Plan non-technical install & scope view_settings tool for Excel add-in
Session from pi-for-excel-sessions on Hugging Face by thomasmustier · MIT · condensed by Coders Talk
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13msession
0interventions
GOAL
Investigate GitHub issue #16 on distributing the Excel add-in to non-technical users, and separately scope which Office.js view capabilities (gridlines, freeze panes, zoom, etc.) should be added to the view_settings tool.
- +0Prompt · +0Please can we look through issue #16
- +0mAgent did · +0mFetched issue #16 and summarized the proposed approach: host dist/ on Vercel, create a prod manifest, and publish install docs for non-technical users.
- +1mPrompt · +1mCan we discuss approach? I do not think the xml manifest will actually work — we tried something like this previously
- +1mAgent did · +1mInvestigated existing manifest.prod.xml, docs/install.md, vercel.json, and prior git history; confirmed Vercel deployment is live and serving both taskpane.html and manifest.prod.xml with 200 responses.
- +2mAgent did · +2mLaid out what's already done (manifest, hosted UI, docs) and surfaced likely failure points around macOS sideloading fragility for the XML manifest approach.
- +8mPrompt · +8mAh for tools, we should just have a view tool that does gridlines, freeze panes, .... Let's decide what's included
- +9mAgent did · +9mAudited existing view-settings.ts tool and the Office.js API (Worksheet, PageLayout classes) to identify which view capabilities exist already (gridlines, headings, freeze, tab color) versus candidates to add (zoom, sheet visibility, standard width), and drafted a recommendation table.
- +13mPrompt · +13mCan you create a gh issue for this?
- +13mAgent did · +13mDrafted and filed GitHub issue #22 proposing to expand view_settings with sheet visibility (hide/show/very_hide), set_standard_width, and activate actions, referencing issue #18 for context.
- +13mOutcome · +13mSession ended with GitHub issue #22 created, scoping the view_settings tool expansion; issue #16 distribution approach left as an open discussion, no code changed.
VERDICT
Next time I'd open with both threads at once — the distribution manifest question and the view tool scope — since neither ended in code changes, just investigation and a filed issue. Pushing back on the XML manifest assumption early was the right call since we'd already tried and hit friction with it before, and it stopped the agent from repeating a dead end.