Last August, in partnership with Anaconda, Microsoft introduced an exciting new addition to Excel by integrating Python that combined Excel and Python analytics within the same workbook. Well Microsoft has today officially announced that Python in Excel is now generally available for Windows users of Microsoft 365 Business and Enterprise.
đ Python in Excel is now generally available. Natively combine Python and Excel analytics in your workbook with no setup. Learn how to effectively use Python in Excel and level up your work: https://t.co/OyoDnWmAu5 #Excel pic.twitter.com/wurQvTQinV
— Microsoft Excel (@msexcel) September 16, 2024
With this general availability, users can harness advanced analytics for visualizations, data clearing, machine learning, predictive analytics and now even more. With qualifying Microsoft 365 subscriptions, you can calculate Python formulas with standard compute and automatic recalculation mode. For faster calculations with premium compute and access to manual or partial recalculation modes, you must purchase the Python in Excel add-on license or request the license from your administrator.
Here Are Few Examples Of How Python Can Be Used In Excel
Leverage Predictive Analysis
Advanced modeling capabilities in Python offer detailed and flexible optimization analysis â such as Monte Carlo simulations. These capabilities allow users to handle complex scenarios, providing deeper insights into their data.
Visualize Network Connections
NetworkX is a powerful tool for creating and analyzing complex networks, offering flexibility to model and visualize relationships between nodes effectively.
Parse Natural Language
The NLTK and word cloud libraries in Python provide robust tools for text analysis and visualization. NLTK excels in natural language processing tasks, while word cloud generates visually engaging representations of textual data.
Other Improvements
Modern Editing
This includes new features like syntax highlighting, code completion, and aid when referencing data with the xl() function – all of these have been added directly to the Formula Bar. Furthermore, we recently announced the Python Editor, a new surface that is a great companion for authoring code and leverages many of the same experiences found in Visual Studio Code.
Copilot In Excel With Python
With Copilot, you can use natural language to describe the analysis you want to perform, and it will automatically generate, explain, and insert Python code into your Excel spreadsheet.
Security
Python code used by Excel runs on the Microsoft Cloud with enterprise-level security as a compliant Microsoft 365 connected experience, just like OneDrive. The Python code runs in its own hypervisor isolated container using Azure Container Instances and secure, source-built packages from Anaconda through a secure software supply chain. Python in Excel keeps your data private by preventing the Python code from knowing who you are, and opening workbooks from the internet in further isolation within their own separate containers. Data from your workbooks can only be sent via the built-in xl() Python function, and the output of the Python code can only be returned as the result of the =PY() Excel function. The containers stay online as long as the workbook is open or until a timeout occurs. Your data does not persist in the Microsoft Cloud.
Empowering Excel Users
Alongside incorporating numerous examples, tutorials, and tips into Excel, there are courses for Python in Excel on LinkedIn Learning. A new series, announced today, will be available for free for 30 days! After that time, it will be available to LinkedIn Premium or LinkedIn Learning subscribers.
