How to Use Conditional Formatting to Compare 2 Cells

[JARHTMD]

I'm embarrassed to even ask this question. Anyone with half a brain should be able to do this, but not me.

I've very rarely used conditional formatting, except for something VERY, VERY simple in Excel97. I'm now using Excel2007.

I want to highlight Col-L value with bold red font whenever it does not equal Col-C value.

It doesn't get much simpler than that, but I've gone completely brain dead.

 

[DRSteele]

Conditional Formatting makes everyone crazy. Success rests on the proper blend of absolute and relative references.

Select your Column L (or range therein, like L1 to L10). Invoke the Conditional Formatting, New rule, Use a Formula and put this exactly in the box as the rule: =L1<>C1 ,then select desired formatting and click OK until the CondFrmt box goes away.

I hope that does it.

Also, watching this youtube video might illuminate the terrain for you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRfe4bHsjhI

 

[JARHTMD]

Thanks a million for your quick reply . . . and especially for the youtube link, which looks like it contains everything I could ever need/want to know about conditional formatting.

I've run into another problem. Col C contains keyed data [2.9, 7.6, 4.3, etc]. Col L contains computed data which is formatted as number with 1 decimal place. Obviously, the computations will almost never exactly match the #.# format.

Example: 2.85123... or 2.9123789... will both display as 2.9, which I want to consider to match 2.9 in Col-C.

How can I use Col L's displayed value (rather than the actual computed value) in the comparison?

 

[DRSteele]

You're welcome. Yes, ExcelIsFun on youtube is a tremendous resource...mind-blowing.

You can use one of the functions ROUND, ROUNDUP or ROUNDDOWN on both columns of data; for example, put this in the CondFrmt dialogue box for Use Formula: =round(L1,1)<>round(C1,1)<strike></strike>