Why Excel Is Actually Your First Programming Language [2025 Guide]

Excel programming language is more widespread than you might realize. Surprisingly, Excel formulas are written by more users than all C, C++, C#, Java, and Python programmers combined. With over 750 million users worldwide since its release in 1985, many of us are already programmers without even knowing it.

In fact, Excel qualifies as a true programming language because it allows users to define calculations and logic while being Turing complete—meaning it can simulate any computation. When we dive into excel programming, we discover powerful capabilities beyond simple spreadsheets. Furthermore, excel coding has evolved significantly with features like the LAMBDA function, which enables custom functions and recursive programming. Many people ask "is excel a programming language?" and wonder what programming language does excel use in its backbone. The answer reveals how excel scripting has become increasingly sophisticated.

Through this guide, we'll explore how Excel's 480+ functions and recent additions like Office Scripts (which uses TypeScript) have transformed this familiar spreadsheet into a robust programming environment. As the job outlook for software developers is projected to increase by 22% from 2020 to 2030, understanding Excel as a programming tool might be more valuable than you think.

Excel as a programming language: what it really means

Most people think of Excel as just a spreadsheet tool, yet behind its familiar interface lies a sophisticated programming environment. When you create formulas in Excel, you're actually writing code, albeit with a different syntax than traditional programming languages.

Excel formulas vs traditional code

Excel's formula language operates through a unique grid-based paradigm that fundamentally differs from line-by-line code execution. While traditional programming languages process instructions sequentially, Excel formulas work through cell relationships in a two-dimensional space. This visual approach makes Excel uniquely accessible—you can immediately see intermediate results and relationships between calculations.

Additionally, Excel's formula language includes familiar programming elements: operators like ^ and * for mathematical operations, constants for fixed values, and cell references that function similarly to variables. However, Excel formulas are primarily declarative, focusing on what the result should be rather than explicitly stating how to achieve it.

Is Excel a programming language?

The debate about Excel's status as a programming language has intensified in recent years. Microsoft researchers explicitly describe Excel as "the world's most widely used programming language" with formulas written by " than all the C, C++, C#, Java, and Python programmers in the world combined".an order of magnitude more users

Excel certainly possesses key programming elements:

·        Control structures (IF statements, conditional logic)

·        Functions (over 484 built-in functions as of Excel 2016)

·        Variable-like constructs (cell references)

·        Extended functionality through VBA and Office Scripts

Nevertheless, Excel historically lacked two critical programming features: it primarily supported scalar values (numbers, text, Booleans) and didn't allow users to define new functions. These limitations previously prevented Excel from being classified as a full-fledged programming language.

How Excel became Turing complete

The game-changer came with Microsoft's introduction of the LAMBDA function. This revolutionary addition allows users to define custom, reusable functions using Excel's own formula language. Moreover, these LAMBDA functions can call other LAMBDA functions to arbitrary depth and even support recursion.

Consequently, Excel has now —the definitive qualification for a complete programming language. This means Excel can theoretically compute anything that any other programming language can compute, without requiring external languages like VBA or JavaScript.achieved Turing completeness

The practical significance is immense: users can now create true abstractions, encapsulate complex logic, and build reusable components entirely within Excel's native formula environment. This functional programming approach opens new possibilities for sophisticated data processing while maintaining Excel's accessibility for non-programmers.

Key programming concepts Excel supports

Behind Excel's familiar grid lurks a sophisticated programming environment that supports fundamental programming paradigms. Let's explore the core concepts that make Excel a legitimate programming language.

Abstraction and reusability with LAMBDA

The  fundamentally transformed Excel's capabilities by enabling true abstraction. This powerful feature allows users to:LAMBDA function

·        Create custom, reusable functions using Excel's native formula language

·        Give friendly names to complex formulas, eliminating error-prone copying and pasting

·        Reference these functions throughout a workbook like native Excel functions

The beauty of LAMBDA is that it requires no VBA, macros, or JavaScript knowledge, making function creation accessible to non-programmers. Essentially, LAMBDA transforms any existing formula into a reusable component that can be referenced by name, dramatically reducing workbook complexity.

Declarative and imperative elements

Excel is primarily a declarative programming environment where formulas specify relationships between cells without dictating execution order. Unlike imperative languages that use step-by-step instructions, Excel declarations focus on defining outcomes rather than procedures.

Yet, with LET and LAMBDA functions, Excel now incorporates imperative programming concepts. These additions enable local variable definition and sequential processing within formulas, blending both paradigms into a unique programming environment.

Recursive logic and function composition

Perhaps most impressively, LAMBDA supports —functions that call themselves. This capability enables solving problems where solutions depend on results from the same problem with different inputs, such as Fibonacci sequences.recursive programming

Beyond simple recursion, Excel supports function composition where LAMBDAs can call other LAMBDAs to arbitrary depth. This nested function approach enables sophisticated logic comparable to traditional programming languages.

Excel scripting vs Excel coding

While formula-based coding forms Excel's foundation, two additional programming approaches exist:

VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) provides desktop-centric automation with full access to your machine, specifically designed for desktop solutions.

Office Scripts, built on TypeScript, offers secure, cross-platform, cloud-based solutions with Power Automate integration for workflow automation without even opening Excel.

These different approaches cater to varied programming needs—from simple cell calculations to complex enterprise-wide automated workflows.

Recent features that make Excel more like a coding platform

"Excel keeps releasing updates and these last few months are no exception, with tons of new functions, new formula capabilities, new commands, I go through all the new stuff and specify which release channels have access to which features in this video." — David Benaim, Excel MVP and Microsoft Certified Trainer

In recent years, Microsoft has introduced several groundbreaking features that transform Excel from a mere spreadsheet calculator into a sophisticated coding environment. These innovations have fundamentally changed how we think about excel programming.LET and s

LAMBDA function

The LET function represents a major leap forward, enabling users to define named variables within formulas. This powerful addition offers three primary benefits:

·        Improved clarity by making complex formulas easier to understand

·        Enhanced performance by eliminating redundant calculations

·        Simplified maintenance with variables defined in just one place

Meanwhile, the LAMBDA function has revolutionized excel coding by allowing users to create custom, reusable functions without VBA or JavaScript knowledge. This game-changer lets you define a function once and call it by a friendly name throughout your workbook, effectively adding your own functions to Excel's native library.

 and spilled rangesDynamic arrays

Gone are the days of complex array formulas requiring Ctrl+Shift+Enter. Today's dynamic arrays automatically "spill" results into adjacent cells when a formula returns multiple values. This spilling behavior brings noteworthy advantages over legacy CSE formulas, including consistency, safety against accidental overwrites, and dramatically smaller file sizes.

Particularly useful is the spill range reference using the # symbol (like C2#), which automatically adjusts as source data changes. This dynamic referencing simplifies creating dashboards that update automatically as data expands or contracts.

Named functions and Name Manager

The Name Manager dialog box has evolved into a powerful tool for managing all defined names and custom functions. Through this interface, you can review, debug, and organize your named ranges, named formulas, and LAMBDA functions without navigating complex VBA modules.

Office Scripts and TypeScript integration

Office Scripts, built on TypeScript, provide secure cross-platform automation capabilities. Unlike VBA, these scripts run in the cloud, enabling workflow automation even without opening Excel. Each script contains a main function with the Excel workbook as its first parameter, allowing programmatic manipulation of worksheets, tables, charts and more.

Debugging and formula tracing tools

Excel Labs recently introduced a new formula debugger within the Advanced Formula Environment. This debugging tool updates in real-time as you type, showing evaluation steps with highlights and allowing range previews when hovering over references. Coupled with traditional formula auditing tools like Trace Precedents and Trace Dependents, these features make excel programming far more accessible to both novices and experts.

How Excel compares to traditional programming languages

When analyzing programming platforms, comparing Excel to traditional languages reveals fascinating insights about this widely-used tool. With  versus Python's estimated 8.2 million developers, the spreadsheet giant's importance in the programming ecosystem cannot be overlooked.800 million Excel users

Excel vs Python: similarities and differences

Despite their different approaches, both Excel and Python serve as powerful data analysis tools. Excel excels at quick calculations and visualizations for small to medium datasets, whereas Python handles larger data volumes with greater efficiency.

Excel benefits from its intuitive interface and widespread adoption, making it accessible to non-programmers. Conversely, Python offers superior capabilities for:

·        Data pipelines and automation

·        Complex calculations and algorithms

·        Machine learning implementation

Most importantly, Python functions as a "glue" language, connecting different scripts and interacting with various systems – from databases to web services.

General-purpose vs domain-specific use

Excel represents a  tailored primarily for finance and business applications. Unlike general-purpose languages designed for broad applications, DSLs like Excel are optimized for particular problem domains.domain-specific language (DSL)

Therefore, within its financial and data analysis domain, Excel proves exceptionally powerful. However, beyond these boundaries, it becomes less effective compared to general-purpose languages like Python.

This specialization explains why excel programming remains prevalent in industries requiring financial modeling and data analysis, while Python dominates in fields demanding broader computational capabilities.

Readability, writability, and reliability in Excel

The excel programming language offers unique advantages in readability through its three-dimensional layout – formulas arranged across rows, columns, and worksheets. This visual organization makes relationships between calculations immediately apparent.

Additionally, Excel demonstrates strong writability characteristics with its:

·        Simple syntax based on algebraic principles

·        Consistent function structure

·        Visual feedback during formula creation

Regarding reliability, Excel has been refined over 30+ years, ensuring backward compatibility with functions dating back decades. Although excel coding lacks strict typing, the platform still performs important type checking to prevent errors.

These characteristics affirm why excel scripting remains a viable programming approach, especially for domain-specific applications where its visual paradigm offers distinct advantages over text-based languages.

Conclusion

The future of programming might already be on your desktop

Excel has certainly come a long way from its humble beginnings as a simple spreadsheet tool. Throughout this guide, we've seen how Excel qualifies as a legitimate programming language with its Turing completeness, support for abstraction, and ability to handle complex logic. Undoubtedly, the introduction of LAMBDA functions has revolutionized what's possible within Excel's native formula environment, finally enabling users to create custom, reusable functions without relying on external languages.

While traditional programmers might dismiss Excel as merely a business tool, this perspective overlooks the massive impact Excel programming has on global business operations. Therefore, the next time someone asks if Excel is a programming language, you can confidently explain that not only does it qualify as one, but it's also likely the most widely used programming language on the planet.

Actually, Excel occupies a unique position in the programming ecosystem. Unlike Python or Java, Excel makes programming accessible to millions who would never identify as "coders," yet are solving complex problems daily using its formula language. This accessibility, coupled with recent advancements like Office Scripts and dynamic arrays, ensures Excel will remain relevant as both a business tool and programming platform for years to come.

Last but not least, whether you're a seasoned developer or someone just starting to explore the programming capabilities of Excel, recognizing its true nature as a programming language opens new possibilities. After all, you might have been programming longer than you think—perhaps since the first time you wrote an IF statement in cell A1.