnecessary excitement?
  Python in Excel would be great, but nerfing it with some ridiculous cloud dependency is crazy. They could still paywall the feature if they really wanted while still running the Python interpretation locally.
  I suppose we should be grateful they hadn’t also stuck ChatGPT on to it too so it could (badly) write the Python for you. Tech by buzzword will be the death of us I’m sure.
- Python calculations run in the Microsoft Cloud
  some functionality will be restricted without a paid license [in addition to a Microsoft365 subscription]
  saved you from premature excitement
  I knew when I saw the headline that this was going to be an example of MS doing something in a shitty way, not in an exciting way. Thank you for saving me a click.
- Is basically their WEBSERVICE function but automatically because it's python and hardwired to their service.
  Yeah this is hardly the announcement Microsoft thinks it is.
- I think most companies do have a M365 subscription. If you are in a corporate environment, you will likely have access to the services. But it is dumb that you need to be internet connected and paying for a subscription service in order to integrate python visualizations. Still sucks that Microsoft like every other tech company is just about nickel and diming their customers into oblivion.
- Imagine paying to use Python
- The fuck...

Bet it'll be their own special flavor of Python that doesn't play nice with literally any other packages or interpreters.
- Haha, too true! They can never just give us a useful tool without "Microsoft-izing" it first
  
  That's triple E, baby.
  
  Haha, too true! They can never just give us a useful tool without “Microsoft-izing” it first
  Oldie but a goodie.
- Just like how OfficeScript is but isn't JavaScript?
- Bet it'll be their own special flavor of Python that doesn't play nice with literally any other packages or interpreters.
  It's literally just Python and it says that it supports standard packages/modules. And Guido Van Rossum works at Microsoft now, there's no way he would let them bastardize it, he would've quit before that happened.
  I don't understand why people will find any reason to shit on anything while not even (seemingly) reading the article. If you did, I'm sorry, but it really doesn't seem like you did.
  But yeah, fuck it, let's rip it all out and just keep the VBA integration until the heat death of the universe.
  
  I don’t understand why people will find any reason to shit on anything
  I can't imagine why, either.
  Python calculations run in the Microsoft Cloud
  some functionality will be restricted without a paid license [in addition to a Microsoft365 subscription]
  
  What makes you think Guido would have any degree of influence on microsofts decision here? He doesn't get final say on business objectives, his role is to continue contributing to python while working under the Microsoft umbrella so it brings them good pr. Him leaving would hurt that PR but this is a corporation, they don't give a sh*t so long as the green keeps rolling in. Same thing happened with John carmack and oculus/meta. Don't trick yourself into thinking these guys are hired because the company sees them as indispensable, its just a pr act.
  
  James Gosling works for Amazon, what's your point? It's all PR
- On the other hand, Microsoft currently employs Guido, so he might influence things to stay pure.

Is this going to make Excel better, or Python worse?
- Neither very much. Python won't change. Excel when running in the cloud will become more powerful, but the workbooks using Python will also be incompatible with desktop versions of Excel. At least that's what I'm understanding so far.
- How would it affect Python? Did Linux gets worse as a result of WSL?

Who is the asshole that asked for this?
- The accountants that were promised they would be made programmers. There's dozens of them.
- People sick of writing VBA probably.

Runs in the cloud? Why??
- some functionality will be restricted without a paid license
  I think that's why. But maybe I'm just overly cynical.
- I'm guessing because it's a super hacky implementation versus a full and complete one, in addition to them paywalling it behind their bullshit M365 subscription.
  
  It only runs in this exact docker container
  well we’re sure as shit not in the business of shipping docker containers
  
  this would make a lot of sense to me. the windows/office365 code base has got to look so scary on the inside. i can’t think of any other reason why windows still has two different settings applications, with the newer one sometimes opening the older one. i also can’t imagine why teams/other office apps open popups (eg when joining meetings) that prompt you to sign in when you’re already signed in.