Copy Conditional Formatting

Conditional formatting can be copied as part of the formatting of a cell by selecting the cell(s) and pressing option-command-C.

The format, including conditional format rules may then be pasted to another cell or group of cells on the same table or another table on the same or another sheet by selecting the cell(s) and pressing option-command-V.

The comparison specified in the rule(s) for the source cell will remain the same in the target cell. For rules where the comparison value is written into the rule, the comparison value will not change. For rules where the comparison is with the contents of another cell, the pasted format's rule will continue to compare its content with the contents of the same cell.

Here is an example, repeated three times with different values in the cells. Formatting was copied from A2, A3 and A4 of the first table, and pasted into the cells at the same location in the second table. That was repeated for cells A5, A6 and A7, and for cellls A8, A9 and A10. On the table at the right, all nine of these cells contain a simple text reference to the cell at the same position in the table at the left.

Two groups of cells use rules comparing the value in the cell with a fixed value. The third set compares its value with that in cells D2 and D3. The three rules are unchanged thoughout the examples.

1.

2.

3.

Regards,

Barry

Hi dtryon,

But wait! There is more!

In numbers 3, you can make Conditional Highlighting that depends on the value in another cell *relative* (non-absolute) when you fill that cell Down (or Right).

In this example, cells in column C have green fill when their value is greater than the cell in the *same row* in B.

Note the $B2 (not $B$2). Filling down changes the row number. Easy to do:

Untick Preserve Row (when filling down) and the row number will increment in each C cell. Here is the Conditional Highlighting rule for C3. It now compares its value with B3:

The result:

Regards,

Ian.

Do you mean Conditional Highlighting?

You can extend Conditional Highlight to new cells in a table by selecting the already formatted cells and the cells you want to extend the formatting to, then choosing Combine Highlighting Rules.

I haven't found a way to extend the formatting to cells in another table or sheet, though.

SG

I haven't found a way to copy then paste just the formatting. Unless someone else chimes in, I think you need to set up the conditional formatting again in the new sheet.

You could of course duplicate the sheet (via the drop down menu activated by the triangle to the right of the sheet name at the top) and the orginal formatting will carry over to the duplicate.

SG

I can confirm that in Numbers 3.0 Conditional Highlighting (the new name for Conditional Formatting) the highlighting can be copied and pasted to another table in the same sheet or another sheet via option-command-c and option-command-v as Barry described. Thanks to Barry for pointing this out!

I only tested this where the comparison value is written into the rule. I'm not sure of the behavior when the there is a relative reference (possible in Numbers 3, but not in Numbers 2) to the comparison value.

SG

@Ian,

What happens when the formatting of a cell containing a relative cell reference to the comparison value is copied (option-command-C), then pasted to a cell in a different table (o[tion-command-V)?

Is the comparison still to the value in the original cell, or is it to the cell on the 'new' table in the same position wrt the cell into which the formatting has been pasted?

Regards,

Barry

Hi Barry,

After pasting, the reference remains the same and comparison is with the cell in the new table. It does not refer back to the 'old' table.

Regards,

Ian