Help:Table

    From BelieveTheSign

    Cheat Sheet

    Description You type You get
    applies anywhere
    Start Table {|
    End Table |-
    |}
    New Column |-
    New Row | for first row, and
    || for subsequent rows
    Title  !
    Summary {|
    !Title1
    !Title2
    |-
    |Content 1
    ||Content 2
    |-
    |}
    Title1 Title2
    Content 1 Content 2
    Parameter You type You get
    applies anywhere
    Change font size style="font-size:80%;"
    Title1 Title2
    Content 1 Content 2
    Add colour background:#f5faff;"
    Title1 Title2
    Content 1 Content 2
    Add Border style="border:3px solid #cedff2;"
    Title1 Title2
    Content 1 Content 2
    Center Text style="text-align:center;"
    Title1 Title2
    Content 1 Content 2
    Width style="width:200px"
    Title1 Title2
    Content 1 Content 2


    Summary {| style="width:200px; text-align:center; border:3px solid #cedff2; background:#f5faff; font-size:80%;"
    !Title1
    !Title2
    |-
    |Content 1
    ||Content 2
    |-
    |}
    Title1 Title2
    Content 1 Content 2

    If you are looking for other parameters, it is often best to find a table you like that has already been created and copy the colour or other parameter. See also Help:listofcolors.

    Introduction

    This page gives you information about syntax to build simple wiki-tables.

    For large tables and complex formatting a converter program may be helpful to generate these codings. For converters please refer to Wiki-Tablegenerators. Also listed there is a macro that converts an EXCEL-table and its format attributes (it's in German but there is an English translation at the bottom of the page).

    Pipe syntax in terms of the HTML produced

    The pipe syntax, developed by Magnus Manske, substitutes pipes (|) for HTML. There is an on-line script which converts html tables to pipe syntax tables. The pipes must start at the beginning of a new line, except when separating parameters from content or when using || to separate cells on a single line. The parameters are optional.

    Tables

    A table is defined by {| ''params'' |} which equals <table ''params''>Insert non-formatted text here </table>

    Careful: You must include the space between {| and params, or the first parameter gets ignored.

    Rows

    <tr> tags will be generated automatically for the first row. To start a new row, use 

    |-

    which results in 

    <tr>

    Parameters can be added like this: 

    |- params

    which results in 

    <tr params>

    Note:

    • <tr> tags will be automatically opened at the first <td> equivalent
    • <tr> tags will be automatically closed at <tr> and </table> equivalents

    Cells

    Cells are generated either like this: 

    |cell1
|cell2
|cell3

    or like this: 

    |cell1||cell2||cell3

    which both equal 

    <td>cell1</td><td>cell2</td><td>cell3</td>

    so "||" equals "newline" + "|" Parameters in cells can be used like this: 

    |params|cell1||params|cell2||params|cell3

    which will result in 

    <td params>cell1</td>
<td params>cell2</td>
<td params>cell3</td>

    Headers

    Functions the same way as TD, except "!" is used instead of the opening "|". "!!" can be used instead of "||". Parameters still use "|", though! Example: 

    !params|cell1

    Captions

    A <caption> tag is created by 

    |+ Caption

    which generates 

    <caption>Caption</caption>

    You can also use parameters: 

    |+ params|Caption

    which will generate 

    <caption params>Caption</caption>

    See also

    External links


    Pipe syntax tutorial

    Although HTML table syntax also works, special wikicode can be used as a shortcut to create a table. The pipe (vertical bar) , codes function exactly the same as HTML table markup, so a knowledge of HTML table code will help in understanding pipe code. The shortcuts are as follows:

    • The entire table is encased with curly brackets and a vertical bar character (a pipe). So use {| to begin a table, and |} to end it. Each one needs to be on its own line:
    {|
  table code goes here
|}
    • An optional table caption is included with a line starting with a vertical bar and plus sign "|+" and the caption after it:
    {|
|+ caption
  table code goes here
|}
    • To start a new table row, type a vertical bar and a dash on its own line: "|-". The codes for the cells in that row will start on the next line.
    {|
|+ The table's caption
|-
  cell code goes here
|-
  cell code goes here
|}
    • Type the codes for each table cell in the next row, starting with a bar:
    {|
|+ The table's caption
|-
| cell codes go here
|-
| cells in the next row go here
| more cells in the same row here
|}
    • Cells can be separated with either a new line and new bar, or by a double bar "||" on the same line. Both produce the same output:
    {|
|+ The table's caption
|-
|Cell 1 || Cell 2 || Cell 3
|-
|Cell A 
|Cell B
|Cell C
|}
    • a row of column headings is identified by using "!" instead of "|", and using "!!" instead of "||". Header cells typically render differently than regular cells, depending on the browser. They are often rendered in a bold font and centered.
    {|
|+ The table's caption
! Column heading 1 !! Column heading 2 !! Column heading 3
|-
|Cell 1 || Cell 2 || Cell 3
|-
|Cell A
|Cell B
|Cell C
|}
    • the first cell of a row is identified as row heading by starting the line with "!" instead of "|", and starting subsequent data cells on a new line.
    {|
|+ The table's caption
! Column heading 1 !! Column heading 2 !! Column heading 3
|-
! Row heading 1 
| Cell 2 || Cell 3
|-
! Row heading A 
|Cell B
|Cell C
|}
    • Optional parameters can modify the behavior of cells, rows, or the entire table. For instance, a border could be added to the table:
    {| border="1"
|+ The table's caption
! Column heading 1 !! Column heading 2 !! Column heading 3
|-
! Row heading 1
| Cell 2 || Cell 3
|-
! Row heading A
|Cell B
|Cell C
|}

    The final table would display like this:

    The table's caption
    Column heading 1 Column heading 2 Column heading 3
    Row heading 1 Cell 2 Cell 3
    Row heading A Cell B Cell C

    The table parameters and cell parameters are the same as in HTML, see [1] and HTML element#Tables. However, the thead, tbody, tfoot, colgroup, and col elements are currently not supported in MediaWiki.

    A table can be useful even if none of the cells have content. For example, the background colors of cells can be changed with cell parameters, making the table into a diagram, like m:Template talk:Square 8x8 pentomino example. An "image" in the form of a table is much more convenient to edit than an uploaded image.

    Each row must have the same number of cells as the other rows, so that the number of columns in the table remains consistent (unless there are cells which span several columns or rows, see colspan and rowspan in Mélange example below). For empty cells, use the non-breaking space &nbsp; as content to ensure that the cells are displayed. To add a visible | into a table use <nowiki>|</nowiki> or &#124;

    Examples

    Simple example

    Both of these generate the same output. Choose a style based on the amount of cells in each row and the total text inside each cell. Wiki markup 

    {| 
| Cell 1, row 1 
| Cell 2, row 1 
|- 
| Cell 1, row 2 
| Cell 2, row 2 
|}

    {| 
| Cell 1, row 1 || Cell 2, row 1 
|- 
| Cell 1, row 2 || Cell 2, row 2 
|}

    What it looks like in your browser

    Cell 1, row 1 Cell 2, row 1
    Cell 1, row 2 Cell 2, row 2

    Multiplication table

    Wiki markup 

    {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+Multiplication table
|-
! &times; !! 1 !! 2 !! 3
|-
! 1
| 1 || 2 || 3
|-
! 2
| 2 || 4 || 6
|-
! 3
| 3 || 6 || 9
|-
! 4
| 4 || 8 || 12
|-
! 5
| 5 || 10 || 15
|}

    What it looks like in your browser

    Multiplication table
    × 1 2 3
    1 1 2 3
    2 2 4 6
    3 3 6 9
    4 4 8 12
    5 5 10 15

    Color; scope of parameters

    Two ways of specifying color of text and background for a single cell are as follows. The first form is preferred: Wiki markup 

    {| 
| style="background:red; color:white" | abc
| def
| bgcolor="red" | <font color="white"> ghi </font>
| jkl
|}

    What it looks like in your browser

    abc def ghi jkl

    Like other parameters, colors can also be specified for a whole row or the whole table; parameters for a row override the value for the table, and those for a cell override those for a row: Wiki markup 

    {| style="background:yellow; color:green"
|- 
| abc
| def
| ghi
|- style="background:red; color:white"
| jkl
| mno
| pqr
|-
| stu
| style="background:silver" | vwx
| yz
|}

    What it looks like in your browser

    abc def ghi
    jkl mno pqr
    stu vwx yz

    To make the table blend in with the background, use style="background:none". (Warning: style="background:inherit", does not work with some browsers, including IE6!)

    Width, height

    The width and height of the whole table can be specified, as well as the height of a row. To specify the width of a column one can specify the width of an arbitrary cell in it. If the width is not specified for all columns, and/or the height is not specified for all rows, then there is some ambiguity, and the result depends on the browser. Wiki markup 

    {| style="width:75%; height:200px" border="1"
|- 
| abc
| def
| ghi
|- style="height:100px" 
| jkl
| style="width:200px" |mno
| pqr
|-
| stu
| vwx
| yz
|}

    What it looks like in your browser

    abc def ghi
    jkl mno pqr
    stu vwx yz

    Note that style="inline CSS" has no effect with some browsers. If it's important equivalent older constructs like width="75%" should work on more browsers.

    Setting your column widths

    If you wish to force column widths to your own requirements, rather than accepting the width of the widest text element in a column's cells, then follow this example. Note that wrap-around of text is forced. 

    {| border="1" cellpadding="2"
!width="50"|Name
!width="225"|Effect
!width="225"|Games Found In
|-
|Pokeball
|Regular Pokeball
|All Versions
|-
|Great Ball
|Better than a Pokeball
|All Versions
|}
    Name Effect Games Found In
    Pokeball Regular Pokeball All Versions
    Great Ball Better than a Pokeball All Versions

    Positioning

    One can position the table itself, and all contents in a row, and contents in a cell, but not with a single parameter all contents in the table, see m:Template talk:Table demo. Do not, under any circumstances, use "float" to position a table. It will break page rendering at large font sizes.

    Mélange

    Here's a more advanced example, showing some more options available for making up tables. You can play with these settings in your own table to see what effect they have. Not all of these techniques may be appropriate in all cases; just because you can add colored backgrounds, for example, doesn't mean it's always a good idea. Try to keep the markup in your tables relatively simple -- remember, other people are going to be editing the article too! This example should give you an idea of what is possible, though. Wiki markup 

    {| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" align="center"
|+'''An example table'''
|-
! style="background:#efefef;" | First header
! colspan="2" style="background:#ffdead;" | Second header
|-
| upper left
|  
| rowspan=2 style="border-bottom:3px solid grey;" valign="top" |
right side
|-
| style="border-bottom:3px solid grey;" | lower left
| style="border-bottom:3px solid grey;" | lower middle
|-
| colspan="3" align="center" |
{| border="0"
|+''A table in a table''
|-
| align="center" width="150px" | [[Image:wiki.png]]
| align="center" width="150px" | [[Image:wiki.png]]
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" style="border-top:1px solid red; border-right:1px
          solid red; border-bottom:2px solid red; border-left:1px solid red;" |
Two Wikimedia logos
|}
|}

    What it looks like in your browser

    An example table
    First header Second header
    upper left  

    right side

    lower left lower middle
    A table in a table
    File:Wiki.png File:Wiki.png

    Two Wikimedia logos

    Floating table

    Wiki markup 

    This paragraph is before the table.  Lorem ipsum ...
{| align="right" border="1"
| Col 1, row 1 
|rowspan="2"| Col 2, row 1 (and 2) 
| Col 3, row 1 
|- 
| Col 1, row 2 
| Col 3, row 2 
|}
Note the floating table to the right.   This paragraph is after the table.  Lorem ipsum ...

    What it looks like in your browser

    This paragraph is before the table. Lorem ipsum ...

    Col 1, row 1 Col 2, row 1 (and 2) Col 3, row 1
    Col 1, row 2 Col 3, row 2

    Note the floating table to the right. This paragraph is after the table. Lorem ipsum ...


    Nested tables

    This shows one table (in blue) nested inside another table's cell2. Nested tables have to start on a new line. Wiki markup 

    {| border="1"
| &alpha;
| align="center" | cell2
{| border="2" style="background-color:#ABCDEF;"
| NESTED
|-
| TABLE
|}
| valign="bottom" | the original table again
|}

    What it looks like in your browser

    α cell2
    NESTED
    TABLE
    		the original table again

    Combined use of COLSPAN and ROWSPAN

    Wiki markup 

    {| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0"
|-
! Column 1 || Column 2 || Column 3
|-
| rowspan="2"| A
| colspan="2" align="center"| B
|-
| C
| D
|-
| E
| colspan="2" align="center"| F
|- 
| rowspan="3"| G
| H
| I
|- 
| J
| K
|-
| colspan="2" align="center"| L
|}

    What it looks like in your browser

    Column 1 Column 2 Column 3
    A B
    C D
    E F
    G H I
    J K
    L

    Centering tables

    Centered tables can be achieved, but they will not "float"; that is to say, no text will appear to either side. The trick is {| style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto" Wiki markup 

    {| class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto"
|+ '''Cells left-aligned, table centered'''
! Duis || aute || irure
|-
| dolor  || in reprehenderit || in voluptate velit
|-
| esse cillum dolore || eu fugiat nulla || pariatur.
|}

    What it looks like in your browser

    Cells left-aligned, table centered
    Duis aute irure
    dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit
    esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.

    Setting parameters

    At the start of a cell, add your parameter followed by a single pipe. For example width=300px| will set that cell to a width of 300 pixels. To set more than one parameter, leave a space between each one.

    Wiki markup

    {|
|-
| bgcolor="red"|cell1 || width="300" bgcolor="blue"|cell2 || bgcolor="green"|cell3
|}

    What it looks like in your browser

    cell1 cell2 cell3

    Decimal point alignment

    A method to get columns of numbers aligned at the decimal point is as follows: Wiki markup 

    {| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"
|align="right"| 432 || .1
|-
|align="right"| 43 || .21
|-
|align="right"| 4 || .321
|}

    What it looks like in your browser

    432 .1
    43 .21
    4 .321

    If the column of numbers appears in a table with cell padding or cell spacing, one can still align the decimal points without an unsightly gap in the middle. Embed a table in each number's cell and specify its column widths. Make the embedded tables' column widths the same for each cell in the column. (If decimal points are still misaligned using this method, the main table's column may be too narrow. Add a parameter to increase the column's width.) Wiki markup 

    {|border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="2" width="72"
|
{|cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"
|align="right" width="50%"| 432 ||width="50%"| .1
|}
|-
|
{|cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"
|align="right" width="50%"| 43 ||width="50%"| .21
|}
|-
|
{|cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"
|align="right" width="50%"| 4 ||width="50%"| .321
|}
|}

    What it looks like in your browser

    432 .1
    43 .21
    4 .321

    In simple cases one can dispense with the table feature and simply start the lines with a space, and put spaces to position the numbers: 

    432.1
 43.21
  4.321

    Style classes

    Some users have created CSS classes and templates to make table styles easier. Instead of remembering table parameters, you just include an appropriate style class after the {|. This helps keep table formatting consistent, and can allow a single change to the class to fix a problem or enhance the look of all the tables that are using it at once. For instance, this: 

    {| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|+Multiplication table
|-
! &times; !! 1 !! 2 !! 3
|-
! 1
| 1 || 2 || 3
|-
! 2
| 2 || 4 || 6
|-
! 3
| 3 || 6 || 9
|-
! 4
| 4 || 8 || 12
|-
! 5
| 5 || 10 || 15
|}
    		 
    Multiplication table
    × 1 2 3
    1 1 2 3
    2 2 4 6
    3 3 6 9
    4 4 8 12
    5 5 10 15
    becomes this:
    {| class="wikitable"
|+Multiplication table
|-
! &times; !! 1 !! 2 !! 3
|-
! 1
| 1 || 2 || 3
|-
! 2
| 2 || 4 || 6
|-
! 3
| 3 || 6 || 9
|-
! 4
| 4 || 8 || 12
|-
! 5
| 5 || 10 || 15
|}
    		 
    Multiplication table
    × 1 2 3
    1 1 2 3
    2 2 4 6
    3 3 6 9
    4 4 8 12
    5 5 10 15

    simply by replacing the parameters of the table (border="1" cellpadding="2" or the like) with class="wikitable". This is because the wikitable class in MediaWiki:Common.css contains a number of table.wikitable CSS style rules. These are all applied at once when you mark a table with the class. You can then add additional style rules if desired. These override the class's rules, allowing you to use the class style as a base and build up on it: Wiki markup 

    {| class="wikitable" style="font-style:italic; font-size:120%; border:3px dashed red;"
|+Multiplication table
|-
! &times; !! 1 !! 2 !! 3
|-
! 1
| 1 || 2 || 3
|-
! 2
| 2 || 4 || 6
|-
! 3
| 3 || 6 || 9
|-
! 4
| 4 || 8 || 12
|-
! 5
| 5 || 10 || 15
|}

    What it looks like in your browser

    Multiplication table
    × 1 2 3
    1 1 2 3
    2 2 4 6
    3 3 6 9
    4 4 8 12
    5 5 10 15

    Notice that the table retains the gray background of the wikitable class, and the headers are still bold and centered. But now the text formatting has been overridden by the local style statement; all of the text in the table has been made italic and 120% normal size, and the wikitable border has been replaced by the red dashed border.

    Other table syntax

    Other types of table syntax that MediaWiki supports:

    1. XHTML
    2. HTML and wiki <td> syntax

    All three are supported by MediaWiki and create (currently) valid HTML output, but the pipe syntax is the simplest, except perhaps for people who are already familiar with HTML. Also, HTML and wiki <td> syntax will not necessarily remain browser-supported in the upcoming future, especially on handheld internet-accessible devices. See also HTML element#Tables. Note however that the thead, tbody, tfoot, colgroup, and col elements are currently not supported in MediaWiki.

    Comparison

    Comparison of table syntax
     XHTML HTML & Wiki-td Wiki-pipe
    Table <table></table> <table></table> 
    {| params 
|}
    Caption <caption></caption> <caption></caption> 
    |+ caption
    Row <tr></tr> <tr> 
    |- params
    Data cell

    <td>cell1</td>
    <td>cell2</td>

    <td>cell1
    <td>cell2 

    | cell1
| cell2
    Data cell <td>cell1</td> <td>cell2</td> <td>cell3</td> <td>cell1 <td>cell2 <td>cell3 
    |cell1||cell2||cell3
    Header cell <th></th> <th> 
    ! heading
    Sample table
    1 2
    3 4 
    <table>
   <tr>
      <td>1</td>
      <td>2</td>
   </tr> 
   <tr>
      <td>3</td> 
      <td>4</td> 
   </tr>
</table>

    <table>
   <tr>
      <td> 1 <td> 2
   <tr>
      <td> 3 <td> 4
</table>

    {| 
| 1 || 2
|- 
| 3 || 4
|}
    Sample table
    1 2
    3 4
    5 6 
    <table>
   <tr>
      <td>1</td>
      <td>2</td>
   </tr> 
   <tr>
      <td>3</td>
      <td>4</td>
   </tr>
   <tr>
      <td>5</td>
      <td>6</td>
   </tr>
</table>

    <table>
   <tr>
      <td> 1 <td> 2
   <tr>
      <td> 3 <td> 4
   <tr>
      <td> 5 <td> 6
</table>

    {| 
| 1 || 2 
|- 
| 3 || 4 
|- 
| 5 || 6 
|}
    Pros
    • Can be previewed/debugged with any XHTML editor
    • Can be formatted for easier reading
    • Well-known
    • Can be previewed/debugged with any HTML editor
    • Can be formatted for easier reading
    • Well-known
    • Takes less space than XHTML
    • Easy to write
    • Easy to read
    • Takes little space
    Cons
    • Tedious
    • Takes a lot of space
    • Difficult to read quickly
    • Should not be used
    • Confusing, especially for people with little HTML experience
    • Poorly formed
    • Poorly delimited
    • Generally odd looking
    • May not have browser support in future
    • Unfamiliar syntax
    • Rigid structure
    • Cannot be indented
    • Text (as in HTML tags) may be easier for some people to read than series of pipes, plus signs, exclamation marks, etc.
    • Is nothing more than a shortcut for HTML-style tags. Not easily understood by those unfamiliar with HTML table concepts
     XHTML HTML & Wiki-td Wiki-pipe
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