Excel beta adds multiple values, arrays and nested arrays to cells

Microsoft is testing a change that lets Excel users store multiple values in one cell while keeping those values separate for tasks such as filtering and calculation.

The features, called lists, arrays in cells and nested arrays, are rolling out to the Beta Channels of Excel for Windows and Mac. They are not generally available yet. Excel Senior Product Manager Jake Armstrong said users can keep values together in a cell while retaining their separate identities for filtering, calculation and other tasks.

Users must insert a list through the menu. Commas and semicolons then mark individual items within the cell, which Excel can treat as separate values rather than one text string. Microsoft is also adding support for arrays and nested arrays in cells, along with four functions for working with them: FLATTEN, HAS, HASANY and HASALL.

Microsoft says the beta has known issues involving conditional formatting, charts, and find and replace. The company’s roadmap includes other Excel upgrades as it adapts the spreadsheet software for users working with complex text entries, AI and coding interactions.