Alternating Colors in Cross Tabs

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Article Goal

Learn how to apply alternating background colors to rows or columns in a Cross Tab inside the Finished Reports Designer. This visual formatting improves report readability and highlights grouped data effectively.

Why Use Alternating Colors?

Alternating row or column colors help visually separate grouped data and improve the report’s appearance. Cross Tabs can use expressions to dynamically set these colors.

Use Case: Highlight alternating rows or columns in large pivot-style reports where visual alignment is critical.

Where Do You Apply This?

Alternating colors are configured in the Background Color Expression Editor of Cross Tab cells or areas.

Download Sample

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Steps to Set Alternating Colors in Cross Tabs

Step 1: Open Your View

• Open or create your View in VDM.

• Run the View and enter the Finished Reports Designer.

Step 2: Insert a Cross Tab

• Add a Cross Tab to your report.

• To apply formatting across entire rows or columns, move your mouse near the edge of the section until the cursor turns into a black arrow, then click to select the whole row or column.

Step 3: Open the Expression Editor

• With the row or column selected, open the Expression Editor for the Background Color property.

Step 4: Add the Expression

Choose one of the following depending on your layout need:

Paste the expression into the editor.

Step 5 (Optional): Set Static Colors

If you’d like to apply a static color to a specific cell and not use an expression:

1. Select the individual cell.

2. Click the Active Expression Indicator and choose Reset.

3. Set the static color manually.

Note: Any static cell colors will override the alternating logic for that cell.

Step 6: Preview and Save

• Use the Preview button to confirm your alternating color formatting.

• Once satisfied, Save the changes to your Finished Report.

Article Summary

By applying alternating row or column colors to Cross Tabs, you can improve the visual structure of your reports and make them easier to interpret. Whether using expressions or setting colors manually, the Finished Reports Designer gives you full control over your layout styling.