Excel 365 now has Python features included for all business and enterprise customers with a Microsoft 365 software licence
Python is a powerful programming language with many great libraries of tools for analysis and charting. It’s a massive extension to Excel that we’ve already raved about.
Python Editor for Excel is out and essential
Excel with Python is now in “General Availability” which is Microsoft-speak for “Available to those who have paid for the right Microsoft plan”.
Look for the Python section on the Formulas tab.
Filling missing gaps in Excel
Python fills gaps in the Excel feature list. Most notably the limited Chart options. It’s worth learning about charting in Python to make far better charts than Excel alone.
Here’s one example using the NetworkX library.
We’ve used Python in Excel as one way to make test data using the Faker library see Two ways to make fake data lists for Excel
Python also has much better time zone support than Excel, including one solution to the get current UTC time problem.
Essential extra for Excel with Python
If you use Python in Excel, run don’t walk to the Python Editor for Excel.
Without the Visual Studio-like Editor, writing Python code in Excel is an exercise in extreme frustration.
Excel gets Python – who, when and why
