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Chapter 2: Formatting the Spreadsheet 33
empty cells), and then open the AutoFormat dialog box (Format➪AutoFormat). Now
select the style of table formatting to apply to the table from the samples shown in this
dialog box.

Exercise 2-7: Formatting a Table with AutoFormat

Open the Exercise2-7.xls workbook file in your Chapter 2 folder inside the My Practice
Spreadsheets folder in My Documents on your hard disk (or in the Excel Workbook
folder on the workbook’s CD-ROM) and then practice using AutoFormat to format
another copy of the unformatted Production Schedule for 2006 table, this time in one
operation:

1. Open the AutoFormat dialog box and then double-click the Classic 1 sample.
2. Click the Undo button or press Ctrl+Z to remove this table formatting and then
open the AutoFormat dialog box a second time. This time, double-click the List 3
sample.
3. Apply the Number format with zero decimal places to the cell range B3:J7.
4. Move the cell cursor to cell A1 and then check your Production Schedule table
formatted with AutoFormat against the one shown in Solved2-7.xls in the Chapter
2 folder. When everything checks out, save your work as a new workbook called
Production Schedule 06 – autofmt.xls in your My Spreadsheets (or My Practice
Spreadsheets) folder inside My Documents on your hard disk and then close the
workbook.

Using Conditional Formatting

Conditional Formatting enables you to set up a particular type of formatting that goes
into effect only when a condition or a series of conditions that you define actually go
into effect in the spreadsheet. This type of formatting is useful when you want to apply
a special type of formatting (such as a red fill color or underlining) to a cell to alert
when its calculated data entry reaches a particular (high or low) value.

Try It

Exercise 2-8: Formatting Cells with Conditional Formatting
Open the Exercise2-8.xls workbook in the Chapter 2 folder and then use its Income
Statement to get practice in applying and using Conditional Formatting by doing the
following:

1. Put the cell cursor in cell B10 containing the formula for calculating the total
operating loss and then open the Conditional Formatting dialog box.
2. Click the drop-down list button in the box to the immediate right of the one that
says Cell Value Is and select Greater Than or Equal To on its drop-down menu.
3. Click the empty text box to the immediate right of the drop-down list box that
now says Greater Than or Equal To and then type 100000 (1 and five zeros).
4. Click the Format button to open the Format Cells dialog box where you select
the following formatting:
• Bold as the Font Style and Yellow as the Color on the Font tab
• Red as the Color and 6.25% Gray as the Pattern on the Patterns tab