What I really want is a spreadsheet that separates formulas from data as Lotus Improv did, has a native understanding of tables as Apple Numbers has, and solves circular references as Microsoft Excel does.
In Grist, check out the "Code View" page in the left-side panel -- it shows all the logic (i.e. formulas) of the document along with the Python data model (i.e. all the column names and types).
Also, you can save or download a copy of the document without the data, but keeping all the formulas. So you can get all the logic (and formatting, layouts, etc), and use it for different data.
(No support for solving circular references though.)
I really adored the old versions that had the sidebar with sheet and table lists.
But yeah, it definitely has enormous potential. They just keep adding features that are pretty useless, such as the ability to annotate with a Pencil or various realtime collaboration features. That’s all pretty pointless. They have a potential winner on their hands and they don’t even bother implementing the stuff power users need. Keynote clearly benefitted from Steve’s intensive use of it. Somebody in the C-suite really needs to settle into using Numbers as their main spreadsheet and then growl at developers to implement the features they find themselves wanting.
https://sourceforge.net/projects/flexisheet/
but getting it compiled/working is left as an exercise for the reader.
I miss it, book, and a bunch of other cool stuff from early Mac OS X days.