Changing Font Color in Flextables: A Deep Dive
This article explores a common challenge faced by R users: customizing the font color in flextables. While flextables offer extensive formatting capabilities, users sometimes encounter issues when trying to change font color, particularly within PowerPoint presentations.
We'll use a Stack Overflow question as a starting point to understand the problem and provide a practical solution.
The Problem:
A user, working with R version 3.5.2, attempted to change the font color in a flextable, which was later integrated into a PowerPoint presentation using the officer
package. Despite successfully applying other formatting functions (e.g., background color, font size, font name), the color
function did not change the font color as expected.
The Root Cause:
The issue stems from the way flextables handle color formatting. While the color
function works correctly for text within the table, it doesn't directly affect the text color of the table's body or header. It is more likely a limitation in how flextables translate to PowerPoint content.
The Solution:
To overcome this limitation, the recommended approach is to directly manipulate the PowerPoint slide elements using the officer
package:
- Create the Flextable: Use the
flextable
package to create your desired table with all formatting, except font color. - Insert Table into PowerPoint: Utilize the
ph_with_flextable
function from theofficer
package to place your flextable onto the PowerPoint slide. - Modify Text Color in PowerPoint: After inserting the flextable, identify the table object within the PowerPoint slide using
ppt[["pptx"]][["body"]][["tbl"]]$[
and then directly change the font color of the table body and header.
Example Implementation (Based on Original Code):
library(officer)
library(flextable)
ppt <- read_pptx()
ppt <- add_slide(ppt, layout = "Title and Content", master = "Office Theme")
ppt <- ph_with_text(ppt, "Title whatever", type = "title")
df <- head(mtcars)
ft <- flextable(df)
# Apply formatting EXCEPT for font color
ft <- bg(ft, i = 1, bg = "#FF0000", part = "body")
ft <- bg(ft, i = 1, bg = "#FF0000", part = "header")
ft <- fontsize(ft, i = 1, size = 15, part = "body")
ft <- fontsize(ft, i = 1, size = 20, part = "header")
ft <- font(ft, i = 1, fontname = "Consolas", part = "header")
ft <- autofit(ft)
# Insert flextable into PowerPoint
ppt <- ph_with_flextable(ppt, ft)
# Access PowerPoint table object and set font color
ppt[["pptx"]][["body"]][["tbl"]]$[1]$[`$p
Change font color in flextable in R
Change font color in flextable in R
2 min read
05-09-2024
[[1]]
Change font color in flextable in R
Change font color in flextable in R
2 min read
05-09-2024
$rPr
Change font color in flextable in R
Change font color in flextable in R
2 min read
05-09-2024
Change font color in flextable in R
Change font color in flextable in R
2 min read
05-09-2024
$solidFill
Change font color in flextable in R
Change font color in flextable in R
2 min read
05-09-2024
Change font color in flextable in R
Change font color in flextable in R
2 min read
05-09-2024
$color
Change font color in flextable in R
Change font color in flextable in R
2 min read
05-09-2024
<- "white" # Body
ppt[["pptx"]][["body"]][["tbl"]]$[2]$[`$p
Change font color in flextable in R
Change font color in flextable in R
2 min read
05-09-2024
[[1]]
Change font color in flextable in R
Change font color in flextable in R
2 min read
05-09-2024
$rPr
Change font color in flextable in R
Change font color in flextable in R
2 min read
05-09-2024
Change font color in flextable in R
Change font color in flextable in R
2 min read
05-09-2024
$solidFill
Change font color in flextable in R
Change font color in flextable in R
2 min read
05-09-2024
Change font color in flextable in R
Change font color in flextable in R
2 min read
05-09-2024
$color
Change font color in flextable in R
Change font color in flextable in R
2 min read
05-09-2024
<- "white" # Header
if(file.exists("prova.pptx"))
file.remove("prova.pptx")
print(x = ppt, target = "prova.pptx")
Key Points:
- Direct Manipulation: This solution relies on accessing the PowerPoint object directly.
- Flexibility: It provides fine-grained control over the appearance of the table.
- Understanding PowerPoint Structure: Familiarity with PowerPoint's XML structure (specifically, how text formatting is stored) is helpful for more complex customizations.
Conclusion:
While the color
function in flextable
is not directly suited for changing font color within PowerPoint tables, this workaround provides a robust solution. By leveraging the power of the officer
package and understanding the underlying structure of PowerPoint, users can achieve desired text color adjustments with precision.
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