January 2026
Beginner to intermediate
272 pages
6h 31m
English
Content preview from Python in Excel Step-by-Step
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Chapter 1Introducing Python in Excel
This chapter covers the what and why of Python in Excel. After completing it, you will understand where Python fits within the Microsoft Excel ecosystem.
1.1 INTRODUCING PYTHON IN EXCEL
Microsoft Excel has always been the gateway to data analytics. This is no accident. Over the years, Microsoft has invested tremendously to make Excel the default data tool for hundreds of millions of professionals worldwide. No other data technology can make this claim.
Over the decades, Microsoft Excel has evolved with more and more features for data analysis. Excel’s analytics capabilities go far beyond built-in functions and pivot tables:
- Power Query for data ingestion, cleaning, and transformation.
- Power Pivot for analyzing millions of rows of data.
- Analysis ToolPak for statistical analysis.
- Solver for advanced analytics and optimization.
As powerful as Excel is, Microsoft continues to invest. Excel is evolving again to empower millions of professionals with data science and artificial intelligence (AI).
Microsoft’s Copilot AI is integrated with Excel. Using Copilot, professionals can use natural language prompts to visualize and analyze data. Gone are the days when you had to search the internet for the right Excel function or the steps to achieve a particular outcome. Now, you just ask Copilot.
But Microsoft isn’t stopping there. The goal is to make Microsoft Excel the world’s most accessible and productive platform for AI-powered data science. ...
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I'm always learning. So when I got on to O'Reilly, I was like a kid in a candy store. There are playlists. There are answers. There's on-demand training. It's worth its weight in gold, in terms of what it allows me to do.