The whole idea started with this description found on the Openpyxl website page:
openpyxl is a Python library to read/write Excel 2010 xlsx/xlsm/xltx/xltm files.
Of course, the LibreOffice option could be just as valid if the interaction with Python is available, for automation purposes.
My first idea was with EXCEL simply because of the existence of Openpyxl, but the foundation of the idea would be to offer a more feature rich spreadsheet option to FreeCAD that would be facilitated with tools that already exist, be it LibreOffice or EXCEL or OnlyOffice or any other available tools out there.
The main criteria being: compatible and interactive via Python.
At first, EXCEL and Openpyxl seemed to offer a great start.
Here is a very crude presentation of how I see it working:
A user would build whatever is needed for his needs, utilizing math and cell names and formatting his worksheet as he see fit.
A VBA macro could save the Workbook in real-time after each cell modification (which is very quick in EXCEL, even with substantially big spreadsheet).
After some lengthy work within EXCEL, the user could go back to FreeCAD and run a Python macro that would read the EXCEL Workbook and target all properly named variables to update dimensions in the FreeCAD design.
The user would appreciate the result, and if modifications are needed, simply go back to the EXCEL spreadsheet and edit values.
Then rerun the Python macro for a subsequent CAD update.
Furthermore, I can see great potential to refine the "EXCEL import" Python macro. It could even become another workbench.
Such tool, i suspect, would spark new ideas by users who like EXCEL (or any other environments, so far as these are compatible with a Python interface)
Great results only comes with great understanding. Great memory is just an illusion.