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I've been working on a spreadsheet which is more amenable to embedding in programs (compiling to an IR which can be translated to high level languages or [event

I've been working on a spreadsheet which is more amenable to embedding in programs (compiling to an IR which can be translated to high level languages or [eventually] compiler IRs like those of LLVM or GCC). I worked at a company where months were spent recreating models from a spreadsheet produced by subject matter experts, and this was a major cost. A spreadsheet optimized for integration into software build processes would probably create more than a billion dollars of real value every year with even limited adoption. While it may be true that Excel is overused, I believe that the spreadsheet is chronically underused as a model for software development.

piaste 9y ago
This idea looks super interesting. Is the source already online, or will be?
- microcolonel 9y ago
  Will be, "soon". It turns out it's difficult to get the basics of a spreadsheet right. I made the mistake of trying to use an existing spreadsheet application (like LibreOffice Calc or Excel) as the source format early on.
  - walterbell 9y ago
    Have you seen Treesheets, http://strlen.com/treesheets/ http://strlen.com/treesheets/?
    - microcolonel 9y ago
      That's quite cool, thanks for the link. Tables seem to be a more popular model for finance and similar, but it's always interesting to see new data models like this. This could allow for more interesting things like gathering fields from records into a meta-table from a relational DB, that would definitely be a valuable next step.
    - flarg 9y ago
      Was minorly obsessed with this a couple of years ago. Is very interesting but ultimately lacks a lot that could make it useful
      - rakoo 9y ago
        Out of curiosity, what's missing from it ? I've been meaning to use it but still haven't found actual uses, I'd love to see what others do with it.
        flarg 9y ago
        Mathematical functions, easy formatting, and more anything a purpose. Basically it does thinga you don't want a spreadsheet to do. It's more akin to a mind mapper and there are easier to use tools for that.
      - walterbell 9y ago
        It’s a good foundation for future open-source development, uses wxWidgets toolkit for cross-platform desktops. Author has graphics background, now busy at BigCo.
    - rootw0rm 9y ago
      i can't believe i found something cool in a comments section about Excel.
  - vollmond 9y ago
    Is there a github or similar I can watch?
    - microcolonel 9y ago
      After seeing the level of interest here, I set up a (tentative) github org where I'll put the repo for the evaluator when it has some reasonable subset of the desired functionality. https://github.com/exorgan https://github.com/exorgan
- phonon 9y ago
  This looks similar https://github.com/dgorissen/pycel https://github.com/dgorissen/pycel or perhaps https://github.com/xuri/efp https://github.com/xuri/efp
anakic 9y ago
I'll join in with a bit of show-and-tell of my own, if I may. I'm working on a plugin for Excel for dev's and other technical people. It lets the user use SQL and C# in Excel, connect to various types of databases and move data in either direction, and provides a runtime for automation. The idea is basically to let tech users use their existing skills to make life easier. Main areas of use are: - process (live) data in Excel via SQL and C#/linq - move data between Excel and databases - fetch data from various sources using .net (e.g. get data from a AD, file system, REST etc. in a few lines of code) - replace VBA with C# and .NET for automation It's also very useful for prototyping. Business logic goes inside C# scripts, and Excel takes care of user input, displaying results, data binding (formulas and graphs) and data storage. It's commercial but freemium, the url is http://www.querystorm.com http://www.querystorm.com. I posted about it a few times: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15670030 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15670030 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11583488 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11583488 Here's an intro video: https://vimeo.com/242216594 https://vimeo.com/242216594
- 0x445442 9y ago
  Yeah, I've always thought with the types of integration hooks you're talking about that Excel could serve as a front end for many enterprise/back office apps. My first heavy use of Excel was in a thermodynamics class in college. We modeled heat gradients for various HVAC systems with Excel. After that, I used it to calculate stresses and strains of different structures using each cell as a node in finite element analysis model.
- bsenftner 9y ago
  I did something like this in 2002 for a VFX house; but it was loading a DLL that hot loaded other DLLs, queried the routines and exposed them as Excel functions. Through that I pulled in a stochastic modeling framework I wrote, and pulled in 5 years of the studio's timecard records to create a production forecasting system, right down to selecting the correct staff for each position, with backup people, for 1200 digital artists. The Excel "spreadheet" was something like 250 MB when saved with a film production in it.
- fjsolwmv 9y ago
osullivj 9y ago
Interesting: optimized for integration is what I've been doing too. If you've got a minute to take a look at the links in my profile I'd be keen to hear your feedback.

piaste 9y ago

This idea looks super interesting. Is the source already online, or will be?

microcolonel 9y ago
Will be, "soon". It turns out it's difficult to get the basics of a spreadsheet right. I made the mistake of trying to use an existing spreadsheet application (like LibreOffice Calc or Excel) as the source format early on.
- walterbell 9y ago
  Have you seen Treesheets, http://strlen.com/treesheets/ http://strlen.com/treesheets/?
  - microcolonel 9y ago
    That's quite cool, thanks for the link. Tables seem to be a more popular model for finance and similar, but it's always interesting to see new data models like this. This could allow for more interesting things like gathering fields from records into a meta-table from a relational DB, that would definitely be a valuable next step.
  - flarg 9y ago
    Was minorly obsessed with this a couple of years ago. Is very interesting but ultimately lacks a lot that could make it useful
    - rakoo 9y ago
      Out of curiosity, what's missing from it ? I've been meaning to use it but still haven't found actual uses, I'd love to see what others do with it.
      - flarg 9y ago
        Mathematical functions, easy formatting, and more anything a purpose. Basically it does thinga you don't want a spreadsheet to do. It's more akin to a mind mapper and there are easier to use tools for that.
    - walterbell 9y ago
      It’s a good foundation for future open-source development, uses wxWidgets toolkit for cross-platform desktops. Author has graphics background, now busy at BigCo.
  - rootw0rm 9y ago
    i can't believe i found something cool in a comments section about Excel.
- vollmond 9y ago
  Is there a github or similar I can watch?
  - microcolonel 9y ago
    After seeing the level of interest here, I set up a (tentative) github org where I'll put the repo for the evaluator when it has some reasonable subset of the desired functionality. https://github.com/exorgan https://github.com/exorgan
phonon 9y ago
This looks similar https://github.com/dgorissen/pycel https://github.com/dgorissen/pycel or perhaps https://github.com/xuri/efp https://github.com/xuri/efp

anakic 9y ago

I'll join in with a bit of show-and-tell of my own, if I may. I'm working on a plugin for Excel for dev's and other technical people. It lets the user use SQL and C# in Excel, connect to various types of databases and move data in either direction, and provides a runtime for automation. The idea is basically to let tech users use their existing skills to make life easier. Main areas of use are: - process (live) data in Excel via SQL and C#/linq - move data between Excel and databases - fetch data from various sources using .net (e.g. get data from a AD, file system, REST etc. in a few lines of code) - replace VBA with C# and .NET for automation It's also very useful for prototyping. Business logic goes inside C# scripts, and Excel takes care of user input, displaying results, data binding (formulas and graphs) and data storage. It's commercial but freemium, the url is http://www.querystorm.com http://www.querystorm.com. I posted about it a few times: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15670030 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15670030 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11583488 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11583488 Here's an intro video: https://vimeo.com/242216594 https://vimeo.com/242216594

0x445442 9y ago
Yeah, I've always thought with the types of integration hooks you're talking about that Excel could serve as a front end for many enterprise/back office apps. My first heavy use of Excel was in a thermodynamics class in college. We modeled heat gradients for various HVAC systems with Excel. After that, I used it to calculate stresses and strains of different structures using each cell as a node in finite element analysis model.
bsenftner 9y ago
I did something like this in 2002 for a VFX house; but it was loading a DLL that hot loaded other DLLs, queried the routines and exposed them as Excel functions. Through that I pulled in a stochastic modeling framework I wrote, and pulled in 5 years of the studio's timecard records to create a production forecasting system, right down to selecting the correct staff for each position, with backup people, for 1200 digital artists. The Excel "spreadheet" was something like 250 MB when saved with a film production in it.
fjsolwmv 9y ago

osullivj 9y ago

Interesting: optimized for integration is what I've been doing too. If you've got a minute to take a look at the links in my profile I'd be keen to hear your feedback.