Anaconda Code (beta)

Anaconda Code empowers you to write Python code and run it locally, directly within Excel. This gives you flexibility and control over the Python environment in your workbook, allowing you to add and remove packages as needed, all while keeping code and data securely within your workbook.

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Initializing Anaconda Code

Anaconda Code is powered by PyScript, our open-source platform for running Python in the browser. When you first launch Anaconda Code, set up and run your PyScript Python environment using the following steps:

1. Click Enable PyScript.
2. Once PyScript is enabled, sign in to Anaconda Cloud.

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Understanding Anaconda Code

Let’s take a look at the different elements within Anaconda Code using the Dashboard tab for reference:

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Running Python code

Create an Anaconda Code cell that can run Python code using the following steps:

1. From the Dashboard, click New, then select a cell where you want to insert your code. Alternatively, select a cell, type =ANACONDA.CODE(, and press Enter (Windows)/Return (Mac).

2. Enter your Python code in the code editor. If you want to reference a range of data from your spreadsheet or an Anaconda Code object in your code, click Link Range and select the range of cells or the PyScript Data cell.

   Using the REF function

   When you use Link Range, Anaconda Code creates a REF function in your code that returns a list of lists. The Imports and Definitions tab includes the following pre-defined functions to help convert the returned list of lists to different data structures.

   Function	Use case	Notes
   to_df(REF(<CELL_RANGE>))	Create a DataFrame	to_df assumes your data has headers
   to_array(REF(<CELL_RANGE>))	Create a NumPy array	to_array assumes all data is of the same type
   to_list(REF(<CELL_RANGE>))	Create a 1D list	to_list handles wide (1 x n) or tall (n x 1) data

   You can change the behavior of to_df(), to_array(), and to_list() from the Imports and Definitions tab.

3. Set the cell linking and output options.

   Toggle between isolated and linked modes by clicking the plug button.

4. Click Save and Run.

The selected cell is now an Anaconda Code cell. The Anaconda Code cell runs your code and displays the return value of the last expression.

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Editing Python code

Do not edit your code in the cell itself; instead, modify and re-run your code directly in Anaconda Code.

1. From the Dashboard, click Edit in full view to open the edit view.
2. Adjust your code, then click Run.

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Managing the environment

Anaconda Code hosts a single, self-contained environment, which manages the back-end software packages that enable you to run Python code within your Excel workbook. You can manage software packages within this environment to extend Python’s processing, visualization, and analytical capabilities, and even select the version of Pyodide (the WASM engine used by PyScript) that you want to run Python.

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Choosing a Pyodide version

The latest version of Pyodide is used by default for all new spreadsheets. For existing spreadsheets, the versions of Pyodide and packages necessary for your code are pinned to the environment.

You can switch versions of Pyodide using the following steps:

1. From the Environment tab, click Edit.
2. To switch versions of Pyodide, click the dropdown beside your current Pyodide version.

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Managing software packages

1. From the Environment tab, click Edit.
2. To add new packages, click Add. Alternatively, click the arrow to add from either PyPI, the PyScript app, or a direct download link to a Python wheel (.whl).

To remove a package, click Delete beside the package you want to remove.

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Customizing code initialization

You can think of Anaconda Code’s Imports and Definitions as an initialization file for your code or like the first cell in a Jupyter Notebook. All code in this section is available to all cells, whether they are run isolated or linked.

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Creating user-defined functions

User-defined functions (UDFs) allow you to write Python functions, decorate them, and call them directly from Excel.

Creating and calling a UDF

1. From the Imports and Definitions tab, decorate a function with @UDF, as shown in the following example:

   @UDF
   def my_custom_function(x, y):
       return x ** y
   

2. Click Save and Run.

3. In an open cell, enter =ANACONDA. If you added the example above to your definitions list, the option to call ANACONDA.MY_CUSTOM_FUNCTION appears in the dropdown.

4. Arrow down to ANACONDA.MY_CUSTOM_FUNCTION, press Tab, and then complete the function.

5. Use Ctrl+Enter (Windows)/Ctrl+Return (Mac) to run the code.

@UDF(name="MYBANK.PORTFOLIO_ANALYSIS", nested=False)
def my_custom_function(x, y):
    return x ** y

Using Range arguments

Specifying a UDF.Range argument tells Excel that the input or output of the function is a 2D range. Without specifying this, Excel refuses to pass a range of cells as input or allow a spilled range to be returned from the function.

Example usage of .Range:

@UDF
def square_me(data: UDF.Range) -> UDF.Range:
    return [[val ** 2 for val in row] for row in data]

You can also add type hints for Ranges using UDF.Range[str], for example.

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Modifying workbook settings

While you can adjust the settings for running code in your workbook on a case-by-case basis when creating and editing code, you can also assign default settings from the Settings tab.

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Cell linking

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Cell output

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Troubleshooting

If you encounter an issue that is not listed here, you can obtain support for Anaconda through the Anaconda community or by opening a support ticket.

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Error installing functions