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Excel IS code. It's a dataflow language combined with a visual/spatial language. It is hard to migrate or transfer to other languages because other language d
by xyzzy21 5y ago
Excel IS code. It's a dataflow language combined with a visual/spatial language. It is hard to migrate or transfer to other languages because other language don't have these features/architecture.
The other side of this coin is that spreadsheets have NOT BEEN IMPROVED significantly since VisiCalc. Excel has some window dressing and intentional obfuscation by moving UI elements around to make it seem improved but it really isn't at all.
- mcbishop 5y ago>spreadsheets have NOT BEEN IMPROVED significantly since VisiCalc Not true. Excel added dynamic-array formulas a few years ago (where a single formula automatically spills into applicable cells below the edited cell) — game changer. And LAMBDA functions are currently in the Excel beta version (create your own (recursive) functions directly in Excel) — another game changer.
- Mengkudulangsat 5y agoThe improvements you mentioned are honestly esoteric. I'm more curious on why we can't have built-in version control, or have unlimited rows, or have a linter in the formula bar in excel by now.
- pjmlp 5y agoYou forgot about the F# flavoured query language as well.
- CRConrad 5y ago> spreadsheets have NOT BEEN IMPROVED significantly since VisiCalc. False -- they have indeed been improved. Unfortunately the Improv-ement didn't stick: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus_Improv https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus_Improv