Using Conditional Formatting to Monitor Table Cell Values
Conditional formatting changes a cell’s appearance when cells contain a test value,
which can be either a specific value that you supply or a value that matches another
value in a specific table cell.
To apply conditional formatting, you select one or more cells and then define one or
more rules. The rules specify which visual effects to associate with cells when they
contain the test value.
Rules applied to multiple cells trigger conditional formatting when any of the cells
contains the test value.
To set up or modify conditional formatting rules:
1
Select one or more cells.
To apply the same rules to an entire table, select the entire table. Rules you define are
applied only to the cells that are selected at the time you define the rule.
2
Click Inspector in the toolbar, click the Table inspector button, and click Format in the
Table inspector.
3
Click Show Rules to open the Conditional Format window.
4
Choose the logical rule of your test by making a selection from the “Choose a rule”
pop-up menu.
The options in the top section of the menu apply tests to numeric values. Options in
the middle section are for text values. The “With dates” option is for dates.
5
To specify a test value, do one of the following:
To specify a number or text, type it into the value field to the right of the
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pop-up menu.
If you’ve selected Between or Not Between as the logical rule, you’ll need to supply
two numbers.
To specify the value in an existing table cell, click the blue icon in the value field, and
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then click the table cell that contains the value you want.
If you’ve selected Between or Not Between as the logical rule, you’ll need to supply
two cell locations.
6
To specify the formatting to apply to cells that contain the test value, click Edit and
then make selections as described:
Text color well: Click it to select a color to apply to cell values.
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Chapter 10
Using Tables
Chapter 10
Using Tables
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Font style buttons: Click B to show cell values in boldface; click I to show them in
italics; click U to underline cell values; or click T to apply the strikethrough style.
Fill color well: Click it to select a cell fill color.
As you click, the Sample box displays the effect of your selections.
7
When you’re satisfied with the effect, click Done.
8
To add another rule, click the Add button (+) and repeat steps 3 through 7.
To delete a rule, click the Remove button (–).
To clear all the rules, click “Clear All Rules.”
9
To delete a rule, click the Remove button (–).
10
To change a rule, redefine its pop-up menu options, change test values, or change
formatting, do any of the following:
To delete a test value that refers to a table cell, select a cell reference in the test
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value field and press Delete.
To replace a cell reference with a different one, select the cell reference in the test
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value field and then click a different table cell with the value you want.
To replace a textual test value with a cell reference, select the text in the test value
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field and click the small blue icon, and then click a table cell.
11
To apply the same conditional formatting rules to cells in different tables, select a
cell whose rules you want to reuse, choose Edit > Copy, select one or more cells in a
different table, and choose Edit > Paste.
12
To find all the cells in a table that have the same conditional formatting rules as a
particular cell, select the cell, and click “Select All.”
Cells with matching rules are selected in the table.
If more than one rule is defined for a cell and the cell's value satisfies the conditions of
multiple rules:
The text color applied is the color associated with the topmost rule with a text
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color specified.
The font style applied is the font style associated with the topmost rule that has a
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font style specified.
The fill color applied is the fill color associated with the topmost rule that has a fill
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color specified.
After the text color you specify has been applied to a cell value, if you type new text
into the cell after placing an insertion point and changing the text color in the format
bar or the Text inspector, the new text appears in the new text color, but the existing
text retains the color you set in the rule.