Conditional Format Based on Another Cell's Value

[eforti]

Hello All,

I am trying to find certain text within a given cell and have it affect the conditional format of another cell.

In column A I have a model number, say "**ABC123", (note that it has two asteriks in front of it), and in other columns I have miscellaneous cell values that I'd like to apply the conditional formatting to. I'd like to make it so that if the cell in the corresponding row, and in column A has "**" in the text, the cell format changes.

A__________________B
**ABC123________Building
ABC123__________Building

In this example B1 would be bolded conditionally because cell A1 contains two asteriks.

Does anyone have any ideas that may help?

Thanks in advance

P.s. I have tried the following:

=ISNUMBER(FIND, =ISNUMBER(SEARCH, =ISNUMBER(MATCH,

 

[Norie]

Did you definitely select formula is from the dropdown?

Is calculation set to automatic?

 

[eforti]

Positively yes to both...

 

[Norie]

Well I really can't see why it isn't working.

Is the sample data the actual data you're working with?

When I put that in a worksheet and apply the conditional formatting it works.

 

[eforti]

You're absolutely right Norie...I just tried it in a blank worksheet and it worked fine. I guess I've got something going on with my sheet that isn't plainly obvious to me. I'm sorry to have run you all in circles with this one. I'll try to figure out why it isn't working...

Thanks for all the help

 

[eforti]

OK I found what I think it is...I am trying to apply this conditional format to a lot of cells...I just used one as an example. When I put A1 into the formula it automatically looks at A1. How do I get it to check column A in the row that the cell is currently in?

 

[Norie]

Can you post some more sample data?

If you want to apply formatting to a cell based on another cell you'll probably need to anchor the column and/or row.

 

[eforti]

A_________B_____________C
ABC______Building_______Garage
**ABC____Building_______Garage
BDC______Building_______Garage
**DCB____Building_______Garage


The words building and garage are bolded on lines 2 and 4 because their respective cells in column A have ** in them. The conditional format would be applied to all of the cells in column B and C in this example.

 

[Norie]

I pasted your data, minus the header row, into A1:C4.

I selected B1:C4, went to conditional formatting, entered this formula,

=ISNUMBER(FIND("**", $A1))

and formatted the font as bold.

Worked for me.