Anaconda Code (beta)

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

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Initializing Anaconda Code

When you first launch Anaconda Code, you’ll be asked to sign in to your Anaconda account.

If you haven’t created an Anaconda Code cell yet, you’ll be asked to create one.

To get started, choose the language for your new Anaconda Code cell, set the default link mode, select the default output mode, and then click Create Code Cell.

Once you’ve selected a location for your new Anaconda Code cell, use the editor to start writing and running code.

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Understanding Anaconda Code

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

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Running code

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

1. From Home, click , then select a cell where you want to insert your code.

   If you’re already in the code editor, select more next to the active code cell reference, then Add New to create a new code cell.

   Subsequent code cells will be in the same language as the previously created one. To change the language, first create a new code cell, then change the code cell’s language selection in the code editor.

2. Set the cell linking and output options.

3. Select Python or R as the code language for the cell.

   If you change the language for the cell to a language you haven’t yet used, you might need to click Load Environment to load the new language’s environment for the first time.

4. Enter your code in the code editor.

5. (Optional) If you want to reference a range of data from your spreadsheet or an Anaconda Code object in your code, click REF, then select the range of cells or Anaconda Code cell.

   Using the REF function

6. Click Run. The cell will display the return value of the last evaluated expression. Your changes are automatically saved whenever you re-run the code.

   If you write code that doesn’t have a return value (for example, you define a function but don’t call the function) and click Run, the cell will display </>NoneType.

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Editing code

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

1. From the Home page, click more on the code you want to edit.
2. Click Edit in full view to open the edit view.
3. 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 or R code within your Excel workbook. You can manage software packages within this environment to extend your code’s processing, visualization, and analytical capabilities, and even select the version of Pyodide (the WASM engine used by PyScript) or WebR (the WASM engine used by WebR) that you want to run.

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Choosing a Pyodide or WebR version

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

You can switch versions using the following steps:

1. From the Environment tab, click Edit.
2. Select the Pyodide or WebR version.
3. Click Save Changes.

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Managing software packages

1. From the Environment tab, click Edit.
2. To add new packages, click Add.
3. (Optional for Python) Click the down arrow to add from either PyPI, the PyScript app, or a direct download link to a Python wheel (.whl).
4. Search for the package name, then click Add beside the package you want to add.
5. Once you’ve added all the packages you want to include, click Add Packages.

To remove a package, click Edit, then 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 in Python

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

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 Apply.

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 (macOS) 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 UDF.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. For example,UDF.Range[str].

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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 forums or by opening a support ticket.

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Error installing functions