Tables

[Michel Fortin]

Le 2005-11-15 à 14:15, Fletcher T. Penney a écrit :


> I second this - the first option below would be much more difficult  

> to implement and change than the second option (I went with the  

> second option for MultiMarkdown)


So, let's summarize the `colspan` ideas.

First option.

     ||            || Imported      || Domestic           ||
     ||            || Beans | Peas  || Carrots | Tomatoes ||
     ||            || ----- | ----- || ------- | -------- ||
     || Wholesale  || $1.00 | $1.25 || $1.20   | $1.20    ||
     || Retail     || $2.00 | $3.00 || $1.80   | $1.80    ||

First option, second version.

     |            | Imported       | Domestic            |
     |            | Beans || Peas  | Carrots || Tomatoes |
     |            | ----- || ----- | ------- || -------- |
     | Wholesale  | $1.00 || $1.25 | $1.20   || $1.20    |
     | Retail     | $2.00 || $3.00 | $1.80   || $1.80    |

The interesting thing about this first table syntax is that you don't  
really care about the number of column a cell span to when writing  
the table, you care about column *groups*.

I don't think it would be that much difficult to implement this first  
option -- I mean the two versions at the same time. I say that  
because I already know exactly how it would work. Even this minimal  
thing could work:

     |            | Imported      || Domestic
     |            | Beans | Peas  || Carrots | Tomatoes
     |            | ----- | ----- || ------- | --------
     | Wholesale  | $1.00 | $1.25 || $1.20   | $1.20
     | Retail     | $2.00 | $3.00 || $1.80   | $1.80

All that is needed is that the vertical line that ends a cell  
spanning on multiple columns be made of a different number of pipe  
than for its sub-columns.

(Note that I didn't remove the leading pipe in this *minimal*  
version. This is because the first cell is empty and a line beginning  
with four space would be seen as a code block. But with some content  
in the first cell, the first pipe could be removed.)

  - - -

Second option, as implemented by MultiMarkdown.

     |            | Imported     || Domestic          ||
     |            | Beans | Peas  | Carrots | Tomatoes |
     |            | ----- | ----- | ------- | -------- |
     | Wholesale  | $1.00 | $1.25 | $1.20   | $1.20    |
     | Retail     | $2.00 | $3.00 | $1.80   | $1.80    |

This second option is pretty easy to implement. I have to says that  
while it works, I don't think it looks so good, especially if you  
have more than two sub-columns in a group.

While in my first option you have to take care about the number of  
pipes when inserting new columns, in this second option you have to  
re-count the number of cells in the group and adjust the number of pipe.

Which one is better? I'm not sure. It probably depends on your  
editing style. But I prefer the first option.


Michel Fortin
michel.fortin at michelf.com
http://www.michelf.com/