Format same as range cell

I am vaguely familiar with it and have some macros that were done by "Brad" at Experts many years ago. If it is not too complex that may be the way to go.

Thanks Bill

I could simply place a nuber in an adjacent cell and use thta to trigger the formating. Saw a 1 in row c would be a yellow highlight and a 2 would be bold. That would be much simpler.
what I really want to do is somehow do something to the cell in the range to make it recognizable and I thought formatting that cell would work but i guess not.

     A      B              C          D
1      L3x3x1/4       2       L3x3x1/4
2      L6x6x1/4                L4X4X1/4
3      L7x7x1/2       1       L6X6X1/4
4

You could try this macro:

Private Sub Worksheet_Change(ByVal Target As Range)
Dim tRow As Long

If Not Intersect(Target, Range("A:A")) Is Nothing Then
    On Error Resume Next
    Application.EnableEvents = False
    tRow = WorksheetFunction.Match(Target, Range("D:D"), 0)
    Range("D" & tRow).Copy
    Target.PasteSpecial Paste:=xlPasteFormats, Operation:=xlNone, _
            SkipBlanks:=False, Transpose:=False
    Application.CutCopyMode = False
    Application.EnableEvents = True
End If

Select all Open in new window

Copy the code above
Right-click on the sheet tab and select "View Code"
Paste the code into the big white code window.

Your idea to assign codes to determine the format would also work. You could then use conditional formatting with formulas.  

Select all cells in column A, starting with cell A1, then click the Home Ribbon > Conditional formatting > New Rule > Use a formula to determine ... and enter a formula along these lines

=$C1=1
Apply a yellow format

Then create another rule with this formula

=$C1=2
Apply a bold format

and so on.

cheers, teylyn

Bill,

To make it work as your originally described will require VBA.  This seems to be working for me:

Sub ApplyFormats()
    
    Dim LastRColA As Long
    Dim LastRColD As Long
    Dim MatchRng As Range
    Dim Counter As Long
    Dim CopyFromRng As Range
    Dim CopyToRng As Range
    
    With ThisWorkbook.Worksheets("Sheet1")
        LastRColA = .Cells(.Rows.Count, "a").End(xlUp).Row
        LastRColD = .Cells(.Rows.Count, "d").End(xlUp).Row
        Set MatchRng = .Range("a1:a" & LastRColA)
        With .Range("d1:d" & LastRColD)
            .Interior.ColorIndex = xlColorIndexNone
            .Font.ColorIndex = xlAutomatic
            .Font.Bold = False
        End With
        For Counter = 1 To LastRColD
            Set CopyToRng = .Cells(Counter, "d")
            If CopyToRng <> 0 Then
                On Error Resume Next
                Set CopyFromRng = .Cells(Application.Match(CopyToRng.Value, MatchRng, 0), "a")
                If Err = 0 Then
                    CopyFromRng.Copy
                    CopyToRng.PasteSpecial xlPasteFormats
                    Application.CutCopyMode = False
                Else
                    Err.Clear
                End If
                On Error GoTo 0
            End If
        Next
    End With
    
    MsgBox "Done"
    
End Sub

Select all Open in new window

Now, your revised approach can be done using Conditional Formatting.  Which version of Excel are you using?

Seems teylyn beat me there by a few seconds :)

I have excel 2010. However the actual range of cells I am using are instead of D1 it is "Data!E42:E3000" and the range of cells in column is actually "TAKE OFF!$H9:$H3000".

It not over yet. I am heading home and will continue to work there. thanks and will talk in a bit.

Bill

There really wasn't an answer as excel does not recognize formatting of cells. Hopefully it will in future releases. It would be very useful and save lots of formula writing and look-ups.
thanks Bill

Hello,

there was an answer. In fact there were three:

- do it with conditional formatting with a helper cell and a code number for each format
- do it with the code matthewspatrick posted
- do it with the code I posted.

If you don't want to use VBA or the helper cell approach, then "it can't be done" is a valid answer and deserves an "A" grade, not a "B". Experts here are not responsible for the way Excel works. I appreciate that you are not happy with the way Excel works and I have similar gripes with Excel and other software. Still, if it can't be done and an Expert tells you so, it is an "A" grade.

regards, teylyn

Teylyn, I do apologize for the B and now that you have explained it to me I would be happy to change the grade to an A. I do find VBA to be a little cumbersome and with multiple users and constantly changing my spread sheet i would just as soon not use it. I do appreciate you input and please let me know what i can do to change your grade and in the future i will keep this in mind.

Thanks again, Bill