Special Edition Using Microsoft® Office XP

Using Conditional Formatting to Identify Key Values

Conditional formatting lets you set font attributes, colors, and other formatting options that cause data to appear differently based on the value displayed in a cell. Most often, you'll use this feature to set an alarm that highlights data that is outside of an expected range. For example, you might attach conditional formatting to a row of totals on a daily sales report, displaying each cell's contents in bold red letters if it falls below a target level and in bright green if the number is significantly above average. In an employee roster, you might use bold formatting to identify the names of employees who are overdue for a formal evaluation.

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Conditional formats are most effective ...