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"but because we made the search while Excel was opened, the function was auto-populated in the highlighted cell." - which version of Excel was this? The desktop

"but because we made the search while Excel was opened, the function was auto-populated in the highlighted cell." - which version of Excel was this? The desktop version (2010, 2013, 2016?) or the XAML version? I'd be surprised if Cortana integrated with the desktop version, considering Office doesn't run in Windows 10's sandbox model, and Microsoft is only allowing sandboxed apps access to the cooler features of Win10.

danbolt 10y ago
I'd imagine the non-XAML version has a lot longer of a feature list, but would you be familiar between the differences between the two? I'd be curious to see XAML adoption with respect to usage.
yrro 10y ago
This certainly would not be the first time that Office is allowed to use secret APIs to put the competition at a disadvantage.
WorldMaker 10y ago
First, classic Win32 apps ("desktop versions") have had access to a subset of useful WinRT components (WinRT the COM replacement, not WinRT the OS SKU) since early in Windows 8's history. (8.1 and 10 both opened up further the WinRT APIs that Win32 apps can consume.) A lot of the APIs only make sense inside the "sandbox" as you refer to it, but it's not locked down quite as much as you think it is. [Then there's the recently built Project Centennial bridge to give Win32 apps even greater access to WinRT APIs and the ability to spin up modern user interfaces in a mixed-interop model and ease transitions between the two types of apps.] Second, that doesn't actually matter in this case anyway (and is a red herring) because it is Cortana automating Office and not the other way around. Win32 automation is relatively straight forward, including the most basic automation of them all: cut, copy, and paste. It could be Cortana is calling into COM components in Office or even older, more generic Windows Automation COM components. (Which can still be done, with permissions, from "inside the sandbox". Again the "sandbox" is not as locked down as a lot of people seem to think it is, especially in Windows 10.)

danbolt 10y ago

I'd imagine the non-XAML version has a lot longer of a feature list, but would you be familiar between the differences between the two? I'd be curious to see XAML adoption with respect to usage.

yrro 10y ago

This certainly would not be the first time that Office is allowed to use secret APIs to put the competition at a disadvantage.

WorldMaker 10y ago

First, classic Win32 apps ("desktop versions") have had access to a subset of useful WinRT components (WinRT the COM replacement, not WinRT the OS SKU) since early in Windows 8's history. (8.1 and 10 both opened up further the WinRT APIs that Win32 apps can consume.) A lot of the APIs only make sense inside the "sandbox" as you refer to it, but it's not locked down quite as much as you think it is. [Then there's the recently built Project Centennial bridge to give Win32 apps even greater access to WinRT APIs and the ability to spin up modern user interfaces in a mixed-interop model and ease transitions between the two types of apps.] Second, that doesn't actually matter in this case anyway (and is a red herring) because it is Cortana automating Office and not the other way around. Win32 automation is relatively straight forward, including the most basic automation of them all: cut, copy, and paste. It could be Cortana is calling into COM components in Office or even older, more generic Windows Automation COM components. (Which can still be done, with permissions, from "inside the sandbox". Again the "sandbox" is not as locked down as a lot of people seem to think it is, especially in Windows 10.)