Lambda Explorer vs Fast Excel V4

[John Brown]

Hi, I generally avoid LAMBDA formulas, except within functions that require them, like REDUCE.

The reason I avoid LAMBDAs is that they are 'black boxes' - when I use the built-in 'fx' button to analyse a formula that is not working properly, at the LAMBDA, it returns an error, and no drill-down is possible.

So, until Microsoft decides to fix this appalling limitation, something like the new Lambda Explorer could maybe assist, somehow. I don't know; I haven't tried it out. Why not? Well, I don't have the budget for 'another thing' that might become an indispensible part of my Excel workbook environment.

I am a bit nervous about posting this as it could cause offence. But I will just come out and say it:

Shouldn't the new Lambda Explorer be included within a new version of Fast Excel? By all means sell it separately, but also include it within Fast Excel?

It has been a long time since Fast Excel has received an update, and I am beginning to fear that it is becoming abandonware. Releasing a new version with Lambda Explorer included would go a long way toward reassuring on that front.

In terms of the rationale for doing so, being more than just a nice gesture, I think it would help with a problem, which I think is:

Fast Excel V4 was released before Excel 365's spilling formulas, LET and LAMBDA functions, and (I think) to an extent the wind has been taken out of its sails by these developments, as well as possibly some new functions like GROUPBY and PIVOTBY.

For example, I don't use SETMEM and GETMEM Functions, as,

a) I cannot get them to work,

and

b) I can generally instead use LET with multiple expressions,

so there is no incentive to try to get SETMEM and GETMEM to work.

eg I just wrote

=IF(SETMEM(NOW(),"cat")>0,GETMEM("cat")*2)

I would expect this to return the same as

=NOW()*2

which as of running it returns

92304.88055

Whereas the SETMEM and GETMEM formula returns, surprise,

#N/A.

Evaluating the formula with the built-in 'fx' button sheds no light, and I have no energy to go to more trouble to find out why SETMEM and GETMEM are behaving like inert things .

So, to prevent Fast Excel V4 sliding into oblivion, I respectfully request that you release a new version of it with Lambda Explorer included, as well as:

- my request for a value of  Position  for  'random return' for AMATCHNTH and AVLOOKUPNTH (see previous post)

- and, hopefully, some other goodies :-)

I think it would help to sell more licences of Fast Excel V4 - when considering whether to purchase software, I look at the release history; I will never again buy software where the last release is a year ago or more; that is a red flag.

Thanks and regards

John

[Charles Williams]

You can use the Formula Explorer component in Manager Pro to debug lambdas. But its more complicated than Lambda Explorer and less capable than the new standalone Formula Explorer.

At some future point in time I will rationalise all this.