Modify Cell Content - Color Selected Rows or Columns

This rule allows you to specify the colors for rows and columns in the table.

Example

How to apply this rule

For the first time in a project

• Select the table(s)/chart(s) that you wish to apply the rule to.
• Start typing the name of the Rule into the Search features and data box in the top right of the Q window.
• Click on the Rule when it appears in the QScripts and Rules section of the search results.

OR

• Select Automate > Browse Online Library.
• Choose this rule from the list.

Additional applications of the rule

• Select a table or chart that has the rule and any table(s)/chart(s) that you wish to apply the rule to.
• Click on the Rules tab (bottom-left of the table/chart).
• Select the rule that you wish to apply.
• Click on the Apply drop-down and choose your desired option.
• Check New items to have it automatically applied to new items that you create. Use Edit > Project Options > Save as Template to create a new project template that automatically uses this rule.

Removing the rule

• Select the table(s)/chart(s) that you wish to remove the rule from.
• Press the Rules tab (bottom-right corner).
• Press Apply next to the rule you wish to remove and choose the appropriate option.

How to modify the rule

• Click on the Rules tab (bottom-left of the table/chart).
• Select the rule that you wish to modify.
• Click Edit Rule and make the desired changes. Alternatively, you can use the JavaScript below to make your own rule (see Customizing Rules).

JavaScript

// Color selected rows or columns

includeWeb('JavaScript Array Functions');

form.setSummary("Color Selected Rows or Columns");

var no_selection_string = '(none)';

var controls =[];

// Color rows or columns?
var color_options = ["Color rows", "Color columns"];
var color_rows_or_columns_box = form.newComboBox('columnOrRow', color_options);
color_rows_or_columns_box.setDefault(color_options[0]);
color_rows_or_columns_box.lineBreakAfter = true;
var color_columns = color_rows_or_columns_box.getValue() == color_options[1];
controls.push(color_rows_or_columns_box)

// If coloring columns, table must be two-dimensional.
if (color_columns && table.columnLabels == null)
    form.ruleNotApplicable('the columns in this table are statistics');


// Trim column/row labels and change column/row labels that collide with no_selection_string
var col_row_combobox_alternatives = (color_columns ? table.columnLabels : table.rowLabels).map(function (label) {
    return label.trim();
}).map(function (label) {
    if (label == no_selection_string)
        return label + (color_columns ? ' (column)' : ' (row)');
    else
        return label;
});
col_row_combobox_alternatives = [no_selection_string].concat(enumerateDuplicatesInStringArray(col_row_combobox_alternatives, '(', ')'));


var selected_cols_rows = [];
var selected_colors = [];
var default_color = "AliceBlue";
var last_index = 0;
var current_index = 0;

var col_row_label = color_columns ? 'Column:' : 'Row:';

while (true) {
    var col_row_combobox = form.newComboBox((color_columns ? 'column' : 'row') + current_index, col_row_combobox_alternatives);
    col_row_combobox.setDefault(no_selection_string);
    var selected_col_row = col_row_combobox.getValue();
    controls.push(form.newLabel(col_row_label));
    controls.push(col_row_combobox);
    if (selected_col_row == no_selection_string) // stop adding when the combobox selection is null
        break;
    else { // only add comboboxes with a column/row selected
        
        controls.push(form.newLabel('Color:'));
        var color_picker = form.newColorPicker('color' + current_index)
        color_picker.setDefault(default_color);
        color_picker.lineBreakAfter = true;
        var selected_color = color_picker.getValue();
        controls.push(color_picker);
        
        selected_cols_rows.push(selected_col_row);
        selected_colors.push(selected_color);      
        last_index = current_index + 1;
    }
    current_index++;
}

form.setInputControls(controls);

// Do the coloring
var cell_colors = table.cellColors;
var indices_to_color = selected_cols_rows.map(function (label) { return col_row_combobox_alternatives.indexOf(label) - 1; });
indices_to_color.forEach(function (x, ind) {
    var current_color = selected_colors[ind];
    if (color_columns) {
        for (var row = 0; row < table.numberRows; row++)
            cell_colors[row][x] = current_color;       
    } else {
        for (var col = 0; col < table.numberColumns; col++)
            cell_colors[x][col] = current_color;
    }
});

table.cellColors = cell_colors;

See also

• User Input for Rules for technical information on Rules.
• Rule Online Library for other examples of Rules.
• Table JavaScript and Plot JavaScript for the JavaScript that is used to write custom rules.
• JavaScript for information about the JavaScript programming language.