Conditional Formatting Rules for Swimlanes for OnePager for Version 7.2

Introduction

Illustrations used in this article are from OnePager Pro using data from Microsoft Project but the features, functions, controls, and manual edits apply equally to other OnePager editions that import from data sources like Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Project Online, Microsoft Project Server, Microsoft Project for the Web, Smartsheet, Oracle Primavera P6, Planisware Enterprise, Asana, and Wrike.

Conditional Formatting Rules and associated forms are provided in OnePager for three sets of objects:

• Task Bar/Milestone Symbol Decorations
• Text Columns and Rows
• Swimlanes

The purpose of this article is to introduce the Conditional Formatting for Swimlanes and provide some examples of how it can be used to highlight your chart.

About Conditional Formatting Rules for Swimlanes

Overview

As used with OnePager, swimlane conditional formatting actions include:

• Function
• Applies To
• Label Font
• Cell Background
• Swimlane Background
• Priority

Shown below is a OnePager chart showing a swimlane that can have conditional formatting rules applied:

Accessing the Conditional Formatting Rules Form

As a reminder, the Conditional Formatting for Swimlanes form is accessed through the Template Properties form and the Chart Properties form’s Rows/Swimlanes tabs as shown below for the Chart Properties form:

Clicking the Manage Rules… button accesses the Conditional Formatting for Swimlanes form as shown here:

The form shown above is widened but has a horizontal scroll bar provided to allow you to scroll left and right when the form is at its normal width:

Discussion and Examples

In each of the sub-sections which follow, there are examples of how to use the available conditional formatting for swimlanes rules to alter the appearance of swimlane cell contents based upon imported data from your source plan. It is assumed that the reader has an overall acquaintance with the introductory and basic conditional formatting rule features and controls.

For more detailed introductory information on Conditional Formatting rules, please see the articles at the link below:

Conditional Formatting (Portal)

As a starting point, the chart below, using a standard OnePager Pro Template Properties form, is the basic chart for the conditional formatting rules examples provided in the following sub-sections:

Conditional Formatting Rules for Swimlanes

Swimlanes, up to three (3) swimlanes in the chart, can be shown or hidden and when shown are adjacent to the left edge of the graph area. Conditional formatting rules for swimlanes gives you the capability to conditionally alter the swimlane label cell’s text label font properties based upon source plan data imported to OnePager. In addition you can conditionally change the swimlane label cell’s background color as well as the background color of the swimlane.

Based upon source plan data imported to OnePager, you can create conditional formatting rules specifically for swimlanes. This is done before the chart is created by accessing the Template Properties form’s Rows/Swimlanes tab’s Swimlanes control group and clicking the Manage Rules… button. After the chart is created, the chart can be edited globally by accessing the Chart Properties form’s Rows/Swimlanes tab’s Swimlanes control group and clicking the Manage Rules… button. The examples provided below use the Chart Properties form.

Conditionally Formatting of Swimlane Label Font Properties

Swimlane label’s Font properties can be changed using the Conditional Formatting for Swimlanes form. The Font properties that can be altered are:

• Font type
• Text color
• Text size
• Text Bold
• Text Italics
• Text Underline

Coloring Swimlane Label Cell’s Background Color

The Conditional Formatting for Swimlanes form supports conditionally formatting for swimlane label background colors based on the conditional formatting rules established.

Coloring Swimlane Background Color

The Conditional Formatting for Swimlanes form also supports conditionally formatting for swimlane background colors based on the conditional formatting rules established.

Manual Adjustment of Column Widths

All Conditional Formatting Rules forms permit you to adjust the width of the columns by placing the cursor in the heading cell at its edge where the cursor turns into a double-arrow shape. Making a left-click on your mouse allows you to pull the width of the heading cell to the left or right to either make it wider or narrower. This is useful for inserting text into those columns that accept typed in text. OnePager remembers the width of these columns for future accesses to OnePager. However, it is not recommended that you make any column zero (0) width.

Creating Rule Conditions: Field, Function, Operator, and Value

Conditional formatting for swimlanes rules are created in the form by specifying the rule conditions and the rule actions. Rule conditions and rule actions are divided in the form into a number of columns with the rule conditions first and the rule actions to the right filling out the rest of the form as shown below.

As with all conditional formatting rules forms supported by OnePager, the Conditional Formatting for Swimlanes form focuses on a specific graphic element of the chart where applying the rules can change the look of the chart in support of your schedule conversations. OnePager provides significant flexibility for crafting rules and actions that support this objective.

Rule Condition Columns for Swimlanes Conditional Formatting

There are six (6) rule condition columns in the form as shown and discussed below:

The left column is used to select the rule in the grid and works with the Add Rule, Copy Rule(s), and Delete Rule(s) buttons at the bottom of the form. The On column is a checkbox that, when checked ON, signifies that the rule is enabled and its rule action columns are applied to the graph if the rule is TRUE.

Field Column

The Field column is a dropdown which contains the field names imported from the source plan as shown below:

Function Column

The Function column is typically used when the chart is configured in the timeline orientation; however, the function column is always enabled regardless if the chart presented is either a Gantt chart of timeline oriented chart. The contents of the Function column dropdown is dependent on the field type selected. As an example, the Function column dropdown for a numeric field type is shown below:

Shown above is a numeric field (Actual Cost) in the Function column dropdown list of nine (9) options. Since a OnePager chart’s rows can contain multiple task bars/milestone symbols with their individual properties and values, OnePager needs a way to determine how to aggregate these multiple property values to represent in the selected text column or row. The Function column provides you with options to aggregate to a specific value, in the case above Actual Cost, to apply against the remainder of the rule condition process to determine the disposition of the rule.

For more information on the Function column, please see the article at:

Using Functions with Text Columns, Rows, and Swimlanes

Operator Column

Like the Function column, the Operator column, has options that are dependent on the field type selected. Using the example of a numeric field type as shown above, the dropdown list for the Operator column looks like this:

There are Operator options associated with all field types in OnePager including text strings, numeric values, dates, and Boolean fields.

The Has changed and Has not changed operator options are used for tracking changes the may have occurred or not occurred between snapshots.

For more information on tracking changes between snapshots, please see the article at:

Using Conditional Formatting Rules for Tracking Changes Between Snapshots

Value Column

The Value column is the column where you enter the value for the rule condition that makes the rule TRUE and triggers the Rule Action columns to be applied to the chart. In most cases, you have the option to type in a value. When the field column type is for dates, the value column provides the standard OnePager Date Picker form as shown in the example below:

For Boolean fields, the Value column is disabled since the Operator column is used for you to specify the Boolean value desired (Yes or No) as illustrated below:

Swimlane Conditional Formatting Rule Examples

As an example of using conditional formatting for swimlane rules, suppose we want to change the background color in a swimlane label cell to reflect the status of that swimlane and its occupying task bars/milestone symbols with respect to %Complete. Specifically we want the swimlane label cell to be Green if the task bars/milestone symbols in the swimlane have a %Complete of greater than or equal to 40%. Additionally, we want to color swimlane label cells Yellow if the task bars/milestone symbols occupying those swimlanes are less than 40%.

To do this we need to define a set of conditional formatting rules for swimlanes that meet these requirements. First, navigate to the OnePager Chart Properties form’s Rows/Swimlanes tab as shown below:

Next, click the Manage Rules… button in the Swimlanes control group to access the Conditional Formatting for Swimlanes form and create the rules shown below:

When these conditional formatting for swimlanes rules are applied to the sample chart, the Left#1 swimlane label cells look like this:

The conditional formatting of the Left#1 text column provides a clear representation of the status of the %Complete value using color coding to convey the status.

Selecting the Swimlane Number – Applies To: (Left#1 thru Left#3 or All Swimlanes)

Now let’s look at the conditional formatting for swimlane’s action columns more closely. The Applies to column shown below allows you to select which of the three (3) swimlanes that the rule is to be applied. The Applies to dropdown list in the form looks like this:

As shown above you have the option to apply the conditional formatting rule to one of the three available swimlanes or all three swimlanes. In order for the rule actions, if TRUE, to shows in the chart you have set the controls in the Swimlanes control group to show that swimlane.

Conditionally Formatting the Swimlane Label’s Font Properties

You can use the Conditional Formatting for Swimlanes form to modify the font properties of the swimlane’s label cell’s content by clicking on the rule cell in the Label font column as shown in the example below:

In the Conditional Formatting for Swimlanes form above, the color of the swimlane label cell’s text is changed to match the Cell Background color only darker. The resulting chart looks like this:

Cell Background

As demonstrated in the first example of this sub-section, the Cell Background column in the form allows you to access the standard OnePager Color Chooser form wherein you can select a color to appear in the swimlane label cell if the conditional formatting for swimlanes rule is TRUE.

Note: Swimlane label cells and swimlanes whose background colors are mavericks are not subject to change by Conditional Formatting Rules for Swimlanes.

Swimlane Background

You have the option to apply conditional formatting for swimlane rules to the swimlane itself where you can change the Swimlane Background color, again, by using the standard OnePager Color Chooser form. As an example, let’s change the first example by making the swimlane itself change color as a function of the task bar/milestone symbol’s %Complete value. The changes to the rule are shown below

When the conditional formatting rule for swimlanes rule is applied to the chart the result looks like this:

Note: Swimlane label cells and swimlanes whose background colors are mavericks are not subject to change by Conditional Formatting Rules for Swimlanes.

Combining Cell Background and Swimlane Background Colors

In addition to or as an alternative to highlighting with swimlanes and swimlane label cell background colors you have the option to highlight both conditionally with background colors as shown in the example below:

When the Swimlane Label Cell and Swimlane Background color rules are applied, the chart looks like the illustration below:

Note: Swimlane label cells and swimlanes whose background colors are mavericks are not subject to change by Conditional Formatting Rules for Swimlanes.

Priority Column

The last column on the far right in the Conditional Formatting for Swimlanes rules grid is the Priority column. The Priority column controls the sequence in which the rules are applied. OnePager automatically assigns increasing numbers to the Priority column as rules are defined. If several rules are in competition to set a particular formatting property, the rule with the lowest Priority number has priority over all the others. You can change the values in the Priority column at any time after the rule is completely defined, and any positive numeric value is acceptable.

Conditional Formatting for Multiple Swimlanes - Example

The previous examples showed how Conditional Formatting for Swimlanes rule can be used for one swimlane. Suppose that you need to create conditional formatting rules that involve more than one swimlane.

So as an example, let’s suppose we want to have the Left#2 swimlane contain the Resource Names for the task bars in the row but we want to modify the Left#2 swimlane label cell’s background color light blue if the Resource Names for the swimlane is Team 1 and light red if the Resource Names for the swimlane is Team 2.

We can do this by selecting the Left#2 text column in the Chart Properties form’s Rows/Swimlanes tab and then click the Manage Rules… button to access the Conditional Formatting for Text Columns & Rows form as shown below:

The Conditional Formatting for Swimlanes form that is accessed is exactly the same from as in the last example as shown above expanded below to show all columns:

When we first add the Left#2 swimlane using the Resources Names column from the source plan and combined with the previous Conditional Formatting for Swimlane form’s rules, the chart looks like this:

Our objective with the chart is to make Team 1 and Team 2 swimlanes be highlighted so we need to add Conditional Formatting for Swimlane rules as follows:

The two added rules, shown above are targeted on Team 1 and Team 2 Resource Names that will appear in the Left#2 swimlane. When these two new rules are applied to the chart, the revised chart looks like this:

Note: Swimlane label cells and swimlanes whose background colors are mavericks are not subject to change by Conditional Formatting Rules for Swimlanes.

Related Links

Using Microsoft Project Flag Fields with OnePager Pro's Conditional Formatting Rules	Conditional Formatting Tutorial Video
Blog-Display Certainty in Your Plan by Using Conditional Formatting

Conditional Import Filters (Portal)	Manual Editing Task/Milestone Shapes and Text Labels (Portal)
Changing Individual Task/Milestone Properties (Color, Shapes, Labels, etc.)	Modifying Decorations on Tasks/Milestones (Portal)
Conditional Formatting (Portal)	Using Conditional Formatting Rules for Tracking Changes Between Snapshots
Conditional Formatting Rules for Task Bar/Milestone Symbol Decorations	Conditional Formatting Rules for Text Columns and Rows
Using Functions with Text Columns and Row	The Chart Legend (Portal)
Editing with the Chart Properties form (Portal)	Using Gradients and Hash Fill Patterns
Managing Templates (Portal)	Gallery of Gradient and Hash Fill Patterns
Gallery of Dynamic Shapes and Emoji Symbols

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