Applying table styles

Apply a table style to quickly format tables. You can also apply a table style to lists and crosstabs.

About this task

By default, when a new object is inserted in a list or crosstab, the object inherits the style from an object of the same type in the data container. For example, if you insert a measure in a list, the measure inherits the style of a measure that is already in the list, if there is one. If you do not want objects to inherit styles, clear the Table Style inheritance option in the Tools menu (Tools, Options, Report tab).

The following rules explain how style inheritance is applied to lists and crosstabs.

Styles are inherited in the following order: custom, client default, and server default.
A custom style is a style that you manually apply. A client default style is one of the styles available in the Apply Table Style dialog box. The server default style is the style applied when Default is selected in the Apply Table Style dialog box.
When a new column or row is inserted, it inherits the style from the sibling of the same type that is on its right or below it.
If there is no sibling of the same type on its right or below it, then the style of the nearest sibling that is on its left or above is applied.
If there is no sibling of the same type in the container, then the client or server default table style is applied.
If a custom style is applied to a column or row and the object is then moved to another location, the object retains the custom style.
Custom styles applied to part of an object, such as the header, body, or footer, may be lost. For example, if a container has a footer, the footer is recreated when a column is moved. The recreated footer is rendered using the style that was applied to the footer before you customized its style.
Deleting a column or row has no impact on the styles of the other objects in the container.
Styles are preserved if a column is grouped or ungrouped. The same applies when creating or removing sections.
When drilling up or down, the style of the parent item is applied.

Procedure

Click the table, list, or crosstab to which you want to apply a table style.
Tip: To quickly select the parent of an object, click the object, and then click the select ancestor button in the Properties pane title bar.
From the Style menu, click Apply Table Style.
In the Table styles box, click a table style.
Tip: Some styles are unique to tables, lists, or crosstabs.
If you are applying a table style to a table or list, in the Apply special styles to section, select or clear the various column and row check boxes based on how you want to treat the first and last columns and rows.
Some options may not be available for particular table styles or for particular columns or rows.
If you are applying a table style to a list or crosstab, and you want the style to be applied to all lists or crosstabs in the report, select the Set this style as the default for this object type check box.
For a list, you may need to clear the First column and Last column check boxes in the Apply special styles to section before you can select this check box. In addition, some table styles cannot be set as the default.