this post was submitted on 27 Sep 2025
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This has functionally already been done, its called LibreOffice Calc.
95% chance any business process that uses or touches Excel can be switched over to that with some minor tweaks, 5% chance someone might have to actually code some kind of custom API / batch file shim type thing, or its some stupidly niche situation where you truly are stuck paying your ~~liscensing fer~~ capitalism tithe to MSFT.
No, I mean STEAL it.
Downloading isn't stealing. Reproducing isn't stealing. Forking a repo isn't stealing.
I mean. STEAL IT!
Oh you mean literally steal the source code?
Unfortunately I regret to inform you that this thing called IP Law exists and that definitely is 'stealing'.
Heck, even reverse engineering from stolen, but ultimately not directly used source code... generally also 'stealing'.
But uh yeah, Excel definitely does not have a publically available repo that can be forked.
Sure, you could I guess hack into MSFT and leak the source code, but if you live anywhere that has an extradition treaty with the US, you are going to jail forever.
... LibreOffice Calc provides a less risky alternative to this.
Like, sure, I generally agrer with your opinions, but our opinions are not the actual state of how the world works.