TdxSpreadSheetConditionalFormattingRuleExpression Class

An Expression conditional formatting rule.

Declaration

TdxSpreadSheetConditionalFormattingRuleExpression = class(
    TdxSpreadSheetConditionalFormattingRuleStyleBased
)

Remarks

An Expression rule allows you to use a custom expression to evaluate cell values in the target range. If the specified expression returns TRUE for a cell, the rule applies custom formatting to the cell.

VCL Spreadsheet: A Conditional Formatting Expression Example

Main API Members

The list below outlines key members of the TdxSpreadSheetConditionalFormattingRuleExpression class. These members allow you to configure Expression rule settings.

Common Rule API Members

Areas: Allows you to manage the conditional formatting rule’s target areas.
Clone: Copies the rule between different sets of target areas.
Index | StopIfTrue: Specify how the rule interacts with other conditional formatting rules applied to the same cells.

Rule-Specific API Members

Expression

Specifies a spreadsheet-compatible formula expression as a cell formatting criterion.

If the specified expression returns TRUE for a cell in a target area, the rule applies custom formatting to the cell.

Formulas

Provides access to parsed formula expressions.

Style

Allows you to define the appearance of formatted cells.

General-Purpose API Members

Assign: Copies compatible settings between conditional formatting rules.
BeginUpdate | EndUpdate: Allow you to avoid excessive redraw operations during batch rule setting changes.
GetDetails: Returns the conditional formatting rule’s name displayed in the Conditional Formatting Rules Manager dialog.
LoadFromStream | SaveToStream: Allow you to store conditional formatting rule settings in a stream.
Owner: Provides access to the parent conditional formatting controller.

Create an Expression Rule

To create an Expression conditional formatting rule, you can call one of the overloaded Add procedures of the corresponding conditional formatting controller and pass a reference to the TdxSpreadSheetConditionalFormattingRuleExpression class as the ARuleClass parameter:

TcxDataControllerConditionalFormatting.Add: Creates a new conditional formatting rule for a Data Grid, Tree List, or Vertical Grid control.
TdxSpreadSheetConditionalFormatting.Add: Creates a new conditional formatting rule in a spreadsheet document.

Alternatively, you can call the constructor of the TdxSpreadSheetConditionalFormattingRuleExpression class and pass the target conditional formatting controller as the AOwner parameter.

Delete a Conditional Formatting Rule

To delete an individual Expression conditional formatting rule, do one of the following:

Call the TdxSpreadSheetCustomConditionalFormatting.Remove procedure and pass the rule as a parameter.
Release the rule directly in code (call the Free procedure in Delphi or use the delete keyword in C++Builder).

Alternatively, you can call the TdxSpreadSheetCustomConditionalFormatting.Clear procedure to delete all rules in a conditional formatting controller.

Other Style-Based Conditional Formatting Rule Classes

You can also use the following style-based rules to apply spreadsheet-compatible style settings to cells that meet specific conditions:

TdxSpreadSheetConditionalFormattingRuleAboveOrBelowAverage: An Above or Below Average conditional formatting rule.
TdxSpreadSheetConditionalFormattingRuleCellIs: A Cell Is conditional formatting rule.
TdxSpreadSheetConditionalFormattingRuleDuplicateValues: A Duplicate Values conditional formatting rule.
TdxSpreadSheetConditionalFormattingRuleTopBottomValues: A Top/Bottom Values conditional formatting rule.
TdxSpreadSheetConditionalFormattingRuleUniqueValues: A Unique Values conditional formatting rule.

Indirect TdxSpreadSheetConditionalFormattingRuleExpression Class References

The TdxSpreadSheetCustomConditionalFormatting.Rules property references the TdxSpreadSheetConditionalFormattingRuleExpression class as a TdxSpreadSheetCustomConditionalFormattingRule object.

To access all public API members, you need to cast the returned object to the TdxSpreadSheetConditionalFormattingRuleExpression class. You can call the rule’s ClassType function to identify the actual rule type.