sancarn

COM is still actively being used. Not sure why you think it's a problem with windows too. COM is and always has been quite revolutionary imo.

Not sure about other people but most of my apps I've made actually can't be made in Office Scripts... They are useless for my needs.

> good software that exists on other platforms

You mean like AppleScript?

> They had announced Python support for Excel a while back and I wish it was better promoted as a viable VBA replacement

But the existing implementation of Python means that it's not even close to a viable replacement lmao

Untested but something like this in VBA should suffice:

    Dim rng as range: set rng = Sheet1.UsedRange
    Dim rows as Long: rows = rng.rows.count
    Dim cols as long: cols = rng.columns.count
    Const SIZE as long = 500
    For i = 2 to rows step SIZE
      Dim wb as workbook: set wb = workbooks.add()
      wb.sheets(1).range("A1").resize(1, cols).value = rng.resize(1).value
      wb.sheets(1).range("A2").resize(SIZE,cols).value = rng.offset(i-1).resize(SIZE).value
      Call wb.SaveAs("C:\Temp\" & i & ".xlsx")
    next

These are the reasons I struggle to leave Windows too. Also the open API ecosystem is great. You can do pretty much everything with win32 libraries.

In our case (and in the article), we wanted to collaborate with IT, code along-side them in a technology of their choosing. However IT explicitely told us that they would NOT allow us to do any coding whatsoever.

I, as an SME, am fully happy coding in C#, Java, Rust, whatever! As long as the language is turin complete, is pro-code and versatile enough, I'm all ready to go.

Do note that IT actively chose to develop the solution in Microsoft PowerApps, despite my advising that the solution would be better suited as a web app.

Actually, every language in theory. At least any language which can use COM APIs can interact with PowerPoint. Ruby, Python, NodeJS, C, C++, C#, Java, Rust, ... Pretty much you name it and it can control powerpoint unless it is sandboxed.

> they would have to essentially start from scratch if they wanted to do anything else like Python

I do tend to disagree here. It really depends how invested they are with VBA. Many VBA skills are highly transferrable to Python and other high level programming languages.

I was fortunate to have experience with multiple languages from the start, but many of my colleagues have programmed in other languages other than VBA after learning VBA only to begin with. From Ruby to Python and beyond.

> so why are you complaining again?

Because a job that would take 15 minutes turns into a 3 hour task. It might surprise you but some people actually enjoy their job and ticking off tasks :)