Since its inception, Microsoft Excel has changed how people organize, analyze, and visualize their data, providing a basis for decision-making for the flying billionaires heads up in the clouds who don’t give a fuck for life offtheline

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    22 years ago

    Python is slow enough as is, who the fuck thought adding a web request to that was a good idea‽

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      02 years ago

      Python is fast enough, and generally quite a bit faster than complex spreadsheet formulas. I’ve seen formulas that can take minutes that Python could do in seconds. A web request isn’t going to matter that much.

      • AatubeOP
        link
        fedilink
        12 years ago

        Web requests are <em>very</em> slow compared to CPU computations, not to mention that time has to be doubled since it’s a two-way route.

        • @[email protected]
          link
          fedilink
          02 years ago

          Sure, but it happens once. So as long as Python saves you more than the half second or so round trip, it’ll be preferable.

          I’d prefer it to be embedded, but I can absolutely see it being useful even if it’s cloud-only.

          • AatubeOP
            link
            fedilink
            12 years ago

            Wouldn’t it need to send to the cloud and back every time you change one of the cells the script is depending on?

            • @[email protected]
              link
              fedilink
              02 years ago

              Yup, most likely. I’m saying the total calculation w/ Excel formulas is often greater than that round trip + computation time w/ Python. Excel formulas are pretty slow.

              • AatubeOP
                link
                fedilink
                12 years ago

                I haven’t seen how they were slower than just python.

                • @[email protected]
                  link
                  fedilink
                  12 years ago

                  Think huge formulas. I’ve seen formulas take minutes in Excel, but seconds when implemented better in a script. If you haven’t worked with massive formulas, you’re not the target market here.

                  Another application is accessing external APIs that don’t have internal support. If you’re accessing an external API, you’re already paying a network overhead cost, so adding another isn’t going to matter much.