# Customizing the Appearance of Selections

Spread for ASP.NET allows you to change the appearance of selections, including the background and text colors as well as the border.

## Content

Selections have a default appearance provided by the component and the selection renderer. You can change that appearance, including the background and text colors as well as the border. By default, when you click on a row header, the entire row is selected and when you click on a column header, the entire column is selected. The active cell retains a different appearance to show you which cell is active. You can change the selection behavior by setting the [OperationMode](/spreadnet/api/latest/online-asp/FarPoint.Web.Spread/FarPoint.Web.Spread.SheetView.OperationMode.html) for the sheet.
Set the [SheetView](/spreadnet/api/latest/online-asp/FarPoint.Web.Spread/FarPoint.Web.Spread.SheetView.html) object’s [SelectionBackColor](/spreadnet/api/latest/online-asp/FarPoint.Web.Spread/FarPoint.Web.Spread.SheetView.SelectionBackColor.html) and [SelectionForeColor](/spreadnet/api/latest/online-asp/FarPoint.Web.Spread/FarPoint.Web.Spread.SheetView.SelectionForeColor.html) to specify the colors to use for the background and for the text ([SelectionForeColor](/spreadnet/api/latest/online-asp/FarPoint.Web.Spread/FarPoint.Web.Spread.SheetView.SelectionForeColor.html) only applies to downlevel browsers). Set the SheetView object’s [SelectionBorder](/spreadnet/api/latest/online-asp/FarPoint.Web.Spread/FarPoint.Web.Spread.SheetView.SelectionBorder.html) to specify the border for selections (downlevel browser only). Assign the SheetView object you have created to one of the sheets in the component.
You can also change the appearance by setting the selection colors in a custom skin and applying that skin to the sheet. For more information about skins, refer to [Creating a Skin for Sheets](/spreadnet/docs/latest/online-asp/overview/spweb-devguide/spweb-appearSet/spweb-appearSheet/spweb-SheetSkinCreate) and [Applying a Skin to a Sheet](/spreadnet/docs/latest/online-asp/overview/spweb-devguide/spweb-appearSet/spweb-appearSheet/spweb-SheetSkinApply).

## Using the Properties Window

1. At design time, in the **Properties** window, select the FpSpread component.
2. Select the **Sheets** property.
3. Click the button to display the **SheetView Collection Editor**.
4. Set the various selection properties.
5. Click **OK** to close the editor.

## Using a Shortcut

1. Set the [SelectionBackColorStyle](/spreadnet/api/latest/online-asp/FarPoint.Web.Spread/FarPoint.Web.Spread.SheetView.SelectionBackColorStyle.html) property.
2. Set the [SelectionBackColor](/spreadnet/api/latest/online-asp/FarPoint.Web.Spread/FarPoint.Web.Spread.SheetView.SelectionBackColor.html) property.
3. Set the [SelectionPolicy](/spreadnet/api/latest/online-asp/FarPoint.Web.Spread/FarPoint.Web.Spread.SheetView.SelectionPolicy.html) property.

## Example

This example code sets the selection backcolor and policies.

```csharp
FpSpread1.Sheets[0].SelectionBackColorStyle = FarPoint.Web.Spread.SelectionBackColorStyles.SelectionBackColor;
FpSpread1.Sheets[0].SelectionBackColor = Color.SaddleBrown;
FpSpread1.Sheets[0].SelectionPolicy = FarPoint.Web.Spread.Model.SelectionPolicy.MultiRange;
```

```vbnet
FpSpread1.Sheets(0).SelectionBackColorStyle = FarPoint.Web.Spread.SelectionBackColorStyles.SelectionBackColor
FpSpread1.Sheets(0).SelectionBackColor = Color.SaddleBrown
FpSpread1.Sheets(0).SelectionPolicy = FarPoint.Web.Spread.Model.SelectionPolicy.MultiRange
```

## Using the Spread Designer

1. Select the **Settings** menu.
2. Select the **Colors** icon from the **Sheet Settings** section.
3. Set the various selection options. Click **OK** to close the dialog.
4. From the **File** menu choose **Apply and Exit** to apply your changes to the component and exit Spread Designer.

## See Also

[SelectionBackColorStyle Property](/spreadnet/api/latest/online-asp/FarPoint.Web.Spread/FarPoint.Web.Spread.SheetView.SelectionBackColorStyle.html)
[SelectionBackColor Property](/spreadnet/api/latest/online-asp/FarPoint.Web.Spread/FarPoint.Web.Spread.SheetView.SelectionBackColor.html)
[SelectionPolicy Property](/spreadnet/api/latest/online-asp/FarPoint.Web.Spread/FarPoint.Web.Spread.SheetView.SelectionPolicy.html)