"Daisy-Chain" a conditional format?

[sixwest]

I wasn't sure if setting a dynamic range would work in this setup so I tried
something novel (the fact that I'm writing this means it didn't work!). Here
goes:

On sheet1, say column"A", I have a data list in each cell where the only
choices are "Y" and "Pndg."

On sheet2, I have a match setup where for example cell A1 has the formula
"=Sheet1!A1" where the "Y" or "Pndg." will automatically propagate when
selected on sheet1. So far so good.

NOW, on sheet2 I have conditional formats setup in column A where those
cells will either "go green" on a "Y" propagation or "go yellow" on a "Pndg."
propagation. Again, so far so good.

What I'm trying to do:

I'm setting up something I call "phantom cells" on sheet2, column "B" where
the data is hidden by matching the cell pattern color with the font color
(such as "white on white"). In this column I want a "1" to propagate for all
the corresponding cells (A1-B2,A2-B2,etc...) in column "A where a "Y" (and
then subsequently a green pattern) exist.

What I obviously want to do then is SUM column "B" on sheet 2 (all the
"1"'s) so all the "green cells" in column A give me a running total.

The frustrating thing is that I'm inputting the correct conditional "IF"
formula on sheet2 ("=IF(A1="Y",1)). I don't get a formula error but it
doesn't work.

Is the problem that it's indirectly referencing another sheet?

Thanks for all replies!

 

[Bernard Liengme]

I am not sure why you told us about the conditional formatting.

However, if I use in A1 of Sheet2 the formula =Sheet1!A1, and in B1
=IF(A1="Y",1,"")
I get 1 when Y is displayed in A1 of Sheet2.

You said "it doesn't work" but you did not tell what did happen. Presumably
with your formula you get FALSE.

I can get this behaviour if on Sheet1 cell A1 has not "Y" but "Y " - the
letter is followed by a space. To get my IF to work I used =TRIM(Sheet1!A1)
on Sheet2.

By the way, to count the Y values I can also use =COUNTIF(A1:A12,"Y")

best wishes

 

[5631]

By the way , conditional formatting works if you refer to names. Say,
you have a region "A1" on the Sheet1 called "Region1". You can refer to
"Region1" in your cond. formatting formula on the Sheet2. But you can't
do the same with "A1".