Key Takeaways:
– Python code can now be written and executed directly in Microsoft Excel thanks to Anaconda’s new tool.
– Anaconda Code reduces the reliance on network communication and allows for data to be kept securely within the Excel workbook.
– Excel users and Python professionals can collaborate more effortlessly via Anaconda.cloud notebooks.
– The tool features an AI-powered Anaconda Assistant, enabling enhanced data management and user action tracking.
Anaconda Inc., an influential player in the open-source data science community, has made a revolutionary announcement. The firm has launched the latest addition to its Anaconda Toolbox for Excel – Anaconda Code. This newly integrated feature allows users to write and execute Python code directly within Microsoft Excel.
Increased User Control and Tool Flexibility
This breakthrough feature offers users greater control, security, and flexibility over their Python environments. Besides enhanced functions, users will experience streamlined workflows. The ability to execute the code locally eliminates dependency on network communication. It further guarantees the security of all code and data within the Excel workbook.
Python was introduced to Excel in August 2023. This integration brought Python’s data analysis and data science capabilities to Excel. Users have been able to perform complex visualizations, machine learning, and advanced data manipulation within Excel. Integration also introduced popular Python libraries to Excel like Matplotlib and Seaborn.
Running Python Locally
To make Python available in Excel locally, Anaconda utilized Microsoft’s existing Excel plugin capabilities. Anaconda Code runs alongside JavaScript in web browsers without the need for external compute services. This includes the use of PyScript, a Python-on-WebAssembly (WASM) technology.
Peter Wang, Co-Founder and Chief AI Innovation Officer at Anaconda, commended the launch. He pointed to it as a considerable leap forward for Excel users who can now leverage Python’s expansive ecosystem. All this while maintaining the expected speed, reliability, and accessibility from their data tools.
Democratising Data Analysis
With the Anaconda Toolbox in Excel, users at all levels can generate and execute code. This feature could democratize data analysis, allowing a more extensive user base to conduct complex tasks. It also enables simpler collaboration between Excel users and Python specialists through Anaconda.cloud notebooks.
Standout Features
The Anaconda Assistant, a new feature, uses AI to streamline data and suggest data handling methods. It recognized users’ actions across different workbooks and kept track. The Toolbox also includes enhanced versioning capabilities for dataset up-to-dateness.
Excel users now have access to the Advanced Visualizations tool for powerful data visualizations. Additionally, they can benefit from the Code Snippet Management feature that writes, saves, and shares Python code snippets within Excel. With this, users can store and reuse code snippets when needed.
Expanding Functionality Beyond Python
Founded in 2012, Anaconda has over 40 million users worldwide and is recognized as a significant contributor to the open-source data science community. Notably, Anaconda’s focus is not solely on Python. The company also provides support for R, another language popular for data analysis.
Earlier this year, the firm revealed its integration with Snowflake Notebooks preview. Anaconda has also collaborated with IBM to enhance integration with IBM’s watsonx.ai platform. Further integrating Python into Excel marks a major step towards making advanced data analysis tools more accessible to all.
The Anaconda Toolbox in Excel is now available for download from the Microsoft add-in marketplace, proving to be a transformative step that reduces the gap between robust programming capabilities and a widely used spreadsheet environment.
