"Dynamic Field Color" add-on allows to calculate and change field colors "on the fly" ( both background color and text color) depending on fields values. Build-in calculation engine allows you to build complex conditions using "IF" and "CASE" statements. For example you can  highlight field by green  if it contains positive number ( >0 ) and  hightlight field by red  if it contains negative number ( <0 ). One more example - you can compose formula that highlights [Birthday] field some days before the contact birth day - changed field color will remind you to send a postcard. Build conditional formulae and calculate the color of any ACT field from values in other fields, constants, functions and statements. Perform custom data entry validation - highlight incorrecly entered fields.

"Dynamic Field Color" uses ABACUS ADD-ON calculation engine. Please refer to Abacus on-line DOCUMENTATION for functions, statements and operators descriptions.

The MAIN DIFFERENCE between "Dynamic Field Color" add-on and "Abacus Calculated Fields" add-on is the following : Abacus add-on calculates field values while "Dynamic Field Color" add-on calculates field colors.

COLOR CALCULATION FORMULAE EXAMPLES

HIGHLIGHTING POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE NUMBERS

If 'User 1' field contains positive number ( >=0 ) - it will be highlightted by green, if negative number ( <0 ) - it will be highlightted by red :

IF( [User 1] >= 0 ) THEN 'green' ELSE 'red' END

HIGHLIGHTING DATE FIELDS

Highlight 'Birth Date' field 3 days before the contact date of birth :

IF
DATEPART(dayofyear,[Birth Date]) - DATEPART(dayofyear,GETDATE()) <= 3
AND
DATEPART(dayofyear,[Birth Date]) - DATEPART(dayofyear,GETDATE()) >= 0
THEN 
    'red'
ELSE
    'white'
END

HINT : along with pre-defined color values ( like 'red', 'green' or 'white') you can also use color strings in html format ( examples '#FF0000', '#00FF00', '#FFFFFF' ).

Please note : formula should ALWAYS return color value either as predefined color string (e.g. 'red' ) or in html RGB format ( e.g. '#FF0000' )

How to install addon

Download addon installation package and double-click it to start the installation. Restart ACT! (!!!) New context menu items "Text color formula" and "Background color formula" should have been added for every field on your layout ( right-click on any field to check it ).

How to uninstall addon

Close ACT! (!!!) , press windows "Start" button, go to "Control Panel", click "Add and remove programs", find addon name ( "Dynamic Field Color for ACT!" ) in programs list and click "Uninstall" button.

Getting Started

To assign color calculation formula to any ACT! field, right-click on the field and then click on "Text color formula" or "Background color formula". Then enter formula that calculates color in "Formula Editor" form. Please note : formula should always return color string in html format ( example '#FF0000' )