Changes

This is ConTeXts ConTeXt's oldest table module. It uses the same formatting as [[Tabulate]] (see [[Tables Overview]]).

This mode is based on Michael Wichura's TaBlE package for PlainTeXPlain TeX. The official manual for it is commercial (about 40 18 USD), see [http://www.pctex.com/books.html PCTeX] -- but note that the TaBlE manual only talks about the original syntax, which does not use <{{cmd>|NC</cmd>}}, <{{cmd>|HL</cmd> }}, cum suis. The only ConTeXt docs are in [[manual:ms-cb-en.pdf|ConTeXt - an excursion]]. There is also two introductory articles in tugboat [http://tug.org/TUGboat/Articles/tb28-3/tb90mahajan.pdf ConTeXt basics for users: Table macros] [http://www.tug.org/TUGboat/Articles/tb29-1/tb91mahajan.pdf Table macros II] by Aditya Mahajan (2007 and 2008).

* You get vertical lines (rules), if you use <{{cmd>|VL</cmd> }} instead of <{{cmd>|NC</cmd>}}.* Better use <{{cmd>|SR</cmd>}}, <{{cmd>|FR</cmd>}}, <{{cmd>|MR</cmd>}}, <{{cmd>|LR</cmd> }} instead of <{{cmd>|NR</cmd>}}.* You can also use <{{cmd>|AR</cmd> }} instead of <{{cmd>|SR</cmd>}}, <{{cmd>|FR</cmd>}}, <{{cmd>|MR</cmd> }} and <{{cmd>|LR</cmd> }} (AR for automatic row).* You can leave out the <{{cmd>|NC</cmd> }} before the "row" command, but not if you use <{{cmd>|AR</cmd> }} in a last or single row (see example).* You can influence the table with <{{cmd>|setuptables</cmd>.* There are also <cmd>BL</cmd> and <cmd>CL</cmd> for colored backgrounds, see below}}.

The table is defined by the template enclosed in square brackets after <{{cmd>|starttable</cmd>}}. The template has the form<br><tt>|keys for the first column|keys for the second column|...|keys for the last column|</tt>. <br>Please note that each column is surrounded by <tt>|</tt> signs. These are necessary. The formatting keys for each column can be a choice of {| class="wikitable" ! Key ! Meaning |- ! colspan="2" | Primitive Keys |- | <code>a{<em>tokens</em>}</code> | Adds <code><em>tokens</em></code> <em>after</em> the column content |- |- | <code>b{<em>tokens</em>}</code> | Adds <code><em>tokens</em></code> <em>before</em> the column content |- | <code>\{</code> | Enclose the column in braces (grouping) |- | <code>*{<em>n</em>}{<em>keys</em>}</code> | Equivalent to repeating the formatting keys <code><i>keys</i></code> <code><i>n</i></code> times |- ! colspan="2" | Positioning Keys |- | <code>\LeftGlue</code> | Specifies the left glue to be used before the column |- | <code>\RightGlue</code> | Specifies the right glue to be used after the column |- | <code>l</code> | left-aligned column |- | <code>c</code> | centered column |- | <code>r</code> | right-aligned column |- | <code>p(<em>width</em>)</code> | Set each cell as a paragraph |- | <code>s(<em>width</em>)</code> | Specify the inter-column width |- | <code>w</code> | Set minimum column width |- | <code>k</code> | Insert a kern both left and right of the column |- | <code>i</code> | Add a kern to the left of the column |- | <code>j</code> | Add a kern to the right of the column |- ! colspan="2" | Numeric and Math Item Keys |- | <code>n</code> | Numeric item not in math mode |- | <code>N</code> | Numeric item in math mode |- | <code>m</code> | Each cell is in (inline) math mode. Equivalent to <code>b$ a$</code> |- | <code>M</code> | Each cell is in display math mode. Equivalent to <code>\{b{$\displaystyle}a$}</code> |- | <code>\m</code> | Equivalent to 1 <code>l b{{}}m</code> |- | <code>\M</code> | Equivalent to 1 <code>l b{{}}M</code> |- ! colspan="2" | Style Keys |- | <code>f\<em>command</em></code> | Set font according to following <code><em>command</em></code> |- | <code>B</code> | Bold. Equivalent to <code>f\bf</code> |- | <code>I</code> | Italic. Equivalent to <code>f\it</code> |- | <code>S</code> | Slanted. Equivalent to <code>f\sl</code> |- | <code>R</code> | Roman. Equivalent to <code>f\rm</code> |- | <code>T</code> | Teletype. Equivalent to <code>f\tt</code> |- | <code>C</code> | Color. Use it in combination with <code>\{</code> (e.g. <code>\{C{<em>red</em>}</code>) |- ! colspan="2" | Tabskip Keys |- | <code>s</code> | Set the tabskip to the right of this column and of all following columns up to the next <code>s</code> or <code>o</code> key |- | <code>o</code> | Set the tabskip to the right of this column only |- |}

<table width="100%" cols="2"><tr valign="top"><td><context>\switchtobodyfont[ss, 8pt]\starttable[|l|lp(.5\textwidth)|]\HL\NC \bf Key \VL \bf Meaning \SR\HL\NC \NC Primitive Keys \SR\HL\NC \type{a{tokens}}\VL Adds \type{tokens} {\em after} the column content\AR\NC \type{b{tokens}}\VL Adds \type{tokens} '''before''' the column content\AR\NC {\tt \backslash\{ } \VL Enclose the column in braces (grouping)\AR\NC \type{*{n}{keys}}\VL Equivalent to repeating the formatting keys \type{keys} \type{n} times\NC\LR\HL\NC \NC Positioning Keys\SR\HL\NC \type{\LeftGlue} \VL Specifies the left glue to be used before the column\AR\NC \type{\RightGlue} \VL Specifies the right glue to be used after the column\AR\NC \type{l} \VL left-aligned column\AR\NC \type{c} \VL centered column\AR\NC \type{r} \VL right-aligned column\AR\NC \type{p(width)} \VL Set each cell as a paragraph\AR\NC \type{w} \VL Set minimum column width\AR\NC \type{k} \VL Insert a kern both left and right of the column\AR\NC \type{i} \VL Add a kern to the left of the column\AR\NC \type{j} \VL Add a kern to the right of the column\LR\HL\NC \NC Numeric and Math Item Keys \SR\HL\NC \type{n} \VL Numeric item not in math mode\AR\NC \type{N} \VL Numeric item in math mode\AR\NC \type{m} \VL Each cell is in (inline) math mode. Equivalent to \type{b$ a$}\AR\NC \type{M} \VL Each cell is in display math mode. Equivalent to \type{\{b{$\displaystyle}a$}} \AR\NC \type{\m} \VL Equivalent to \type{l b{{}}m}\AR\NC \type{\M} \VL Equivalent to \type{l b{{}}M}\LR\HL\NC \NC Style Keys \SR\HL\NC \type{f\command} \VL Set font according to following \tex{command}\AR\NC \type{B} \VL Bold. Equivalent to \type{f\bf}\AR\NC \type{I} \VL Italic. Equivalent to \type{f\it}\AR\NC \type{S} \VL Slanted. Equivalent to \type{f\sl}\AR\NC \type{R} \VL Roman. Equivalent to \type{f\rm}\AR\NC \type{T} \VL Teletype. Equivalent to \type{f\tt}\AR\NC \type{C} \VL Color. Use it in combination with \backslash\{ (e.g. \backslash\{C\{red\} )\LR\HL\NC \NC Tabskip Keys \SR\HL\NC \type{s} \VL Set the tabskip to the right of this column and of all following columns up to the next \type{s} or \type{o} key\AR\NC \type{o} \VL Set the tabskip to the right of this column only\LR\HL\stoptable</context></td><td>===ExamplesColumn definition examples===

{{Todotodo|add more examples of column definitions}}</td></tr></table>

It's possible to create columnspans (i.e. , cells that span more than one column) with the command <{{cmd>|use|{<i>N</i>}</cmd> }} where ''N'' is the number of columns spanned by the cell. It's often necessary to use <{{cmd>|ReFormat|[<i>new keys</i>]{}</cmd> }} to reformat this specific cell according to the ''new keys''.

\NC left column text \VL right column text \NC \AR\NC new row \VL new row \NC \AR\NC left column text \VL \ReFormat[l]{reformatted} \NC \AR

\NC left column text \VL right column text \NC \AR\NC new row \VL new row \NC \AR\NC left column text \VL \ReFormat[l]{reformatted} \NC \AR

(<{{cmd>|ReFormat</cmd> }} can be abbreviated <{{cmd>|REF</cmd> }} for brevity.) 

It's also possible to create rowspans (i.e. cells that span more than one row) with the command <{{cmd>|Raise|(<i>dimen</i>){<i>content</i>}</cmd> }} or <{{cmd>|Lower|(<i>dimen</i>){</i>content</i>}</cmd> }} that raise or lower ''content'' by ''dimen''.

(<{{cmd>|Lower|(.5\lineheight){a}</cmd> }} can be abbreviated <{{cmd>|LOW|{a}</cmd> }} for brevity.)

<{{cmd>|smash|{tall objextobject}}}</cmd>:

* If you need information about <{{cmd>|placetable</cmd> }} look after <{{cmd>|placefloat</cmd> }} in the manual or texshow!

* <{{cmd>|BL</cmd> }} makes a gray background: the optional argument tells BL how many cells it should color* <{{cmd>|CL</cmd> }} makes a colored row

Latex has an excellent package called booktabs for typesetting tables. The main features of that package is that you can have top, mid, and bottom rules of different thickness. It is possible to achieve similar effects using tablestable. For example, to match the default settings of booktabs (Well well almost, this gives a top and bottom rules of 0.09em while booktabs sets it to 0.08em).