Use the Excel Export API to Format Cells based on the Text in the Cell

• Sep 19, 2023
• 3 minutes to read

The following example demonstrates how to apply a text-based conditional formatting rule.

1. Create a new XlConditionalFormatting instance that contains formatting rules and settings.
2. Specify the cell range to which the formatting is going to be applied. To do that, add the target range to the ranges collection, accessible through the XlConditionalFormatting.Ranges property.

3. Create a new XlCondFmtRuleSpecificText object that represents the new formatting rule. Pass the following parameters.

   • One of the XlCondFmtSpecificTextType enumeration values to specify the formatting rule condition.
   • The string text that will be used as a formatting criterion.

4. Specify the formatting parameters to the cells conforming to the condition.

   • To use one of the built-in cell styles, set the XlCondFmtRuleWithFormatting.Formatting property to the corresponding XlCellFormatting enumeration value.
   • To apply a custom background color, use the XlFormatting.Fill property or use one of the static XlFill methods as a XlCondFmtRuleWithFormatting.Formatting property value. The XlFormatting.Font property allows you to set the desired font parameters (color, size, etc.).
5. Add the newly created rule to the corresponding collection contained in the XlConditionalFormatting object by calling the Add method.
6. To activate the created conditional formatting rule, add the object created in step 1 to the worksheet collection of conditional formatting rules. The collection can be accessed through the IXlSheet.ConditionalFormattings property.

View Example

ConditionalFormattingActions.cs

// Create an instance of the XlConditionalFormatting class.
XlConditionalFormatting formatting = new XlConditionalFormatting();

// Specify the cell range
// to which the conditional formatting rule should be applied (B2:B7).
formatting.Ranges.Add(XlCellRange.FromLTRB(1, 1, 1, 6));

// Create the rule to highlight cells that contain the given text.
XlCondFmtRuleSpecificText rule =
     new XlCondFmtRuleSpecificText(XlCondFmtSpecificTextType.Contains, "worldwide");

// Specify formatting settings to be applied to cells
// if the condition is true.
rule.Formatting = XlCellFormatting.Neutral;
formatting.Rules.Add(rule);

// Add the specified format options
// to the worksheet collection of conditional formats.
sheet.ConditionalFormattings.Add(formatting);

ConditionalFormattingActions.vb

' Create an instance of the XlConditionalFormatting class.
Dim formatting As New XlConditionalFormatting()

' Specify the cell range
' to which the conditional formatting rule should be applied (B2:B7).
formatting.Ranges.Add(XlCellRange.FromLTRB(1, 1, 1, 6))
' Create the rule to highlight cells that contain the given text.
Dim rule As
     New XlCondFmtRuleSpecificText(XlCondFmtSpecificTextType.Contains, "worldwide")

' Specify formatting settings to be applied to cells
' if the condition is true.
rule.Formatting = XlCellFormatting.Neutral
formatting.Rules.Add(rule)

' Add the specified format options
' to the worksheet collection of conditional formats.
sheet.ConditionalFormattings.Add(formatting)

The following image illustrates the result. The cells with the text that contains the word “worldwide” are formatted using the “Neutral” cell style.