Martin Coath - 7. Tables

Tables

For simple tables I use LaTable

LaTable is an editor that allows you to create and save tables in its own format. Each time you create or load a LaTable file the application writes the corresponding LaTeX code which you can copy-paste in to your document. Simple but effective.

https://www.ctan.org/pkg/latable

One approach to well behaved tables

This is covered in one of my 'minimal examples' which you can download from this site. I use the following macro to solve most of my table problems.

% --- for well behaved tables

\newcommand{\mcell}[2]{

\begin{minipage}[t]{#1 cm}

    #2 \smallskip

\end{minipage}

The \mcell macro creates a mini-page of a fixed width which can be placed inside a table. Tables are much better behaved with contents that wrap around inside a cell and have fixed cell widths.

\begin{tabular}{|ccc|}

    \hline

    % row 1 contains three cells of width 2, 3, and 4 cm

    \mcell{2}{\centering \large A} &

    \mcell{3}{\centering \large B} &

    \mcell{4}{\centering \large C} \\

    \hline\hline

    % row 2 also contains three cells of width 2, 3, and 4 cm

    \mcell{2}{Two cm wide.}&

    \mcell{3}{Three centimeters.} &

    \mcell{4}{Four long centimeters wide.}\\

    \hline

\end{tabular}

Large or wide tables

The other major problem with tables is dealing with very wide ones. Very wide tables just disappear off the side of the page. So, put the table in sideways on a page of its own using the sidewaystable environment. This requires the rotating package. The uopthesis class has this already.

\begin{sidewaystable}

    % table goes here

\end{sidewaystable}