https://www.theverge.com/2023/8/22/23841167/microsoft-excel-python-integration-support

Skip to main content
 The Verge logo.The Verge homepage

  * The Verge homepageThe Verge logo./
  * Tech/
  * Reviews/
  * Science/
  * Entertainment/
  * MoreMenu

 The Verge logo.
Menu

  * Microsoft/
  * Tech

Microsoft is bringing Python to Excel

Microsoft is bringing Python to Excel

/

The two worlds of Excel and Python are colliding thanks to
Microsoft's new integration to boost data analysis and
visualizations.

By Tom Warren, a senior editor covering Microsoft, PC gaming,
console, and tech. He founded WinRumors, a site dedicated to
Microsoft news, before joining The Verge in 2012.

Aug 22, 2023, 1:00 PM UTC|

Share this story

  * 
  * 
  * 

Python data available in an Excel spreadsheet
Image: Microsoft

Microsoft is bringing popular programming language Python to Excel. A
public preview of the feature is available today, allowing Excel
users to manipulate and analyze data from Python.

"You can manipulate and explore data in Excel using Python plots and
libraries, and then use Excel's formulas, charts and PivotTables to
further refine your insights," explains Stefan Kinnestrand, general
manager of modern work at Microsoft. "Now you can do advanced data
analysis in the familiar Excel environment by accessing Python
directly from the Excel ribbon."

You won't need to install any additional software or set up an add-on
to access the functionality, as Python integration in Excel will be
part of Excel's built-in connectors and Power Query. Microsoft is
also adding a new PY function that allows Python data to be exposed
within the grid of an Excel spreadsheet. Through a partnership with
Anaconda, an enterprise Python repository, popular Python libraries
like pandas, statsmodels, and Matplotlib will be available in Excel.

Python inside a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.Python inside a Microsoft
Excel spreadsheet.
Python inside a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.Python inside a Microsoft
Excel spreadsheet.
Python inside a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. Image: Microsoft

Python calculations run in the Microsoft Cloud, with the results
returned into an Excel worksheet. Excel users will be able to create
formulas, PivotTables, and charts all based on Python data, with the
ability to bring in charting libraries like Matplotlib and Seaborn
for visualizations like heatmaps, violin plots, and swarm plots.

"I'm excited that this excellent, tight integration of Python and
Excel is now seeing the light of day," says Guido van Rossum,
Python's creator and now a Microsoft distinguished engineer. "I
expect that both communities will find interesting new uses in this
collaboration, amplifying each partner's abilities. When I joined
Microsoft three years ago, I would not have dreamed this would be
possible."

Python in Excel is rolling out today as a public preview for
Microsoft 365 Insiders in the Beta Channel. It will be limited to
Windows at first before being made available to other platforms "at a
later date." Microsoft says Python in Excel will be included in a
Microsoft 365 subscription during the preview, but "some
functionality will be restricted without a paid license" after the
preview ends.

Most Popular

 1. Microsoft is bringing Python to Excel

    -----------------------------------------------------------------
 2. Microsoft to sell off Activision cloud gaming rights to Ubisoft
    in bid for UK approval

    -----------------------------------------------------------------
 3. Microsoft kills Kinect again

    -----------------------------------------------------------------
 4. Tell every PC gamer you know: Dough, formerly Eve, is ready to
    issue refunds

    -----------------------------------------------------------------
 5. Nvidia's new DLSS 3.5 works on all RTX GPUs to improve the
    quality of ray tracing

    -----------------------------------------------------------------

Verge Deals

/ Sign up for Verge Deals to get deals on products we've tested sent
to your inbox daily.

Email (required)[                    ]Sign up
By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and
Terms of Service apply.
From our sponsor

 

 
Advertiser Content FromSponsor logo
Sponsor thumbnail

More from Microsoft

  * An illustration of the Xbox logo.An illustration of the Xbox
    logo.

    The EU might need to reassess Microsoft's Activision Blizzard
    deal after restructuring

  * An image of a ChromeOS system running Windows applications.An
    image of a ChromeOS system running Windows applications.

    It's now easier than ever to get Windows apps running on ChromeOS

  * Illustration of Nvidia and Microsoft logosIllustration of Nvidia
    and Microsoft logos

    Microsoft's PC Game Pass arrives on Nvidia's GeForce Now service
    this week

  * Activision Blizzard wordmark over an Xbox logoActivision Blizzard
    wordmark over an Xbox logo

    Microsoft to sell off Activision cloud gaming rights to Ubisoft
    in bid for UK approval

  * 
     
    Advertiser Content FromSponsor logo

     

 The Verge logo.

  * Terms of Use
  * Privacy Notice
  * Cookie Policy
  * Do Not Sell Or Share My Personal Info
  * Licensing FAQ
  * Accessibility
  * Platform Status
  * How We Rate and Review Products

  * Contact
  * Tip Us
  * Community Guidelines
  * About
  * Ethics Statement

The Verge is a vox media network

  * Advertise with us
  * Jobs @ Vox Media

(c) 2023 Vox Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved