Rust-powered terminal spreadsheet that recreates Lotus 1-2-3 R3.4a DOS keyboard fidelity with native .xlsx round-trip via IronCalc.
Key Takeaways
Eight milestones shipped: grid nav, formula engine, slash menus, .xlsx/.csv I/O, 3D sheets, printing, 7 graph types, and WYSIWYG icon panel.
Formula syntax is strict 1-2-3: @SUM(A1..A5), .. range separator, #AND#/#OR# logical operators – l123-parse translates to Excel syntax before IronCalc sees it.
Architecture is a strict Rust workspace: l123-core (zero deps) up through l123-ui (ratatui + crossterm); IronCalc sits behind an Engine trait and can be swapped.
Authenticity contract requires a cold 1-2-3 R3.4a user to drive it without reading docs, enforced by keystroke-in/screen-out .tsv acceptance transcripts.
Still pre-v1.0: macros (/X, {BRANCH}, {IF}), /Data tree, context help (F1), and .wk3 read-only import remain on the roadmap.
Hacker News Comment Review
Discussion pivots away from l123 itself toward adjacent terminal data tools, with one commenter recommending VisiData for data wrangling instead.
A second commenter asks about terminal word processing (WordPerfect-style), suggesting the audience is broadly interested in reviving keyboard-first DOS-era productivity tools, not just spreadsheets.
No technical critique of l123’s architecture, IronCalc integration, or formula compatibility appears in current comments.
Notable Comments
@recsv-heredoc: recommends VisiData as a powerful terminal-native data wrangling alternative worth knowing alongside l123.
