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Help:Table

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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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