how to highlight a cell in a .csv file using an apex code

Question

Is there any apex code that a generates a csv file of data where a particular data is being highlighted or the background color of the cell where the data is present could be changed by the apex code which generates that .csv file?

my code which generates the csv file

List<VanaHCM__Absence_Request__c> ARlist = [Select name, VanaHCM__Absence_Type_Request__r.name, VanaHCM__Dump_Start_Date__c, VanaHCM__Dump_End_Date__c, VanaHCM__Actual_Absence__c, VanaHCM__Approved__c
                                            From VanaHCM__Absence_Request__c 
                                            WHERE ((VanaHCM__Dump_Start_Date__c >= 2015-01-18 AND VanaHCM__Dump_Start_Date__c <= 2015-01-23) OR (VanaHCM__Dump_End_Date__c >= 2015-05-18 AND VanaHCM__Dump_End_Date__c <= 2015-05-23))
                                            AND (VanaHCM__Requested_By__r.Vanahcm__User__r.userrole.name LIKE '%ford%' or VanaHCM__Requested_By__r.Vanahcm__User__r.userrole.name LIKE '%quality%' or VanaHCM__Requested_By__r.Vanahcm__User__r.userrole.name LIKE 'LF%')
                                            order by VanaHCM__Dump_Start_Date__c Limit 100];
string header = 'Absence Request Id, Absence Type, Start Date, End Date, Total Absence Requested, Approved \n';
string finalstr = header ;
for (VanaHCM__Absence_Request__c AR :ARlist)
{
       string recordString = AR.Name+','+AR.VanaHCM__Absence_Type_Request__r.name+','+AR.VanaHCM__Dump_Start_Date__c+','+AR.VanaHCM__Dump_End_Date__c+','+AR.VanaHCM__Actual_Absence__c+','+AR.VanaHCM__Approved__c +'\n';
       finalstr = finalstr +recordString;
}
Messaging.EmailFileAttachment csvAttc = new Messaging.EmailFileAttachment();
blob csvBlob = Blob.valueOf(finalstr);
string csvname= 'Absence_Request.csv';
csvAttc.setFileName(csvname);
csvAttc.setBody(csvBlob);
Messaging.SingleEmailMessage email =new Messaging.SingleEmailMessage();
String[] toAddresses = new list<string> {'[email protected]'};
String subject ='Absence_Request CSV';
email.setSubject(subject);
email.setToAddresses( toAddresses );
email.setPlainTextBody('Absence_Request CSV ');
email.setFileAttachments(new Messaging.EmailFileAttachment[]{csvAttc});
Messaging.SendEmailResult [] r = Messaging.sendEmail(new Messaging.SingleEmailMessage[] {email});

Answer 1

CSV(Comma Seperated Values) is a file format which stores values with a seperation of comma to distinguish between first value and second value and each row is distinguished by carriage return.

CSV files are interpreted differently by different programs. For example, Excel will show the CSV file as Row Column pattern. But a text editor will display the CSV file just with commas without Row Column pattern.

So you can't apply any formatting to the CSV file by any means.

Hope it helps.

Answer 2

csv file doesn't support any formating like cell background color etc. In excel when you do formatting on CSV file and save, all the formatting is lost.