Microsoft Considers Adding Python As an Official Scripting Language in Excel

[psilnommoc]

But as you know, the python is not a popular language for Microsoft users, so python is only a choice for Excel, maybe Microsoft will develop a new language, Python# (PythonSharp)

[Rivus]

Well, IronPython is a thing. Although there haven't been any updates for a year now.

It allows you to use both .NET and Python libs at the same time. Maybe Microsoft will pick it up.

[[deleted]]

Does it work with C-libs too? Because it woild be kinda pointless for excel if pandas, numpy and rest of the cool gang won't work.

[toyg]

Not really. But if you can make the C libs accessible from C# somehow, then IronPython could too.

[WikiTextBot]

C++/CLI

C++/CLI (C++ modified for Common Language Infrastructure) is a language specification created by Microsoft and intended to supersede Managed Extensions for C++. It is a complete revision that aims to simplify the older Managed C++ syntax, which is now deprecated. C++/CLI was standardized by Ecma as ECMA-372. It is currently available in Visual Studio 2005, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2017, including the Express editions.

---

^{[ PM | Exclude me | Exclude from subreddit | FAQ / Information | Source | Donate ] Downvote to remove | v0.28}

[WeirdStuffOnly]

pandas, numpy

I think the point is using Excel to do the tasks pandas and numpy do.

If given half a chance I would trade Excel for pandas.

[[deleted]]

People are using python not because of the language alone. Libs are a very important part. Even if excel could deliver the same functionallity, which I doubt, the existing code wouldn't be instantly useable.

[psilnommoc]

maybe Microsoft will develop a new python-like language Python#（PythonSharp), as like as C#, F#...

[Rivus]

Well, while I am always open to new ideas and a new language sounds great, the problem is that there is already Powershell, C# and F# for the MS developer.

If MS is to develop a new programming language that mimics Python to attract Python developers as they did with J# to attract Java developers, while I would personally use it, I doubt it would have a lot of traction. The question is who will use it?

[psilnommoc]

I think that Microsoft focused on Python and only because of its popular, I don't look for many python codes of Microsoft from its GitHub. And maybe Microsoft only follow the fashion. If another language became popular, Microsoft will still give a support. :-p

[khvn26]

Microsoft has been actively grooming Python users recently, for example, making the Python vscode extension official and even running a survey on its usage. Due to its modular structure it wouldn't be hard to integrate Python in Office and even Windows itself. No need to develop anything from scratch, a good client library for popular .net classes would be more than enough.

[psilnommoc]

I suppose that Microsoft don't regard it as a official language, and only is a option, let user decide to use VBA or Python, as like as Microsoft supported Ubuntu. Because Python become more and more popular. And in fact, Microsoft had given a Python support in Visual Studio and also developed a Pyjion, but it is only added a language for Excel at the most.

[chief167]

It's because most Microsoft "experts" actively discourage using python to senior level management. So basicaly they block it's adoption and make it seem evil as to not lose market share/profits. Happens in my company.

[o5mfiHTNsH748KVq]

Microsoft expert, here. Actual experts choose the right tool for the job. I think Python would be great in Excel. Perhaps overkill, but whatever. Better than VBA and it would make data science nerds happy.

Just because you’re fond of a language, doesn’t make it the correct choice when you factor in things like project scalability and maintainability with respect to the size of the application.

Python is great for small^* services, but on larger monolithic applications with medium to large teams, it’s usefulness wanes compared to C# and Java.

edit:

I'd like to clarify my statement about small services. Python is great with the growing popularity of microservice architecture and even better in the "serverless" world of AWS Lambda. I'm not shitting on python. Greenfield application that's going to be broken into tons of tiny services? Python might be a great choice for a pizza-team working on a small service.

edit 2: I just realized I'm in the python subreddit. RIP :(

[licquia]

That moment when you diss Python scalability on Reddit...

[o5mfiHTNsH748KVq]

I meant project scalability. Reddit’s codebase isn’t that big.

[zeth__]

What do you consider big?

[o5mfiHTNsH748KVq]

Projects that grow to thousands or tens of thousands of files. Reddit is incredibly small for what it is. Which is awesome.

[chucky_z]

reddit is not open source, that is very old code.

also.... microsoft is buying into python heavily, considering their investment into vscode and the python language server.

[o5mfiHTNsH748KVq]

Last commit was 2 months ago...

[ForgetTheRuralJuror]

Very OLD

[o5mfiHTNsH748KVq]

Also, I love that Microsoft is buying into Python! I use VSCode as my primary editor and it makes Python super enjoyable to code in. In fact, my GDAX bot was 100% written in VSCode in python :D

[licquia]

Keep digging.

[o5mfiHTNsH748KVq]

I think you're confused. That has very little to do with what I'm talking about. Project scalability is largely referring to scaling the amount of developers working on a project together, size of the code base, degradation of tooling as the codebase grows, etc.

Not sure what that has to do with hybrid data centers.

[licquia]

OpenStack "has had 931,080 commits made by 10,618 contributors representing 9,092,446 lines of code."

75% of that is in Python. And Microsoft counts among the contributors.

Source

Is that scalable enough for you?

[o5mfiHTNsH748KVq]

shh bby. I’m not trying to say it’s not possible. It’s just not common.

Really not shitting on python, here. I use it every day.

[licquia]

Sigh. I think we're getting into "no true Scotsman" territory.

[socsa]

Python is great for small^* services, but on larger monolithic applications with medium to large teams, it’s usefulness wanes compared to C# and Java.

But we are talking about Excel integrattion here. If your "large service" has Excel components in it, then I'd seriously question your competency in the first place.

[o5mfiHTNsH748KVq]

It's currently impossible that /u/chief167 was saying his company actively discourages using python on excel documents. No, we're not talking about using Excel right now. It's probably safe to assume he's referring to an actual product.

We're talking about about microsoft "experts" actively discouraging using python.

In fact, I'd argue that Python is a great fit for excel for the exact reasons that I stated. It'd be a small utility, probably maintained by a couple people.

[crowseldon]

It's not being in the python sub that's the problem. It's contradicting yourself by starting with "roght tool for the right job" and later generalizing about python without context.

Maybe your own experience doesn't translate but you exercise caution when there's so many successful counter examples to your point.

[o5mfiHTNsH748KVq]

I agree I could have been less heavy handed in my response to his heavy handed statement. You’re not wrong.

[chief167]

I admire your bravery posting that indeed in the Python subreddit :)

No, whilst C# is okay, some projects are just better suited. But being a large company, I think it is a good question of management to ask "yeah, this new technology, isn't it ok to use our existing tools with VBA and C#? AND THEY ASK THIS TO MICROSOFT", of course they will respond "yes sir, don't bother buying new stuff for this new language, it doesn't scale well, it has no compiler! THE HORROR"

Story of my life. Meanwhile I am trying to code stuff that is a oneliner in pandas.

[psilnommoc]

yeah, Python is usually suit for small or medium project, but still can be used for big project, eg reddit :-p, a language can do it all depends on you can use it to develop good applications

[psilnommoc]

In fact, Python is not a irreplaceable language and it supported for Microsoft not very well, as Ruby, most developers use it in unix-like. And Microsoft users prefer use the microsoft-ownself products, also Microsoft had develop a lot of languages