gridcalc

A programmable spreadsheet for developers and technical users, with Excel-ish formulas, Python escape hatches, XLSX interop, goal seek, and LP/MIP solving. It ships two frontends over one engine: a curses terminal app, and a desktop window that renders the same workbook in a webview.

Inspired by Serge Zaitsev's kalk.

The terminal app over example_excel.json. The quick tour walks through it.

The desktop app solving example_lp.json -- the solution is written to the sheet behind the dialog.

pip install gridcalc
gridcalc budget.json        # terminal
gridcalc-web budget.json    # desktop window  (needs the [web] extra)

What it gives you

• Excel-compatible formulas (=IF(A1>=B1, A1*0.05, 0)) and arrays (=SUM(A1:A10 * B1:B10)) without leaving the terminal.

• Multi-sheet workbooks with cross-sheet refs (=Sheet2!A1) and a proper dep graph.

• Three formula modes per file: strict Excel, Excel-plus-py.*, or full Python eval with numpy/pandas.

• xlsx interop via OpenXLSX C++ -- read every sheet's formulas and values; export with cached values.

• Linear, mixed-integer and quadratic programming built in via HiGHS -- :opt max B4 vars A4:A5 st D4:D6 solves from cells in the sheet, with shadow prices, infeasibility diagnosis, and RHS sweeps. Models persist in the workbook.

• Goal seek -- :goal B10 = 100 by A1 adjusts a variable so a formula hits a target value.

• Vim-style command line (:w, :e, :q, /search, y/p, visual selection, undo), with system-clipboard copy/paste -- yank pushes values as TSV, paste pulls TSV in from other apps.

• A desktop app as well as a terminal one -- the same engine behind a mouse-driven grid with menus, a Ctrl-K command palette, and solver results painted onto the sheet. Most : commands are a shared registry both frontends dispatch, so they behave identically in each.

Where to start

If you want to	Read
Get it installed	Install
See what using it feels like	Quick tour
Use the mouse-driven desktop window	Desktop app
Write formulas	Formulas, Formula modes
Solve an LP, MIP, or QP from the sheet	Optimization
Look up a : command	Command reference
Drive the engine from Python	Python API
Know why it is built this way	Design notes

Try the examples

The repository ships workbooks covering each mode and feature:

gridcalc example_excel.json          # sales report, named ranges, IF/MATCH
gridcalc example_hybrid.json         # progressive tax via py.* + aggregations
gridcalc example.json                # PYTHON: numpy/pandas, list comprehensions
gridcalc example_multisheet.json     # 3-sheet budget, cross-sheet formulas
gridcalc example_lp.json             # LP/MIP demo -- type :opt to solve
gridcalc example_goal.json           # goal-seek demo -- :goal B1 = 11 by A1

Prior art

• sc-im: an ncurses spreadsheet program for the terminal.

• sheets: a terminal-based spreadsheet tool.

• rustxl: a fast, keyboard-driven spreadsheet with vim-style navigation and Excel-compatible formulas.

License

MIT.