{
  "id": 10060089,
  "title": "After 40 Years, Microsoft Excel Will Add Single-Cell Lists and Arrays",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/26/after-40-years-microsoft-excel-will-add-single-cell-lists-and-arrays",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-09-26T20:34:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Slashdot",
    "slug": "slashdot",
    "url": "https://slashdot.org/story/26/09/26/0227226/after-40-years-microsoft-excel-will-add-single-cell-lists-and-arrays"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "For the first time in its 40-year history, Microsoft Excel will introduce the ability to incorporate single-cell lists and arrays. This update, announced by the company's senior product manager, allows users to create lists by selecting Insert List or pressing Ctrl+J, followed by typing or pasting items separated by commas or semicolons. Lists can be filtered by individual items and referencing them returns all values for calculations. Arrays, previously limited to spilling across cells, can now be stored within a single cell by wrapping the formula body with braces. This enables more flexibility in spreadsheet building, as arrays can nest inside other arrays. Three new functions—HAS, HASANY, and HASALL—have been added to check for the presence of values within arrays.",
  "summary": "Microsoft's senior product manager for Excel acknowledges that \"Throughout Excel's 40-year history, you've only been able to put one value per cell.\" But that's now changing with arrays in cells (as well as nested arrays) and lists. \"You can create a list by selecting Insert > List or pressing Ctrl+J, then typing or pasting items separated by commas or semicolons, depending on your regional…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}