Microsoft brings JavaScript to Excel

At its Ignite conference, Microsoft today announced an update to Excel that brings a new JavaScript API to the venerable spreadsheet app. With this new API, developers will be able to create custom data types and functions based on them.

Over the course of the last few years, Excel started adding a number of new data types, allowing users to pull in stock and geography data from the cloud at first, followed by the addition of Power BI and Power Query data types — which allow users to work with their own data. Now, developers can take this a step further by creating custom data types that make sense for their organizations.

“Customers will be able to create their own add-ins and extend previously existing ones to capitalize on data types, resulting in a more integrated, next-generation experience within Excel,” Microsoft explains in its press materials. “They can share these data types across the organization and create add-ins or solutions that connect data types to their own service or data. The API gives power to users and developers, allowing them to better organize, access and work with their data.”

Microsoft already worked with Bloomberg to help that company trial these custom data types.