Conditional formatting is a feature of Excel which allows you to apply a format to a cell or a range of cells based on certain criteria.
For example the following rules are used to highlight cells in the conditional_format.py example:
worksheet.conditional_format('B3:K12', {'type': 'cell',
'criteria': '>=',
'value': 50,
'format': format1})
worksheet.conditional_format('B3:K12', {'type': 'cell',
'criteria': '<',
'value': 50,
'format': format2})
Which gives criteria like this:
And output which looks like this:
It is also possible to create color scales and data bars:
The conditional_format()
worksheet method is used to apply formatting
based on user defined criteria to an XlsxWriter file.
The conditional format can be applied to a single cell or a range of cells. As usual you can use A1 or Row/Column notation (Working with Cell Notation).
With Row/Column notation you must specify all four cells in the range:
(first_row, first_col, last_row, last_col)
. If you need to refer to a
single cell set the last_*
values equal to the first_*
values. With A1
notation you can refer to a single cell or a range of cells:
worksheet.conditional_format(0, 0, 4, 1, {...})
worksheet.conditional_format('B1', {...})
worksheet.conditional_format('C1:E5', {...})
The options parameter in conditional_format()
must be a dictionary
containing the parameters that describe the type and style of the conditional
format. The main parameters are:
type
format
criteria
value
minimum
maximum
Other, less commonly used parameters are:
min_type
mid_type
max_type
min_value
mid_value
max_value
min_color
mid_color
max_color
bar_color
multi_range
The conditional format options that can be used with conditional_format()
are explained in the following sections.
The type
option is a required parameter and it has no default value.
Allowable type
values and their associated parameters are:
Type | Parameters |
---|---|
cell | criteria |
value | |
minimum | |
maximum | |
date | criteria |
value | |
minimum | |
maximum | |
time_period | criteria |
text | criteria |
value | |
average | criteria |
duplicate | (none) |
unique | (none) |
top | criteria |
value | |
bottom | criteria |
value | |
blanks | (none) |
no_blanks | (none) |
errors | (none) |
no_errors | (none) |
2_color_scale | min_type |
max_type | |
min_value | |
max_value | |
min_color | |
max_color | |
3_color_scale | min_type |
mid_type | |
max_type | |
min_value | |
mid_value | |
max_value | |
min_color | |
mid_color | |
max_color | |
data_bar | min_type |
max_type | |
min_value | |
max_value | |
bar_color | |
formula | criteria |
All conditional formatting types have an associated Format parameter, see below.
This is the most common conditional formatting type. It is used when a format is applied to a cell based on a simple criterion.
For example using a single cell and the greater than
criteria:
worksheet.conditional_format('A1', {'type': 'cell',
'criteria': 'greater than',
'value': 5,
'format': red_format})
Or, using a range and the between
criteria:
worksheet.conditional_format('C1:C4', {'type': 'cell',
'criteria': 'between',
'minimum': 20,
'maximum': 30,
'format': green_format})
Other types are shown below, after the other main options.
The criteria
parameter is used to set the criteria by which the cell data
will be evaluated. It has no default value. The most common criteria as
applied to {'type': 'cell'}
are:
between |
|
not between |
|
equal to |
== |
not equal to |
!= |
greater than |
> |
less than |
< |
greater than or equal to |
>= |
less than or equal to |
<= |
You can either use Excel’s textual description strings, in the first column above, or the more common symbolic alternatives.
Additional criteria which are specific to other conditional format types are shown in the relevant sections below.
The value
is generally used along with the criteria
parameter to set
the rule by which the cell data will be evaluated:
worksheet.conditional_format('A1', {'type': 'cell',
'criteria': 'greater than',
'value': 5,
'format': red_format})
The value
property can also be an cell reference:
worksheet.conditional_format('A1', {'type': 'cell',
'criteria': 'greater than',
'value': '$C$1',
'format': red_format})
Note
In general any value
property that refers to a cell reference should
use an absolute reference, especially if the
conditional formatting is applied to a range of values. Without an absolute
cell reference the conditional format will not be applied correctly by
Excel from the first cell in the formatted range.
The format
parameter is used to specify the format that will be applied to
the cell when the conditional formatting criterion is met. The format is
created using the add_format()
method in the same way as cell formats:
format1 = workbook.add_format({'bold': 1, 'italic': 1})
worksheet.conditional_format('A1', {'type': 'cell',
'criteria': '>',
'value': 5,
'format': format1})
Note
In Excel, a conditional format is superimposed over the existing cell format and not all cell format properties can be modified. Properties that cannot be modified in a conditional format are font name, font size, superscript and subscript, diagonal borders, all alignment properties and all protection properties.
Excel specifies some default formats to be used with conditional formatting. These can be replicated using the following XlsxWriter formats:
# Light red fill with dark red text.
format1 = workbook.add_format({'bg_color': '#FFC7CE',
'font_color': '#9C0006'})
# Light yellow fill with dark yellow text.
format2 = workbook.add_format({'bg_color': '#FFEB9C',
'font_color': '#9C6500'})
# Green fill with dark green text.
format3 = workbook.add_format({'bg_color': '#C6EFCE',
'font_color': '#006100'})
See also The Format Class.
The minimum
parameter is used to set the lower limiting value when the
criteria
is either 'between'
or 'not between'
:
worksheet.conditional_format('A1', {'type': 'cell',
'criteria': 'between',
'minimum': 2,
'maximum': 6,
'format': format1,
})
The maximum
parameter is used to set the upper limiting value when the
criteria
is either 'between'
or 'not between'
. See the previous
example.
The date
type is similar the cell
type and uses the same criteria and
values. However, the value
, minimum
and maximum
properties are
specified as a datetime object as shown in Working with Dates and Time:
date = datetime.datetime.strptime('2011-01-01', "%Y-%m-%d")
worksheet.conditional_format('A1:A4', {'type': 'date',
'criteria': 'greater than',
'value': date,
'format': format1})
The time_period
type is used to specify Excel’s “Dates Occurring” style
conditional format:
worksheet.conditional_format('A1:A4', {'type': 'time_period',
'criteria': 'yesterday',
'format': format1})
The period is set in the criteria
and can have one of the following values:
'criteria': 'yesterday',
'criteria': 'today',
'criteria': 'last 7 days',
'criteria': 'last week',
'criteria': 'this week',
'criteria': 'continue week',
'criteria': 'last month',
'criteria': 'this month',
'criteria': 'continue month'
The text
type is used to specify Excel’s “Specific Text” style conditional
format. It is used to do simple string matching using the criteria
and
value
parameters:
worksheet.conditional_format('A1:A4', {'type': 'text',
'criteria': 'containing',
'value': 'foo',
'format': format1})
The criteria
can have one of the following values:
'criteria': 'containing',
'criteria': 'not containing',
'criteria': 'begins with',
'criteria': 'ends with',
The value
parameter should be a string or single character.
The average
type is used to specify Excel’s “Average” style conditional
format:
worksheet.conditional_format('A1:A4', {'type': 'average',
'criteria': 'above',
'format': format1})
The type of average for the conditional format range is specified by the
criteria
:
'criteria': 'above',
'criteria': 'below',
'criteria': 'equal or above',
'criteria': 'equal or below',
'criteria': '1 std dev above',
'criteria': '1 std dev below',
'criteria': '2 std dev above',
'criteria': '2 std dev below',
'criteria': '3 std dev above',
'criteria': '3 std dev below',
The duplicate
type is used to highlight duplicate cells in a range:
worksheet.conditional_format('A1:A4', {'type': 'duplicate',
'format': format1})
The unique
type is used to highlight unique cells in a range:
worksheet.conditional_format('A1:A4', {'type': 'unique',
'format': format1})
The top
type is used to specify the top n
values by number or
percentage in a range:
worksheet.conditional_format('A1:A4', {'type': 'top',
'value': 10,
'format': format1})
The criteria
can be used to indicate that a percentage condition is
required:
worksheet.conditional_format('A1:A4', {'type': 'top',
'value': 10,
'criteria': '%',
'format': format1})
The bottom
type is used to specify the bottom n
values by number or
percentage in a range.
It takes the same parameters as top
, see above.
The blanks
type is used to highlight blank cells in a range:
worksheet.conditional_format('A1:A4', {'type': 'blanks',
'format': format1})
The no_blanks
type is used to highlight non blank cells in a range:
worksheet.conditional_format('A1:A4', {'type': 'no_blanks',
'format': format1})
The errors
type is used to highlight error cells in a range:
worksheet.conditional_format('A1:A4', {'type': 'errors',
'format': format1})
The no_errors
type is used to highlight non error cells in a range:
worksheet.conditional_format('A1:A4', {'type': 'no_errors',
'format': format1})
The 2_color_scale
type is used to specify Excel’s “2 Color Scale” style
conditional format:
worksheet.conditional_format('A1:A12', {'type': '2_color_scale'})
This conditional type can be modified with min_type
, max_type
,
min_value
, max_value
, min_color
and max_color
, see below.
The 3_color_scale
type is used to specify Excel’s “3 Color Scale” style
conditional format:
worksheet.conditional_format('A1:A12', {'type': '3_color_scale'})
This conditional type can be modified with min_type
, mid_type
,
max_type
, min_value
, mid_value
, max_value
, min_color
,
mid_color
and max_color
, see below.
The data_bar
type is used to specify Excel’s “Data Bar” style conditional
format:
worksheet.conditional_format('A1:A12', {'type': 'data_bar'})
This conditional type can be modified with min_type
, max_type
,
min_value
, max_value
and bar_color
, see below.
The formula
type is used to specify a conditional format based on a user
defined formula:
worksheet.conditional_format('A1:A4', {'type': 'formula',
'criteria': '=$A$1>5',
'format': format1})
The formula is specified in the criteria
.
Formulas must be written with the US style separator/range operator which is a
comma (not semi-colon) and should follow the same rules as
write_formula()
. Also any cell or range references in the formula should
be absolute references if they are applied to the full
range of the conditional format. See the note in the value
section above.
The min_type
and max_type
properties are available when the conditional
formatting type is 2_color_scale
, 3_color_scale
or data_bar
. The
mid_type
is available for 3_color_scale
. The properties are used as
follows:
worksheet.conditional_format('A1:A12', {'type': '2_color_scale',
'min_type': 'percent',
'max_type': 'percent'})
The available min/mid/max types are:
min (for min_type only)
num
percent
percentile
formula
max (for max_type only)
Used for 3_color_scale
. Same as min_type
, see above.
Same as min_type
, see above.
The min_value
and max_value
properties are available when the
conditional formatting type is 2_color_scale
, 3_color_scale
or
data_bar
. The mid_value
is available for 3_color_scale
. The
properties are used as follows:
worksheet.conditional_format('A1:A12', {'type': '2_color_scale',
'min_value': 10,
'max_value': 90})
Used for 3_color_scale
. Same as min_value
, see above.
Same as min_value
, see above.
The min_color
and max_color
properties are available when the
conditional formatting type is 2_color_scale
, 3_color_scale
or
data_bar
. The mid_color
is available for 3_color_scale
. The
properties are used as follows:
worksheet.conditional_format('A1:A12', {'type': '2_color_scale',
'min_color': '#C5D9F1',
'max_color': '#538ED5'})
The color can be a Html style #RRGGBB
string or a limited number named
colors, see Working with Colors.
Used for 3_color_scale
. Same as min_color
, see above.
Same as min_color
, see above.
Used for data_bar
. Same as min_color
, see above.
The multi_range
option is used to extend a conditional format over
non-contiguous ranges.
It is possible to apply the conditional format to different cell ranges in a
worksheet using multiple calls to conditional_format()
. However, as a
minor optimization it is also possible in Excel to apply the same conditional
format to different non-contiguous cell ranges.
This is replicated in conditional_format()
using the multi_range
option. The range must contain the primary range for the conditional format
and any others separated by spaces.
For example to apply one conditional format to two ranges, 'B3:K6'
and
'B9:K12'
:
worksheet.conditional_format('B3:K6', {'type': 'cell',
'criteria': '>=',
'value': 50,
'format': format1,
'multi_range': 'B3:K6 B9:K12'})
Highlight cells greater than an integer value:
worksheet.conditional_format('A1:F10', {'type': 'cell',
'criteria': 'greater than',
'value': 5,
'format': format1})
Highlight cells greater than a value in a reference cell:
worksheet.conditional_format('A1:F10', {'type': 'cell',
'criteria': 'greater than',
'value': 'H1',
'format': format1})
Highlight cells more recent (greater) than a certain date:
date = datetime.datetime.strptime('2011-01-01', "%Y-%m-%d")
worksheet.conditional_format('A1:F10', {'type': 'date',
'criteria': 'greater than',
'value': date,
'format': format1})
Highlight cells with a date in the last seven days:
worksheet.conditional_format('A1:F10', {'type': 'time_period',
'criteria': 'last 7 days',
'format': format1})
Highlight cells with strings starting with the letter b
:
worksheet.conditional_format('A1:F10', {'type': 'text',
'criteria': 'begins with',
'value': 'b',
'format': format1})
Highlight cells that are 1 standard deviation above the average for the range:
worksheet.conditional_format('A1:F10', {'type': 'average',
'format': format1})
Highlight duplicate cells in a range:
worksheet.conditional_format('A1:F10', {'type': 'duplicate',
'format': format1})
Highlight unique cells in a range:
worksheet.conditional_format('A1:F10', {'type': 'unique',
'format': format1})
Highlight the top 10 cells:
worksheet.conditional_format('A1:F10', {'type': 'top',
'value': 10,
'format': format1})
Highlight blank cells:
worksheet.conditional_format('A1:F10', {'type': 'blanks',
'format': format1})
See also Example: Conditional Formatting.