You can import formatting from a saved analysis and its views to format new or existing analyses. For example, suppose that you have applied different colors to the Store, City, and Product columns of the Last Year's Brand Revenue analysis. You can import formatting from that analysis to apply colors to the This Year's Brand Revenue-2013 analysis.
You apply formatting by using the Import Formatting button. The following table describes the locations of the Import Formatting button and the outcome when you click the button:
| Location | Application |
|---|---|
| Compound Layout toolbar | Applies formatting to all applicable views in the layout. |
| View editor toolbar | Applies formatting only to the view that you are editing. |
The following table describes the views from which you can import formatting:
| View Type | Action |
|---|---|
| Narrative | Imports only the text font color. |
| Pivot table, table, and trellis | Imports formatting for the columns, green bar specifications, sub-totals and grand totals, and section properties. |
| Static text | Imports only the text font color. |
| Title | Imports formatting for the title, logo, subtitle, start time, and help URL. |
| View Selector | Imports only the caption formatting. |
Formatting is applied slightly differently depending on whether you import formatting applied to columns, views, or view containers in the Compound Layout.
Applying formatting from columns works best for views when the saved analysis has the same number of columns as the target column. For a single column, formatting is applied to all columns in the tables, pivot tables, and trellises of the target analysis.
For multiple columns, formatting is applied from left to right for column headings and values. Suppose the number of columns in the target analysis is greater than the number in the saved analysis. Then, the closest column's format is repeated in the subsequent columns.
For example, suppose that the saved analysis contains four columns formatted with the following colors in this order: red, green, blue, and yellow. In the target analysis, its six columns would acquire these colors in the following order: red, green, blue, yellow, yellow, yellow.
Formatting is applied to a view only if a view of that type exists in the target analysis. The imported formatting applies to all views of that type in the target analysis.
For example, suppose that a saved analysis contains a table with custom formatting. If you import that formatting into a target analysis that contains three tables, then all three tables inherit that formatting.
In the Compound Layout, you can specify formatting properties such as background color, borders, and padding to view containers. Suppose you import that container formatting. The views in the target analysis inherit the exact container formatting properties as the views in the saved analysis.
The layout of the views in the two analyses are not required to be exactly the same. If the target analysis contains more views than the source analysis, then extra views inherit the imported formatting.
For example, suppose that a saved analysis contains two tables that are stacked on top of each other in the Compound Layout. Suppose that the target analysis contains four tables that are laid out two by two. The source analysis has only one layout column of two table views. The two tables in each of the first and second layout columns of the target analysis inherit the applied formatting.
You can import formatting from one analysis to another. For example, suppose you have an analysis that contains one column. You have applied formatting to that Revenue column such as font family, horizontal alignment, and background color. You can save the analysis and use it as a template. You can apply it to the same formatting to all columns in a view in another analysis.
To use a saved analysis to modify the appearance of another analysis:
Open the analysis for editing.
Display the target analysis in the Analysis editor: Results tab, or edit the view.
Click Import formatting from another analysis on the toolbar.
In the Select Analysis dialog, navigate to the saved analysis.
Click OK.