Overview Improvements for Excel Worksheets

[Feda]

I usually create a color pattern alternating between a white and gray
background for the rows in my Excel worksheets to improve overview in sheets
with a lot of columns. The problem with that is that I have to keep redoing
the pattern every time I add or delete rows.
Adding an option in Excel to natively show rows or columns with this pattern
that would adjust automatically when rows are added or deleted would be a
great feature that would greatly improve overview of the data when working
with large worksheets. The colors should be customizable and there should be
an option to choose whether to print the pattern or not.


----------------
This post is a suggestion for Microsoft, and Microsoft responds to the
suggestions with the most votes. To vote for this suggestion, click the "I
Agree" button in the message pane. If you do not see the button, follow this
link to open the suggestion in the Microsoft Web-based Newsreader and then
click "I Agree" in the message pane.

http://www.microsoft.com/office/comm...lic.excel.misc

[Duke Carey]

In the meantime, you can use conditional formatting to highlight rows.
Conditional formatting is available in XL2000 and later

Select all the rows you want affected by the shading
On the menus choose Format->Conditional Formatting
Chose Formula is and type

=mod(row(),2)=0 (this is for alternating rows - change the 2 to a 3 for
every third row, etc)

Click on the format button & choose a color on the Patterns tab.
OK your way back to the spreadsheet

Now inserting and deleting rows will not change the highlighting.



"Feda" wrote:

> I usually create a color pattern alternating between a white and gray
> background for the rows in my Excel worksheets to improve overview in sheets
> with a lot of columns. The problem with that is that I have to keep redoing
> the pattern every time I add or delete rows.
> Adding an option in Excel to natively show rows or columns with this pattern
> that would adjust automatically when rows are added or deleted would be a
> great feature that would greatly improve overview of the data when working
> with large worksheets. The colors should be customizable and there should be
> an option to choose whether to print the pattern or not.
>
>
> ----------------
> This post is a suggestion for Microsoft, and Microsoft responds to the
> suggestions with the most votes. To vote for this suggestion, click the "I
> Agree" button in the message pane. If you do not see the button, follow this
> link to open the suggestion in the Microsoft Web-based Newsreader and then
> click "I Agree" in the message pane.
>
> http://www.microsoft.com/office/comm...lic.excel.misc

[Duke Carey]

Forgot to mention that I've created a small add-in - Greenbar.xla - to assist
in shading rows. My wife works in a department in which they frequently
examine text files coming from a mainframe app. 70 or 80 columns & thousands
of rows. She & her co-workers needed the greenbar shading to assist the
reviews and asked me for help.

If you'd like I can email it to you


"Feda" wrote:

> I usually create a color pattern alternating between a white and gray
> background for the rows in my Excel worksheets to improve overview in sheets
> with a lot of columns. The problem with that is that I have to keep redoing
> the pattern every time I add or delete rows.
> Adding an option in Excel to natively show rows or columns with this pattern
> that would adjust automatically when rows are added or deleted would be a
> great feature that would greatly improve overview of the data when working
> with large worksheets. The colors should be customizable and there should be
> an option to choose whether to print the pattern or not.
>
>
> ----------------
> This post is a suggestion for Microsoft, and Microsoft responds to the
> suggestions with the most votes. To vote for this suggestion, click the "I
> Agree" button in the message pane. If you do not see the button, follow this
> link to open the suggestion in the Microsoft Web-based Newsreader and then
> click "I Agree" in the message pane.
>
> http://www.microsoft.com/office/comm...lic.excel.misc

[Feda]

That worked like a charm. Thank you!
I still hope they add this feature in the future so it can be set as a
default setting for all the worksheets.

"Duke Carey" wrote:

> In the meantime, you can use conditional formatting to highlight rows.
> Conditional formatting is available in XL2000 and later
>
> Select all the rows you want affected by the shading
> On the menus choose Format->Conditional Formatting
> Chose Formula is and type
>
> =mod(row(),2)=0 (this is for alternating rows - change the 2 to a 3 for
> every third row, etc)
>
> Click on the format button & choose a color on the Patterns tab.
> OK your way back to the spreadsheet
>
> Now inserting and deleting rows will not change the highlighting.
>
>
>
> "Feda" wrote:
>
> > I usually create a color pattern alternating between a white and gray
> > background for the rows in my Excel worksheets to improve overview in sheets
> > with a lot of columns. The problem with that is that I have to keep redoing
> > the pattern every time I add or delete rows.
> > Adding an option in Excel to natively show rows or columns with this pattern
> > that would adjust automatically when rows are added or deleted would be a
> > great feature that would greatly improve overview of the data when working
> > with large worksheets. The colors should be customizable and there should be
> > an option to choose whether to print the pattern or not.
> >
> >
> > ----------------
> > This post is a suggestion for Microsoft, and Microsoft responds to the
> > suggestions with the most votes. To vote for this suggestion, click the "I
> > Agree" button in the message pane. If you do not see the button, follow this
> > link to open the suggestion in the Microsoft Web-based Newsreader and then
> > click "I Agree" in the message pane.
> >
> > http://www.microsoft.com/office/comm...lic.excel.misc

[Natasha D.]

I want to do something related, which is this:
I want to select the entire worksheet and say things like "If column E says
"x" then color the associated rows blue;" "If column A has "*" or **" then
apply StyleY to the rows." I want to make a whole bunch of statements like
this, and then save it as a flexible template- where the formatting is
referenced to cell text and formatting- not set column/row numbers. I can't
figure out how to do it based on the user-friendly "prompt features"...but it
sounds like if I learn how to write the statements then I can make this
happen? Any insight would be very much appreciated.

"Duke Carey" wrote:

> Forgot to mention that I've created a small add-in - Greenbar.xla - to assist
> in shading rows. My wife works in a department in which they frequently
> examine text files coming from a mainframe app. 70 or 80 columns & thousands
> of rows. She & her co-workers needed the greenbar shading to assist the
> reviews and asked me for help.
>
> If you'd like I can email it to you
>
>
> "Feda" wrote:
>
> > I usually create a color pattern alternating between a white and gray
> > background for the rows in my Excel worksheets to improve overview in sheets
> > with a lot of columns. The problem with that is that I have to keep redoing
> > the pattern every time I add or delete rows.
> > Adding an option in Excel to natively show rows or columns with this pattern
> > that would adjust automatically when rows are added or deleted would be a
> > great feature that would greatly improve overview of the data when working
> > with large worksheets. The colors should be customizable and there should be
> > an option to choose whether to print the pattern or not.
> >
> >
> > ----------------
> > This post is a suggestion for Microsoft, and Microsoft responds to the
> > suggestions with the most votes. To vote for this suggestion, click the "I
> > Agree" button in the message pane. If you do not see the button, follow this
> > link to open the suggestion in the Microsoft Web-based Newsreader and then
> > click "I Agree" in the message pane.
> >
> > http://www.microsoft.com/office/comm...lic.excel.misc