Excel：动态条件格式和错误地默认引用

Question

All, I have a two-stage question regarding some slightly complex Conditional Formatting.

Sample Table below.

   A              B        C          D
 1 Options        Choice   Billy      Suzie
 2 Option 1       Dog      Option 1   Option 2
 3 Option 2       Cat 
 4 Option 3       Snake     

Description:

• The nature of the table is to provide a visual reference of what option has been selected (dog/cat) for each kid (Billy and Suzie).
• Columns A/B are linked and do not change (ie Option 1 is always dog)
• Columns C and D have drop down Menus with a selection of either "Option 1" or "Option 2", and are independent of one another (but can only use elements from the list, generated by Column A)

Goal:

• Color Code columns A and B, based on the drop down menu selections in C/DIe Billy is assigned the color blue. Suzie is assigned pink. If I select "Option 1" in Billy's drop down menu, then Column A and B will turn red for "Option 1" and "Dog". If Suzie wants a Cat, you can select the option, and Option 2/Cat will highlight Pink.
• In the event both Billy and Suzie select the same thing, the element is highlighted "Green".
• No selection and the entire thing is grey.

Questions:

1. I would like to select A1:B4 and generate one conditional formatting statement for each child. Ie select them all, and gen. the formatting rule "$A1=$C$1 ---- Highlight Blue". And, by generating that rule, A3 and B3 would turn Blue if Billy selected Option 3. Currently, I am having to generate a statement for each row. Couple this with the fact that I have to do the three colors, I have to generate 3 rules per Option, rather than just 3 rules total.

   2. If, for instance, this table had MULTIPLE different versions, all on the same page, how could I, again, generate only 3 rules rather than one per line. Ie I had "Pets", "Toys" and "Dinner", each with their own options, and Billy and Suzie have a selection list for each category. Can I highlight ALL Options and Choices and only create the 3 rules (one for each highlighted color)?

Bonus: This is less a question of how and more a question of why: I figured out half of the answer to question 2, and was able to select A1:B1 for each category (pets, toys and dinner) using Ctrl, and create a rule for each highlighted color using the formula "=$A1=$C1". This made it so to where each category was independent of the other categories (billy selecting a dog wouldn't highlight a bike in a subsequent table, I would have to select bike for billy in that table). BUT, when you click on a cell to add it into the formula box, it automatically gives it an absolute reference ($A$1). I did this, and then would delete the 2nd "$" for each cell. Once I hit "Ok" or "Apply", the cell reference would change, without fail, to "$A1048576", ie the bottom cell in that column. I could manually change the number back to what I wanted, $A1, and it would accept the change and work how I wanted, but the behavior was VERY strange, and I was wondering if anyone knew what was happening/causing it.

This is a small, representative table for what I am trying to accomplish. The real data is more complex.

Thanks in advance to anyone trying to answer this.

Answer 1

There are a multitude of questions here, mainly (a) how to achieve without too much effort the various fills given the criteria (each fill potentially a different question) and (b) why certain behaviour. Considering only (a) and specifically your Q 1., first 'standard' fill grey to suit Then select Columns A and B and HOME > Styles - Conditional Formatting, New Rule..., Use a formula to determine which cells to format and Format values where this formula is true: :

=AND($D$1="Suzie",$D$2=$A1)  

Format... , select red colour Fill, OK , OK .

Then repeat with:

=AND($C$1="Billy",$C$2=$A1)  

for blue, and for green:

=AND($C2=$D2,$A1=C$2,$C2<>$D2)  

In general, you must expect one rule per colour.