Lesson 33: "Conditional Formatting" (2)

Enter Rules

The previous lesson showed us a fairly simple method of “Conditional Formatting”.

In this lesson we are going to expand on it slightly and explore our own conditions for formatting.

The first thing we do here is to select the “Range”. Next, click the “Conditional Formatting” in the “Ribbon”, select “Highlight Cells Rules” in the drop-down menu, and click the “Greater than …”.
This opens a dialog where we can type a value in the first box or click “Expand” (1) to select a cell value.
Next, choose the layout that you wish to apply by clicking the downward pointing arrow (2). Once you’ve selected something, you will see a preview of it appear in the “Worksheet” (3). Click the OK button when you are satisfied.

If you wish to make your own layout, choose “Custom layout” when you click the downward pointing arrow (2).

This opens a dialog where you can set fonts, border, and fillings for the cells.

I have set the example for the “Greater than …”, but this is different for each of the options in the drop-down menu. For example if you chose the “Between …” option, of course you will have to enter two values.

Quite logical.

New Formatting Rule

We also have the ability to determine our own formatting rules in “Excel”.

Again, we first select the “Range”.

Then click the “Conditional Formatting” in the “Ribbon”, and click “New Rule” in the drop-down menu.
This opens the “New Formatting Rule” dialog box. At the top we find a number of “Rule type”(s). They are all self explanatory.
As an example I choose the first option “Format all cells based on their values.” When a type of rule is chosen, a preview will appear at the bottom of the dialog with a number of styles and values which that can be set.

The possibilities are enormous making it impossible to discuss all of them in a single lesson. I suggest you try them when you have some time available. Click OK when you are satisfied with the settings of a rule.

Manage Rules

Lastly, I want to talk about the management of rules. Also very easy.

Click the “Conditional Formatting” in the “Ribbon” and select “Manage Rules” in the drop-down menu. This opens a dialog where all our rules are used. In the top box (1) choose whether you want to see the rules which are applied to the “Current selection” or the rules applicable to the “Worksheet”.

If you choose the first, you first need to select a “Range” upon which Conditional Formatting Rules have been applied.

Below screen map shows three buttons (2). All are self-explanatory. Besides these three buttons, we find two arrows (3) with which we change the order of execution of the different rules. Right next to the rules we have the checkboxes “Stop if true” (4).
By selecting these boxes we determine where the evaluation stops.

Result:

Awesome!
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Lesson 33

Office 2010 - Excel