Microsoft has announced the release of a public preview of Python in Excel, a feature that permits Excel users to manipulate and analyze data using Python.
"You can manipulate and explore data in Excel with Python charts and libraries, and then use Excel's formulas, charts, and PivotTables to further refine your findings", said Stefan Kinnestrand, general manager of modern work at Microsoft. "Now you can perform advanced data analysis in the familiar Excel environment by accessing Python directly from the Excel menu".
To use this feature, you don't need to install any additional software or set up a plugin. Python integration in Excel is done through the built-in Excel and Power Query connectors. Microsoft is also adding a new PY feature that permits you to display Python data in an Excel spreadsheet grid.
Through a partnership with Anaconda, the corporate Python repository, popular Python libraries such as pandas, statsmodels, and Matplotlib will be available in Excel.
Python calculations are performed in the Microsoft Cloud and the results are returned to an Excel worksheet. Excel users will be able to create formulas, PivotTables, and charts from Python data, as well as connect charting libraries such as Matplotlib and Seaborn to visualize heat maps, plots, and swarm charts.