Inference in Excel brings the benefits of dynamic scripting in platforms like R, S-Plus, Matlab, Python, IronPython and IronRuby for .NET to your Excel spreadsheets.  Inference in Excel is an essential tool for business and technical professionals who regularly use Excel and need to expand its computational, graphic and automation capabilities.  It provides a way for business analysts, financial analysts, line-of-business managers, scientists, engineers, educators and researchers to  to perform flexible and interactive exploration, analysis and visualization of multidimensional data by leveraging the power of dynamic scripting platforms within the Microsoft Excel environment.  With Inference in Excel, you can have it all: the power and sophistication of dynamic scripting platforms along with the ease-of-use and familiarity of Excel. 

 

Inference in Excel bridges the functionality of Excel and power of dynamic scripting platforms, giving you the best of both worlds.  By using data preparation in Excel in conjunction with high-level dynamic scripts, technical analysts can answer key questions, solve technical and business problems, and present results in ways that help drive decision making.  The self-service nature of Inference in Excel means that users do not depend on IT support to get the job done. Inference in Excel adds thousands of new and powerful analysis and visualization functions to Excel by providing a bidirectional link between Excel and the dynamic scripting platform that can be used to:

• choose a scripting environment appropriate for the task (select from R, S-Plus, Matlab, CPython, IronPython, IronRuby, managed Jscript, dynamic VB);
• create spreadsheet formulas that call the dynamic scripting functions from Excel;
• read and write data from the dynamic scripting platform to Excel ranges—that is, seamless bi-directional data exchange between Excel and the dynamic scripting platform;
• enable strict data typing in Excel by assigning data types to Excel ranges;
• create dynamic spreadsheets that include scripting code that interacts with and automates execution of data analyses and creation of graphics;
• develop custom Excel import and export routines in dynamic scripting code;
• display formatted text and graphical output from execution of dynamic scripts in Excel;
• publish custom Excel-based reports directly from your scripting platform-based analysis; and
• use Excel as a gateway to feed live data and your latest data model parameters in a scripting platform protocol.