When using Tables in reports, it is useful to apply styles to the data
so they stand out apart from the rest of the data. Rules can be applied
at the Row Level or at the Column level. These rules will override the
general or default table settings applied in the table tool, based on
conditions set for each rule.
Accessing the Styling Rules Editor
There are two types of rules and there is a control button for each
rule type.
Column Rules:
are applied to an individual field in the table. When a column rule is
applied, the field the rule is applied to will appear in bold
in the configuration window. Column Rules are accessed in the Per
Column Configuration of the Table Properties Window. To apply a
Column Rule:
Click the field name to apply the rule to.
Click the Create/Edit Button to set the parameters of the rule.
Row Rules:
are applied to the entire row of data in a table (such as highlighting
a Total row). Row Rules are accessed from the bottom of
the Table Properties Window. To apply a Row Rule:
Click the Create/Edit Row Rule button to set the parameters of the rule.
To apply a Rule to the Table, the button may
read one of two ways:
Create Rule: If
no rule is already applied, the button will read Create Rule. Clicking
this button will create a new rule to apply to the table.
Edit Rule: When
a rule already exists, the button will read Edit Rule. Clicking this button
will expose the rule editor so that existing rules can be edited and new
rules can be created.
Configuring the Styling Rules Editor
Rule Names: Rules
that are currently being applied either per column or per row appear in
the top section of the editor. To edit an existing rule, highlight the
rule to edit. Options include:
New: Creates
a new rule.
Delete:
Deletes the selected rule.
Up/Down: Reorders
the selected rule.
Rule Name: User
can type in this section to set a more descriptive name for the rule.
Rule Conditions: Choose one of 3 modes to apply the Rule
condition. Choices include:
Always: Always
apply the rule in all conditions. When applying this mode to a column
rule, the user can choose what to apply the rule to Data Only, Header Only or
to the Header and Data.
When: Applies
the rule only when the specified condition is met. Use the drop downs
to specify the condition. This condition is usually a straightforward
one not requiring a complex formula.
Formula: Applies
the rule only when the specified condition is met. Clicking the ... button
will expose the formula editor enabling the user to construct a more detailed
condition. This condition usually compares two or more variables.
When specifying a Row Rule, an additional checkbox is present allowing
the user to specify whether that rule should override an existing Column
Rule. Rule Hierarchy is discussed below.
Styles: The
Styles section is where the user applies the styling options that are
applied to the data if the condition specified above is met. Options include:
Font: Changes
the font type when the condition is met. All installed fonts on the machine
are displayed. Click the drop down to select the desired font type. Bold
and Italics can also be applied by clicking their respective buttons.
Font Size: Changes
the font size when the condition is met. Use the up/down controls to increase/decrease
the font size.
Justification: Changes
the position of how the data fills the cell when the condition is met.
Options include: Left, Right or Center.
Text Color: Changes
the color of the text when the condition is met. Click the... to expose
the color picker.
Background Color: Changes the cells' background color when
the condition is met. Click the... to expose the color picker.
Prefix: Pre-pends
a prefix when the condition is met. Option is only available for Column
Rules when a Numeric field is chosen to apply the rule to.
Suffix: Appends
a suffix when the condition is met. Option is only available for Column
Rules when a Numeric field is chosen to apply the rule to.
Decimal Places: Displays the text with the specified
amount of decimal places when the condition is met. Option is only available
for Column Rules when a Numeric field is chosen to apply the rule to.
Formula
Styles: Advanced option - When the basic style overrides are insufficient,
users can create their own style overrides, by writing a formula which
constructs CSS-like style text. This formula is computed individually
for each cell to which it applies, and can be very powerful. Use of this
requires a solid understanding of CSS styles and some knowledge of PCXML
and Composer.
Some Common PCXML properties to use within
formulas:
background-color: the background color of a table
cell or row.
decimal-places: the amount of numbers that will
appear after a decimal point for a numeric value.
postfix: text that will directly follow
a value.
prefix: text that precedes a value.
background-image: sets an image as the background
color: foreground color of the object.
border: defines the borders around an
element.
padding: the space between the element
border and the element content.
font-weight: sets how thick or thin characters
in text should be displayed.
font-style: sets the style of a font.
text-align: aligns the text in an element.
white-space: declares how whitespace inside
the element is handled: the 'normal' way (where whitespace is collapsed),
as 'pre' (which behaves like the 'PRE' element in HTML) or as 'nowrap'
(where wrapping is done only through BR elements).
text-decoration: the decoration of the text such
as overline, underline, line-through, none, or blink.
Rule Hierarchy
Using rules effectively requires understanding which rules comes first,
and which ones override other ones. When two rules intend to change different
styles (one changing a font, and the other changing the font size, for
example), it doesn't matter which one executes first. But when two rules
both intend to change the same style, only one them will win. Rules are
executed in the following order, with later rules overriding earlier rules.
Default Table Settings (lowest priority)
Per-Column Configurations
Row rule with only basic (non-formula) styles (with
override checkbox NOT checked)
Column rule with only basic styles
Row rule with only basic styles (with override checkbox
CHECKED)
Row rule with formula styles (with override checkbox
NOT checked)
Column rule with formula styles
Row rule with formula styles (with override checkbox
CHECKED)
Here is another way to look at this.
Formula styles always take precedence over non-formula
(basic) styles.
Column rules usually take precedence over row rules,
unless the row rule explicitly has its "override column rules"
checkbox checked.
Rules take precedence over the per-column and default
table settings.
Multiple rules of a given type (row or column, basic
or formula) execute in the order they are listed in the rule editor.
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