I am working in the cell range of A:1 thru A:5. If cell A:3 contains the
letter T, I would like to have the whole range A:1 thru A:5 turn green. If
cell A:3 contains the letter D, the range turn brown. And last if A:3
contains the letter S, the range turn purple.

Select the range A1:A5
Use Format | Conditional Formatting; set dialog to Formula Is and enter
=$A$3="T" and click the Format button; now on the Pattern tab select one of
the greens.
You can now add the next two conditions in like manner.

BTW; the correct way to refer to a single cell is A3 not A:3, We use to
colon for ranges as in A1:A3
best wishes
--
Bernard V Liengme
Microsoft Excel MVP
www.stfx.ca/people/bliengme
remove caps from email

"DBane" wrote in message
...
I am working in the cell range of A:1 thru A:5. If cell A:3 contains the
letter T, I would like to have the whole range A:1 thru A:5 turn green. If
cell A:3 contains the letter D, the range turn brown. And last if A:3
contains the letter S, the range turn purple.

First of all, when describing cell references, get rid of the colons

A:1 is just A1 A1:A5 is a range from A1 through A5

On to the question.

Select A1:A5 and FormatConditional Formatting.

Condition 1Formula is: =$A$3="T" format to green pattern.

Click on "Add" to add Condition 2

Condition 2 and 3 will be set up with the other two letters and different
colors.

Note the $ signs in $A$3 which locks that cell as the trigger cell.


Gord Dibben MS Excel MVP


On Sun, 29 Jul 2007 08:36:01 -0700, DBane
wrote:

I am working in the cell range of A:1 thru A:5. If cell A:3 contains the
letter T, I would like to have the whole range A:1 thru A:5 turn green. If
cell A:3 contains the letter D, the range turn brown. And last if A:3
contains the letter S, the range turn purple.

Thank you for the reply. Now I am having a problem copying the format into
other cell ranges. I am working with this format in hundreds of cell ranges.
I cant drag the format ,or copy it like excel formulas. The cell adresses are
staying the same as the orginal ones formatted. how do I copy them to change
them to there new cell adressses like what is done with formulas.

"Bernard Liengme" wrote:

Select the range A1:A5
Use Format | Conditional Formatting; set dialog to Formula Is and enter
=$A$3="T" and click the Format button; now on the Pattern tab select one of
the greens.
You can now add the next two conditions in like manner.

BTW; the correct way to refer to a single cell is A3 not A:3, We use to
colon for ranges as in A1:A3
best wishes
--
Bernard V Liengme
Microsoft Excel MVP
www.stfx.ca/people/bliengme
remove caps from email

"DBane" wrote in message
...
I am working in the cell range of A:1 thru A:5. If cell A:3 contains the
letter T, I would like to have the whole range A:1 thru A:5 turn green. If
cell A:3 contains the letter D, the range turn brown. And last if A:3
contains the letter S, the range turn purple.

Look at help for the difference between absolute addressing and relative
addressing.
--
David Biddulph

"DBane" wrote in message
...
Thank you for the reply. Now I am having a problem copying the format into
other cell ranges. I am working with this format in hundreds of cell
ranges.
I cant drag the format ,or copy it like excel formulas. The cell adresses
are
staying the same as the orginal ones formatted. how do I copy them to
change
them to there new cell adressses like what is done with formulas.

"Bernard Liengme" wrote:

Select the range A1:A5
Use Format | Conditional Formatting; set dialog to Formula Is and enter
=$A$3="T" and click the Format button; now on the Pattern tab select one
of
the greens.
You can now add the next two conditions in like manner.

BTW; the correct way to refer to a single cell is A3 not A:3, We use to
colon for ranges as in A1:A3
best wishes
--
Bernard V Liengme
Microsoft Excel MVP
www.stfx.ca/people/bliengme
remove caps from email

"DBane" wrote in message
...
I am working in the cell range of A:1 thru A:5. If cell A:3 contains
the
letter T, I would like to have the whole range A:1 thru A:5 turn green.
If
cell A:3 contains the letter D, the range turn brown. And last if A:3
contains the letter S, the range turn purple.