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Excel is, by far, the most popular programming language in the world. It's strong support of declarative programming is hard for those used to procedural progra

Excel is, by far, the most popular programming language in the world. It's strong support of declarative programming is hard for those used to procedural programming (such as C, Python, etc.) to grasp. It does have a few flaws when it comes to making assumptions about cell contents, and the handling of tables, but otherwise it's quite powerful.

sargstuff 3y ago
lightly different view/take of excel as a framework for data flow: Excel can be viewed as a visual organizational framework for structuring/arranging/editing data through graphical user interface[3]. (vs. command line programming languages such as apl and/or awk, implicitly operating on the modern day 'file as a virutal typeset block of utf/ascii characters'[2]). Where excel data flow is based on visual grid flow references, declarative languages hide the grid references (aka memory locations/storage/retreival) behind the scenes. Relative to Excel, goal directed languages such as icon/unicorn[1] completely abstract the data flow. Excell is somewhat a virtual version of 50's/60's patch panels, where excel cell can be just a plug, an electronic feed back, full computer box or whole different electronic box. Less 'grid' and more visual virtual 'patch panel' related : pd[0] python in excell : https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/excel-blog/announcing-python-in-excel-combining-the-power-of-python-and-the/ba-p/3893439 https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/excel-blog/announcing... [0] : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pure_Data https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pure_Data [1] : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icon_(programming_language) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icon_(programming_language) [2] : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typesetting https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typesetting [3] : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visual_programming_language https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visual_programming_language

sargstuff 3y ago

lightly different view/take of excel as a framework for data flow: Excel can be viewed as a visual organizational framework for structuring/arranging/editing data through graphical user interface[3]. (vs. command line programming languages such as apl and/or awk, implicitly operating on the modern day 'file as a virutal typeset block of utf/ascii characters'[2]). Where excel data flow is based on visual grid flow references, declarative languages hide the grid references (aka memory locations/storage/retreival) behind the scenes. Relative to Excel, goal directed languages such as icon/unicorn[1] completely abstract the data flow. Excell is somewhat a virtual version of 50's/60's patch panels, where excel cell can be just a plug, an electronic feed back, full computer box or whole different electronic box. Less 'grid' and more visual virtual 'patch panel' related : pd[0] python in excell : https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/excel-blog/announcing-python-in-excel-combining-the-power-of-python-and-the/ba-p/3893439 https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/excel-blog/announcing... [0] : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pure_Data https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pure_Data [1] : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icon_(programming_language) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icon_(programming_language) [2] : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typesetting https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typesetting [3] : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visual_programming_language https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visual_programming_language