> let's just set a formula for the entire column, and make it refer to another column

Meet Lotus Improv (1991): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus_Improv

I think the patents have expired now.

Grist is it, in fact "GSheets + Airtable" is how people often see it. From https://blog.appsumo.com/airtable-alternatives/#3_Grist: "Grist has been described as if Google Sheets + Microsoft Excel + Airtable had a beautiful baby."

If when you say GSheets + Airtable, you're looking for a spreadsheet that is designed for data analysis +a let's you name columns and sets formulas to the entire column, then checkout Mito (https://www.trymito.io). Disclosure: I created Mito.

Mito doesn't have real time collaboration though. That is, not until Jupyter real time collaboration becomes more popular (https://jupyterlab.readthedocs.io/en/stable/user/rtc.html)

> set a formula for the entire column

Spreadsheet power users on both excel and sheets do exactly that. It’s called array formula. Press cmd-shift-enter on the cell with the formula and it’s valid for the entire column and can be changed in one central place.

Sounds like you're describing Grist! And it's open source. https://github.com/gristlabs/grist-core

> let's just set a formula for the entire column, and make it refer to another column. And let's name the columns something

If you turn a worksheet section into a proper Table in excel, it does exactly this.

> let's just set a formula for the entire column, and make it refer to another column. And let's name the columns something.

I don’t understand because you obviously can do this with sheets/excel

Hah, it's you again! I keep bumping into you on these threads and feeling like I'm reading my own words in your comments. Yes, spreadsheets are beautiful. Most developers are missing the vision (and I think they missed the point in your comment too)

> I wish there was something like GSheets + Airtable

Smartsheet.com ?

It’s called coda.io I use it for small data and I love it.