Conditional formatting (daily-driver slice)

What it does

Select a range and open Format ▸ Conditional formatting to color-code cells by their own value, the way Google Sheets does. Three shapes: a single-condition rule ("format cells if greater than / less than / equal to / between a value, in a chosen fill color"), a color scale (a 2-stop gradient from a min color to a max color across the range's own numbers), and a custom formula ("format cells if this formula is TRUE" — any formula you'd type into a cell, checked against each cell in the range). Pick a condition and a value (and a second value for "Is between"/"Is not between"), switch to the Color scale tab, or switch to the Custom formula tab and type a formula — every change colors the range on the sheet immediately, exactly like real Google Sheets. Done doesn't "apply" anything; it just closes the panel, keeping whatever you last saw on the grid. Cancel (or Escape, an outside click, or the panel's own close button) discards the live preview entirely — the grid returns to its exact pre-panel state, with no rule left behind.

A rule is live: it re-evaluates every time the sheet recalculates, so a cell that crosses the threshold as a dependent formula changes recolors automatically — nothing is baked in at the moment you click Done. It's presentation only: coloring =A1+B1 tints the cell without touching the formula or its computed value. However many fields you tune before clicking Done, the rule still undoes/redoes as ONE edit — Ctrl+Z after Done always fully removes it in a single step, never leaving you partway through your own tuning session.

A custom-formula rule is typed once, anchored to the range's own top-left cell, and each cell in the range checks its own version of it shifted the same way a fill handle would shift a formula — a rule over A1:A10 reading =B1>10 checks =B2>10 at A2, =B3>10 at A3, and so on. The formula can read any cell — even a cell outside the range, or a cell other than the one it's coloring — so you can highlight column A based on column B, or color a whole row when one of its cells crosses a threshold.

Verified behavior

Matches Google Sheets: Google Sheets' Format ▸ Conditional formatting opens a "Conditional format rules" panel with two tabs. The "Single color" tab offers a "Format cells if…" condition dropdown (Is empty/not empty, five text conditions, three date conditions, six numeric-comparison operators — Greater than/Greater than or equal to/Less than/Less than or equal to/Is equal to/Is not equal to, plus Is between/Is not between, and "Custom formula is") and a formatting-style picker (bold/italic/underline/strikethrough/text color/ fill color; default a light green ~#b7e1cd). The "Color scale" tab offers a min/mid/maxpoint picker (default a 2-stop White→Green preset, midpoint "None") with a live gradient preview. Multiple rules can stack over the same or overlapping ranges via "+Add another rule". A rule is grid-owned presentation, re-evaluated against each cell's live value on every recalc (never baked into a static per-cell format), and undoes/redoes like any other edit. This daily-driver slice ships all eight numeric operators (Greater than/Greater than or equal to/Less than/Less than or equal to/Is equal to/Is not equal to/Is between/Is not between), restricts their values to numbers (no text/date/formula conditions), narrows the color scale to 2-stop (matching Sheets' own default, no midpoint), and presents it in a right-docked, non-modal panel matching Sheets' own docked side panel (a fixed, non-resizable width is the one residual chrome gap) — see the oracle's "Accepted divergences" for the full list. A later slice adds the "Custom formula is" tab: one arbitrary boolean formula, anchored to the range's own top-left cell exactly like a fill (each covered cell evaluates its own relative-shifted copy), matching a fill color when the formula's live result is TRUE. Remaining full parity (text/date conditions, 3-stop scale) is tracked separately (alternating colors and themes are their own, distinct Format-menu features, not conditional-format rule kinds). The panel's OWN fields preview live on the grid before Done — real Google Sheets applies conditional-format highlighting live as the panel's own condition/style/color-scale/formula fields are adjusted; Done just closes the panel, it is not an apply gate, and Cancel discards whatever was previewed with no trace left behind.

Opening Format > Conditional formatting shows the Single color tab by default

Given

When I click menu item format.conditionalFormatting

Then

• [data-testid="conditional-format-dialog"] is visible
• [data-testid="conditional-format-operator"] is visible

A single-condition rule (value > 10) colors a matching cell's fill, leaving its value untouched

Given

• A1 = 15

When I click A1, then click menu item format.conditionalFormatting, then fill conditional-format-value with 10, then click conditional-format-done

Then

• A1 shows 15
• A1 renders as fill=#b7e1cd

A single-condition rule does NOT color a cell whose value fails the condition

Given

• A1 = 5

When I click A1, then click menu item format.conditionalFormatting, then fill conditional-format-value with 10, then click conditional-format-done

Then

• A1 renders as fill=false

Conditional formatting is presentation only — a formula's value/formula are untouched

Given

• A1 = =5+10

When I click A1, then click menu item format.conditionalFormatting, then fill conditional-format-value with 10, then click conditional-format-done

Then

• A1 shows 15
• A1 has formula =5+10
• A1 renders as fill=#b7e1cd

Undo removes the rule's effect; redo reapplies it

Given

• A1 = 15

When I click A1, then click menu item format.conditionalFormatting, then fill conditional-format-value with 10, then click conditional-format-done, then click A1, then undo

Then

• A1 renders as fill=false

Adjusting the value previews the fill LIVE on the grid, BEFORE Done is clicked

Given

• A1 = 15

When I click A1, then click menu item format.conditionalFormatting, then fill conditional-format-value with 10

Then

• A1 renders as fill=#b7e1cd

Switching to the Color scale tab previews IT live too, before Done

Given

• A1 = 0
• A2 = 10

When I select A1:A2, then click menu item format.conditionalFormatting, then click conditional-format-tab-color-scale

Then

• A1 renders as fill=#ffffff
• A2 renders as fill=#57bb8a

Cancel discards the live-previewed rule entirely — the grid returns to its pre-panel state

Given

• A1 = 15

When I click A1, then click menu item format.conditionalFormatting, then fill conditional-format-value with 10, then click conditional-format-cancel

Then

• A1 renders as fill=false

Done after several live-adjusted values still commits cleanly — undo fully reverts in ONE step, not partway

Given

• A1 = 15

When I click A1, then click menu item format.conditionalFormatting, then fill conditional-format-value with 5, then fill conditional-format-value with 20, then fill conditional-format-value with 10, then click conditional-format-done, then click A1, then undo

Then

• A1 renders as fill=false

A color-scale rule paints the range's own min/max values at its two endpoint colors

Given

• A1 = 0
• A2 = 5
• A3 = 10

When I select A1:A3, then click menu item format.conditionalFormatting, then click conditional-format-tab-color-scale, then click conditional-format-done

Then

• A1 renders as fill=#ffffff
• A3 renders as fill=#57bb8a

A color-scale rule never affects a cell OUTSIDE its range

Given

• A1 = 0
• A2 = 10
• B1 = 999

When I select A1:A2, then click menu item format.conditionalFormatting, then click conditional-format-tab-color-scale, then click conditional-format-done

Then

• B1 renders as fill=false

Is between evaluates inclusive, order-independent bounds via the operator dropdown

Given

• A1 = 5
• A2 = 15

When I select A1:A2, then click menu item format.conditionalFormatting, then choose between in conditional-format-operator, then fill conditional-format-value with 10, then fill conditional-format-value2 with 1, then click conditional-format-done

Then

• A1 renders as fill=#b7e1cd
• A2 renders as fill=false

A custom-formula rule colors a cell whose formula resolves to TRUE

Given

• A1 = 15
• B1 = 10

When I click A1, then click menu item format.conditionalFormatting, then click conditional-format-tab-custom-formula, then fill conditional-format-formula with =A1>B1, then click conditional-format-done

Then

• A1 renders as fill=#b7e1cd

A custom-formula rule leaves a cell uncolored when its formula resolves to FALSE

Given

• A1 = 5
• B1 = 10

When I click A1, then click menu item format.conditionalFormatting, then click conditional-format-tab-custom-formula, then fill conditional-format-formula with =A1>B1, then click conditional-format-done

Then

• A1 renders as fill=false

A custom-formula rule can color a TEXT cell based on a formula that never reads its own value

Given

• A1 = hello
• B1 = 15

When I click A1, then click menu item format.conditionalFormatting, then click conditional-format-tab-custom-formula, then fill conditional-format-formula with =B1>10, then click conditional-format-done

Then

• A1 renders as fill=#b7e1cd