Tables

[robert mcgonegal]

On 14-Nov-05, at 5:20 PM, John Gruber wrote:


> So why not get rid of the colons, and do column alignment based on

> the number of spaces between the items in the column and the pipes?




> Why not just require that every line of a table must start with a

> pipe (`|`)? Michel's PME implementation is existence proof that it's

> possible to write code to parse out tables even if they don't start

> with a pipe, but it seems like maybe it would make the rules easier

> to remember and simpler, and it would make it easier to see where

> tables start and end. Just throwing ideas out there.


I've been (sloppily) creating tables using a mixture of multiple tabs  
and spaces with Fletcher's Multimarkdown for the last week or so.

If I have to add a long word in, often the columns no longer line up.  
But if no one else is going to see it -- and most of the time that is  
the case --  I don't have to care, because I know it still will  
translate correctly. Imagine this scenario involving a very large  
table that will be converted to HTML as soon as editing is finished.  
Or deciding to alter the alignment of a 40 row column.

Fussing with exact spacing and extra pipes seems too similar to me to  
fussing with opening and closing HTML table codes. Neither is  
difficult but the closer you can keep to the simplicity of writing  
email, the better.

Also, most columns are flush left so no colon need be used in those  
instances.

Robert McGonegal