Alternting row color on HEADERS

Question

I cannot figure out how to alternate the row color on the header columns. Personally I find it annoying if the header column is all the same color, but the table rows alternate. I find it hard to follow across the columns since I have several columns set at headers. I tried manually setting the row color, but on a sort, the colored rows are all jumbled and don't match the alternating rows on the data.

Answer 1

Hi k,
The short answer is that it can't be done.
The longer one is that it can, but the process is tedious.
The three images below are of the same table. The table was sorted and renamed to indicate that sort, and screen shots of the first two sorts pasted into the document before grabbing the image of all three states.
Row 1 is a header row, and does not enter into the sort.
Column A is a header column. When the table is formatted for alternate row colours the colours apply only to the Standard cells (columns B and C of the initial table (plus the added columns D and E).
The cells in column A require a Conditional Formatting rule to change their fill colour to match the alternate row colour under a specific condition. One of the conditions available is that the text in the cell matches the text in another specific cell.
The cells in columns D and E are used to set up that condition. The In the final table, D and E may be hidden.
The formula in D is:   =MOD(ROW(),2)
As can be seen, this places a 0 in 'even' rows and a 1 in 'odd rows.
The formula in E is:   =IF(D>0,A,"")
For 'odd' rows, where D contains a 1, this copies the contents of the cell on the same row in column A into column E. For 'even' rows it places the empty string into column E.
Both formulas are filled down through all standard rows of columns D and E.
Note that the two formulas can be combined into one:   =IF(MOD(ROW(),2>0,A,"")
Idf the single formula is used, the steps below assume it is entered in E2 and filled down the rest of column E.
You will need one column 'E' for each header column you want to format, with the formula in each adjusted to pick up the contents of column A, B, C, etc.
Now comes the tedious part. The Conditional Formatting rules compare the contents of the cell to a fixed value or to the contents of a specific other cell. Unlike formulas, they to not self-adjust if we use Fill Down.
But we can save a few steps by choosing the conditional fill colour for all cells at once, then editing the reference cell for each individually.
• Select all of the cells in column A (and the other header columns to which you want to apply conditional formatting).
• Open the Cell Format Inspector and click Show Rules...
• In the dialogue that opens, use the popup to choose "Text is"
• Click the icon at the right end of the box that appears, then click cell E2 (the first non-header cell in column E) on the table.
• Click Edit.
• Click the Fill color well that appears, then choose the conditional fill colour to match the alternate row colour. (Hint: Use a colour from the color palette—easier to match)
• Click Done to confirm the choices.
•Click away from the selected cells to release the selection, then click on A3 to select just that cell.
Repeat the following until you're through the column.
• Click on the E2 reference in the box beside "Text is" to select it.
• On the table, click on the cell to be referenced (it will be the one below the cell indicated by a blue outline). The E2 reference in the rule will change to the new cell.
• Press return to confirm the new selection.
• Press return again to move down to the next cell.
Repeat.
It works, but it certainly ain't elegant!
You might also consider going to the Application menu (in Numbers, the "Numbers" menu), choosing Provide Numbers Feedback, and making a request that the alternating row colour feature be enhanced to apply to alternate row in a header column as well as to standard cells. Be prepared to wait, though, at least until the next full version of Numbers is released.
Regards,
Barry