@@ -1256,26 +1256,39 @@
 ;;======================================================================
 ;;  S T E P S
 ;;======================================================================
 
 (define (dcommon:populate-steps teststeps steps-matrix)
-  (let ((max-row 0)
-	(max-col 9))
+  (let ((max-row       0)
+	(max-col       9)
+        (white         "255 255 255")
+        (running-color (car (gutils:get-color-for-state-status "RUNNING" "STARTED")))
+        (failcolor     (car (gutils:get-color-for-state-status "COMPLETED" "FAIL"))))
     (if (null? teststeps)
 	(iup:attribute-set! steps-matrix "CLEARVALUE" "CONTENTS")
 	(let loop ((hed    (car teststeps))
 		   (tal    (cdr teststeps))
 		   (rownum 1)
 		   (colnum 1))
 	  (if (> rownum max-row)(set! max-row rownum))
-	  (let ((val     (vector-ref hed (- colnum 1)))
-		(mtrx-rc (conc rownum ":" colnum)))
+	  (let* ((status  (vector-ref hed 3))
+                 (val     (vector-ref hed (- colnum 1)))
+                 (bgcolor (cond
+                           ((member (conc status) '("" "#<unspecified>"))
+                            running-color)
+                           ((member (conc status) '("0" 0))
+                            white)
+                           (else failcolor)))
+		 (mtrx-rc (conc rownum ":" colnum)))
+            ;;(print "BB> status=>"status"< bgcolor="bgcolor)
 	    (iup:attribute-set! steps-matrix  mtrx-rc (if val (conc val) ""))
+            (if (< colnum 5)
+                (iup:attribute-set! steps-matrix  (conc "BGCOLOR" mtrx-rc) bgcolor))
 	    (if (< colnum max-col)
 		(loop hed tal rownum (+ colnum 1))
 		(if (not (null? tal))
-		    (loop (car tal)(cdr tal)(+ rownum 1) 1))))))
+		    (loop (car tal) (cdr tal) (+ rownum 1) 1))))))
     (if (> max-row 0)
 	(begin
 	  ;; we are going to speculatively clear rows until we find a row that is already cleared
 	  (let loop ((rownum  (+ max-row 1))
 		     (colnum  0)