This looks sleek and well-made! However, this is a pretty crowded space. Spreadsheet Converter (https://www.spreadsheetconverter.com) and Spreadsheet Web (https://www.spreadsheetweb.com) are directly comparable and have been around for years. (Like Publisheet, Spreadsheet Converter offers an Excel add-in.)
When I started Publisheet, the idea was that it would allow users to create static, web-based reports from their spreadsheets, including textual information that would be written as Markdown (with a WYSIWYG editor) directly in one or more cells. I thought that it would be an easy way to create complete financial reports, for instance. The landing page's images still reflect that.
But as soon as it launched, I noticed that no one was using it for text-heavy reports. People just wanted to publish their spreadsheets online, as is, with formula support. So, I started focusing on that and ended up in this crowded space, as you correctly state.
I think that Publisheet's main selling point is that it's really simple to install and use. There's no .exe to install, there is no need to upload the Excel file in the browser, there is no form builder. Also, it works on Windows, Mac and in Excel Online. You basically click Publish and it's done. But I am aware that all the systems you listed are way more feature-complete than Publisheet and it is something we'll have to improve.
By the way, congrats on Calcapp, it looks really polished!
Are all these using a full excel calculation engine behind (like SpreadsheetGear or else)?
I always thought that if I had lots of spare time, a good project would be to take a spreadsheet, specify the input cells and output cells, analyse the logic of the formulas in between, and generate automatically some code that replicates this calculation and can be compiled.
That way you can preserve the logic in excel so a business user can own it, while getting all the performance and scalability of compiled code.
Do any of these enable a drop dead simple web api to access the spreadsheet?
For example, simple urls that could GET the data for a sheet, a row, selected area, etc. This could even be useful for non-developers.
Last time I checked MS made made oauth part of accessing sheets in excel, which seems to add too much addiotnal complexity. It seems like a no auth option would be useful, and even for protected spreadsheets the experience could be much less complex.
This is amazing, but there is no way that my firm will send any excels with our data to a relatively small and unknown third-party provider who will host it on a public URL. Are you thinking about allowing users to run this on-site?
This is a valid concern that people have shared with me before. It isn't in my immediate plans yet but depending on more feedback, we might offer an on-site solution in the future.
I'm surprised MS Office development seems to have just...stopped.
Powerpoint can't import an SVG (it turns it into a low res raster image). Powerpoint can't export SVG either, if I want to use a Powerpoint diagram in a web page. I opened a JSON file in Excel expecting to see nested values and nope, it doesn't support that file format. Office isn't even available in the Windows app store.
When Microsoft's going full steam ahead with stuff like Terminal, VSCode, OneDrive, Edgium, etc Office seems to be stuck in 2005.
Has it stopped, or are you maybe not the target/average user?
Most Office users have no idea what SVG or JSON files are or why they'd use them.
My experience is that Office has prioritized usability and automating tedious tasks, like theming, creating charts, and linking data back and forth.
Every major version over the last 15 years has made some large usability improvements (e.g. format painter), but perhaps you'd only notice them if you're using the applications in certain ways. I've noticed them and feel like I'm stuck in molasses whenever I have to use an older version of Office.
That's false. Some features not available at 2005:
- 2007: Ribbon UI
- PowerPivot / PowerQuery / PowerView
- Integration with OneDrive (Office talks to server)
- Office Online Server (Office Lite in web in cloud or self hosted)
- Not a feature, but subscription model + value added services users get.
PowerPoint supports importing SVGs since at least 2016. I am using them constantly and do everything in SVG. Export to SVG you can’t - but online converters make that easy.
Excel Supports JSON and s bunch of other stuff via PowerQuery which is the new way to do things.
Office Development is totally fine, but I would agree with you that development of Add-Ins is slow and there aren’t many I would use.
Nice! Using spreadsheets as a DB are trend now. Also Spreadsheets are pretty good CMS as well, so people can use it to create websites without code. I made an app called https://Sheet2Site.com which takes your Google Sheet of items/objects and translates it into an app, with filters and images
Not just a trend now, it has been a pattern for many years: if you worked in/with/for many office environments you'll be exposed to a great many "database" uses of Excel & similar and you will find features specific to such uses in spreadsheet products. Some businesses, including large investment banks, would completely grind to a halt if Excel stopped working!
Very cleanly done - though I really doubt this needs to be a subscription. I'm gonna keep this in my notes - it may come in handy someday for a one-off report or presentation, for which I would gladly plunk down a few bucks.
Really nice, tried with a chart and worked smoothly.
Just for fun: would be nice to know max publishing - I just tried 1k * 30 columns and it errored out. I wanted to see how I could interact with a large chart of data.
This looks really nice but I'd like to see a more complex example with several complex functions and updating at least 500 fields at the same time.
Then we see how fast it is...
in case of complex functions / many fields it is more logical to use a database and BI tool that displays/visualizes data from this database as a report.
Is this the OP posting? Out of everything on the page, the logo is possibly the worst part of it (a 'P' in a circle). And this made you create an account and then post here?
[+] [-] davidpolberger|6 years ago|reply
Then there are lots of web app builders, including Calculoid (https://www.calculoid.com), Calconic (https://www.calconic.com), uCalc Pro (https://ucalc.pro) and Calcapp (https://www.calcapp.net/lp/website-calculators/), that require more work to get from an Excel sheet to a web app, but get the job done with an end result that doesn't look like a spreadsheet. How does Publisheet improve on the competition?
(Full disclosure: I'm a co-founder of Calcapp.)
[+] [-] tiagoalves|6 years ago|reply
But as soon as it launched, I noticed that no one was using it for text-heavy reports. People just wanted to publish their spreadsheets online, as is, with formula support. So, I started focusing on that and ended up in this crowded space, as you correctly state.
I think that Publisheet's main selling point is that it's really simple to install and use. There's no .exe to install, there is no need to upload the Excel file in the browser, there is no form builder. Also, it works on Windows, Mac and in Excel Online. You basically click Publish and it's done. But I am aware that all the systems you listed are way more feature-complete than Publisheet and it is something we'll have to improve.
By the way, congrats on Calcapp, it looks really polished!
[+] [-] cm2187|6 years ago|reply
I always thought that if I had lots of spare time, a good project would be to take a spreadsheet, specify the input cells and output cells, analyse the logic of the formulas in between, and generate automatically some code that replicates this calculation and can be compiled.
That way you can preserve the logic in excel so a business user can own it, while getting all the performance and scalability of compiled code.
[+] [-] netfl0|6 years ago|reply
Just a friendly heads-up.
[+] [-] samstave|6 years ago|reply
Here is what i want, i want a cleaner way to parse a pdf into an xls or csv and be able to edit it on mobile ....
Have any good references?
[+] [-] WhitneyLand|6 years ago|reply
For example, simple urls that could GET the data for a sheet, a row, selected area, etc. This could even be useful for non-developers.
Last time I checked MS made made oauth part of accessing sheets in excel, which seems to add too much addiotnal complexity. It seems like a no auth option would be useful, and even for protected spreadsheets the experience could be much less complex.
[+] [-] WrtCdEvrydy|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] slowmotiony|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] smt88|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] tiagoalves|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] keatr|6 years ago|reply
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[+] [-] nailer|6 years ago|reply
Powerpoint can't import an SVG (it turns it into a low res raster image). Powerpoint can't export SVG either, if I want to use a Powerpoint diagram in a web page. I opened a JSON file in Excel expecting to see nested values and nope, it doesn't support that file format. Office isn't even available in the Windows app store.
When Microsoft's going full steam ahead with stuff like Terminal, VSCode, OneDrive, Edgium, etc Office seems to be stuck in 2005.
[+] [-] smt88|6 years ago|reply
Most Office users have no idea what SVG or JSON files are or why they'd use them.
My experience is that Office has prioritized usability and automating tedious tasks, like theming, creating charts, and linking data back and forth.
Every major version over the last 15 years has made some large usability improvements (e.g. format painter), but perhaps you'd only notice them if you're using the applications in certain ways. I've noticed them and feel like I'm stuck in molasses whenever I have to use an older version of Office.
[+] [-] jve|6 years ago|reply
That's false. Some features not available at 2005:
- 2007: Ribbon UI - PowerPivot / PowerQuery / PowerView - Integration with OneDrive (Office talks to server) - Office Online Server (Office Lite in web in cloud or self hosted) - Not a feature, but subscription model + value added services users get.
[+] [-] moontear|6 years ago|reply
Excel Supports JSON and s bunch of other stuff via PowerQuery which is the new way to do things.
Office Development is totally fine, but I would agree with you that development of Add-Ins is slow and there aren’t many I would use.
[+] [-] mipmap04|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] JorgeGT|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] techslave|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] antigirl|6 years ago|reply
google slides support SVG btw https://gsuite.google.com/
[+] [-] andreyazimov|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] dspillett|6 years ago|reply
Not just a trend now, it has been a pattern for many years: if you worked in/with/for many office environments you'll be exposed to a great many "database" uses of Excel & similar and you will find features specific to such uses in spreadsheet products. Some businesses, including large investment banks, would completely grind to a halt if Excel stopped working!
[+] [-] _xnmw|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] mkirsten|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Seahawkshacker|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] boldslogan|6 years ago|reply
Just for fun: would be nice to know max publishing - I just tried 1k * 30 columns and it errored out. I wanted to see how I could interact with a large chart of data.
[+] [-] tiagoalves|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] mac_was|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] seektable|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] sgarrity|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] tiagoalves|6 years ago|reply
Just tap the screen or move your mouse over the page and you'll see which cells are editable.
[+] [-] webwanderings|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] abdhass|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] donclark|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] patrickbolle|6 years ago|reply
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[+] [-] mikeintosh|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Bishonen88|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] keatr|6 years ago|reply
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