View all. Some tasks, such as exploratory data analysis, are best handled through Python or R programming. Python is designed for real-time calculations and Excel is better for advanced data ...

Python and Excel can only really talk to each other through limited functions—xl() and =PY()—that can only return code results, not macros, VBA code, or other data, Microsoft claims.

It pairs Python’s data analysis and visualization libraries with Excel’s features, plus the ability to call Python analytics from Anaconda’s enterprise-grade Python distribution hub.

“Now you can do advanced data analysis in the familiar Excel environment by accessing Python directly from the Excel ribbon,” Stefan Kinnestrand, the GM for Modern Work at Microsoft, explains.

If you have a Microsoft 365 subscription, you can access Python within Excel, and you don't need to use Python as a separate app. Instead, you can visit the Formulas tab in Excel and select the Insert ...