If I'm going to be the one to use and maintain it? If it's a black box to my customer? If I expect considerable complications, extensions, scope creep, performa

If I'm going to be the one to use and maintain it? If it's a black box to my customer? If I expect considerable complications, extensions, scope creep, performance needs? Absolutely. Maybe I'd use C# instead of Python to simplify installation on the non-developer Windows machines I'm surrounded by, but that depends on the context. A little Node app on the LAN that everyone can access with their desktop or mobile browser can be nice too, though browsers keep breaking stuff in the name of security so I've stopped doing that much. I'm also a fan of domain-specific language config files written in Lua; there are many better ways to build powerful, extensible, useful applications than an overloaded Excel sheet. But if those things are not true, if I'm going to be the one to test out an idea and hand something off to my coworker or customer, building in Excel means they're likely to figure it out instead of their eyes glazing over when I explain that they need to install Jupyter, or a text editor, or Visual Studio, or to modify the Lua config file, or invoke something from the command line...they're not going to do any of those things, they're calling me when ~~it breaks~~ their inputs and requirements change. It's similar in my primary role building industrial manufacturing control systems. Rockwell Automation is a terrible company with asinine licensing fees and outdated technology...but they're the safe choice if you want to transfer system ownership and not get calls about that one machine with the "Linux NUC" for the next 20 years.