Specifying conditional formatting options

Conditional formatting options can be set for an entire column of data in the query results or for each detail, summary and grand total cell in a column. Based on the evaluation of a conditional expression, each column and cell in the query results can have a unique set of formatting attributes.

About this task

For example, within a column, you could specify that if a cell's content equals 0, then display the cell with a red background and if the value is 100, display the cell with a blue background.

To set conditional formatting:

Procedure

  1. Open the Layout Properties window. You can specify conditional formatting from either the Font page or the Format page depending on what results you want to apply to the data in the cell or column.
  2. Apply conditional formatting.
    1. Click the Detail branch to apply conditional formatting to the detail cells of the column.
    2. Click the column name Total branch to apply conditional formatting to the summary cell of the column.
    3. Click the Grand Total branch to apply conditional formatting to the grand total cell of the column.
  3. With the appropriate branch selected, click the Add icon. The control fields Condition name and Condition Expression become available.
  4. Provide a unique name to each conditional expression that you create by typing the name of the expression in the Condition name field.

    A branch is automatically created in the tree using the condition name.

    Each condition must have an expression.

  5. Type the expression in the Condition Expression field.

    You must follow the rules for building conditional formatting expressions. The expression language supports constant expressions, expressions defined as variables sourced on other columns in the result set (1, 2, for example), numeric operators (such as +, -, *, /), character operators (+, CONCAT), numeric and character functions (see the full list of functions here), and a set of logical and relational operators (such as &&, ||, !, ===, !==).

  6. After you have created the expression, select the Font or the Format page of the Layout Properties window to specify the formatting that will be applied to any cell in the column that meets the conditions set in the expression.
    Note: If you make any changes after from the Design tab after you have applied the conditional formatting, it is recommended to re-run the query.