Provided by: groff_1.22.3-10_amd64 bug

NAME

       groff_hdtbl - groff `hdtbl' macros for generation of tables

DESCRIPTION

       The  hdtbl  macros  consist  of  four  base and three optional macros, controlled by about
       twenty arguments.  The syntax is simple and similar to the HTML table model and nearly  as
       flexible:  You can write sequences of tokens (macro calls with their arguments and content
       data), separated by blanks and beginning with a macro call, into  the  same  line  to  get
       compact  and  cleanly  arrranged  input.   An  advantage  of  hdtbl is that the tables are
       constructed  without  calling  a  preprocessor;  this  means  that  groff's   full   macro
       capabilities are available.  On the other hand, table processing with hdtbl is much slower
       than using the tbl(1) preprocessor.  A further advantage is that the HTML-like  syntax  of
       hdtbl will be easily converted to HTML; this is not implemented yet.

USAGE

       In  this  and  the  next  section,  we present examples to help users understand the basic
       workflow of hdtbl.  First of all, you must load the hdtbl.tmac file.  As with  nearly  all
       other groff macro packages, there are two possibilities to do so: Either add the line

              .mso hdtbl.tmac

       to your roff file before using any macros of the hdtbl package, or add the option

              -m hdtbl

       to the command line of groff (before the document file which contains hdtbl macros).  Then
       you can include on or more tables in your document, where each one  must  be  started  and
       ended with the .TBL and .ETB macros, respectively.

       In  this  man  page,  we approximate the result of each example in the tty format to be as
       generic as possible since hdtbl currently only supports the PS and PDF output devices.

       The simplest well-formed table consists of just single calls to the four base table macros
       in the right order.  Here we construct a table with only one cell.

              .TBL
              .TR
              .TD
              contents of the table cell
              .ETB

       A tty representation is

              +------------------------------------------------------+
              | contents-of-the-table-cell                           |
              +------------------------------------------------------+

       Equivalent to the above is the following notation.

              .TBL .TR .TD "contents of the table cell" .ETB

       By  default, the formatted table is inserted into the surrounding text at the place of its
       definition.  If the vertical space isn't sufficient, it is placed at the top of  the  next
       page.  Tables can also be stored for later insertion.

       Using  ‘row-number*column-number’  as  the data for the table cells, a table with two rows
       and two columns can be written as

              .TBL cols=2
              .  TR .TD 1*1 .TD 1*2
              .  TR .TD 2*1 .TD 2*2
              .ETB

       A tty representation is

              +--------------------------+---------------------------+
              | 1*1                      | 1*2                       |
              +--------------------------+---------------------------+
              | 2*1                      | 2*2                       |
              +--------------------------+---------------------------+

       Here we see a difference to  HTML  tables:  The  number  of  columns  must  be  explicitly
       specified using the ‘cols=m’ argument (or indirectly via the ‘width’ argument, see below).

       The  contents  of a table cell is arbitrary; for example, it can be another table, without
       restriction to the nesting depth.  A given table layout can  be  either  constructed  with
       suitably nested tables or with proper arguments to .TD and .TH, controlling column and row
       spanning.  Note, however, that this table

              .TBL
              .  TR
              .    TD
              .      nop 1*1 1*2
              .  TR
              .    TD
              .      TBL cols=2 border=
              .        TR
              .          TD
              .            nop 2*1
              .          TD
              .            nop 2*2
              .      ETB
              .ETB

       and this table

              .TBL cols=2
              .  TR
              .    TD colspan=2
              .      nop 1*1 1*2
              .  TR
              .    TD
              .      nop 2*1
              .    TD
              .      nop 2*2
              .ETB

       are similar but not  identical  (the  use  of  .nop  is  purely  cosmetic  to  get  proper
       indentation).

       The first table looks like

              +------------------------------------------------------+
              | 1*1 1*2                                              |
              +------------------------------------------------------+
              |                                                      |
              | 2*1                         2*2                      |
              |                                                      |
              +------------------------------------------------------+

       and the second one like

              +------------------------------------------------------+
              | 1*1 1*2                                              |
              +---------------------------+--------------------------+
              | 2*1                       | 2*2                      |
              +---------------------------+--------------------------+

       Here the latter table in a more compact form.

              .TBL cols=2 .TR ".TD colspan=2" 1*1 1*2
              .            TR .TD 2*1 .TD 2*2 .ETB

       If  a  macro  has  one  or  more  arguments  (see  below),  and it is not starting a line,
       everything belonging to this macro including the macro itself must be enclosed  in  double
       quotes.

MACROS AND ARGUMENTS

       The  order of macro calls and other tokens follows the HTML model.  In the following list,
       valid predecessors and successors of  all  hdtbl  macros  are  given,  together  with  the
       possible arguments.

       Macro arguments are separated by blanks.  The order of arguments is arbitrary; they are of
       the form

              key=value

       or

              key='value1 [value2 [...]]'

       with the only exception of the optional argument of the macro .ETB, which  is  the  string
       ‘hold’.  Another possible form is

              "key=value1 [value2 [...]]"

       However,  this is limited to the case where the macro is the first one in the line and not
       already enclosed in double quotes.

       Argument values specified below as c are colors predefined by groff or colors  defined  by
       the  user  with  the  .defcolor  request.   Argument  values d are decimal numbers with or
       without decimal point.  Argument values m are natural  numbers.   Argument  values  n  are
       numerical  values  with  the  usual  groff  scaling indicators.  Some of the arguments are
       specific to one or two macros, but most of them can be specified with .TBL, .TR, .TD,  and
       .TH.  These common arguments are explained in the next subsection.

       Most  of  the  argument default values can be changed by the user by setting corresponding
       default registers or strings, as listed below.

       .TBL [args]
              Begin a new table.

              predecessor: .TD, .TH, .ETB, cell contents
              successor: .CPTN, .TR
              arguments:
                     border=[n]
                            Thickness of the surrounding box border.  ‘border=’ (no value)  means
                            neither  a  surrounding  box  border  nor  any horizontal or vertical
                            separator  lines  between  the  table  rows  and  cells.   ‘border=0’
                            suppresses  the  surrounding  box  border, but still allows separator
                            lines between cells and rows.
                            Default: ‘border=.1n’ (register ‘t*b’).
                     bc=c   Border color.
                            Default: ‘bc=red4’ (string ‘t*bc’).
                     cols=m Number of table columns.  This argument is necessary if more than one
                            column is in the table and no ‘width’ arguments are present.
                            Default: ‘cols=1’ (register ‘t*cols’).
                     cpd=n  Cell padding, i.e., the extra space between the cell space border and
                            the cell contents.
                            Default: ‘cpd=.5n’ (register ‘t*cpd’).
                     csp=n  Cell spacing, i.e., the extra  space  between  the  table  border  or
                            vertical or horizontal lines between cells and the cellspace.
                            Default: ‘csp=.5n’ (register ‘t*csp’).
                     tal=l|c|r
                            Horizontal  alignment  of  the  table, if it is smaller than the line
                            width.   ‘tal=l’:  left  alignment.   ‘tal=c’:  centered   alignment.
                            ‘tal=r’: right alignment.
                            Default: ‘tal=l’ (register ‘t*tal’).
                     width='w1 [w2 [...]]'
                            Widths  of  table cells.  w1, w2, ... are either numbers of type n or
                            natural numbers with  the  pseudo-scaling  indicator  ‘%’,  with  the
                            meaning  “percent  of  the  actual  line length (or column length for
                            inner tables, respectively)”.  If there are less  width  values  than
                            table  columns, the last width value is used for the remaining cells.
                            The argument

                                   width='1.5i 10%'

                            for example indicates that the first column is 1.5 inches  wide;  the
                            remaining columns take 1/10 of the column length each.
                            Default:  The  table  width  equals  the  outer line length or column
                            length; the columns have equal widths.
                     height=n
                            Height of the table.  If the table with its contents is lower than n,
                            the last row is stretched to this value.

       .CPTN [args]
              Text of caption.

              The (optionally numbered) table caption.  .CPTN is optional.

              predecessor: .TBL
              successor: .TR
              arguments:
                     val=t|b
                            Vertical  alignment  of  the  table caption.  ‘val=t’: The caption is
                            placed above the table.  ‘val=b’: The caption  is  placed  below  the
                            table.
                            Default: ‘val=t’ (string ‘t*cptn’).

       .TR [args]
              Begin a new table row.

              predecessor: .TBL, .CPTN, .TD, .TH, .ETB, cell contents
              successor: .TD, .TH
              arguments:
                     height=n
                            The  height  of  the row.  If a cell in the row is higher than n this
                            value is ignored; otherwise the row height is stretched to n.

       .TD [args [cell contents]]
              Begin a table data cell.
       .TH [args [cell contents]]
              Begin a table header cell.

              Arguments and cell contents can be mixed.  The macro .TH is  not  really  necessary
              and  differs  from .TD only in three default settings, similar to the <TH> and <TD>
              HTML tags: The contents of .TH is horizontally and vertically centered and  typeset
              in boldface.

              predecessor: .TR, .TD, .TH, .ETB, cell contents
              successor: .TD, .TH, .TR, .ETB, cell contents
              arguments:
                     colspan=m
                            The  width of this cell is the sum of the widths of the m cells above
                            and below this row.
                     rowspan=m
                            The height of this cell is the sum of the heights of the m cells left
                            and right of this column.

                            Remark:  Overlapping  of column and row spanning, as in the following
                            table fragment (the overlapping happens in the  second  cell  in  the
                            second row), is invalid and causes incorrect results.

                                   .TR .TD 1*1 ".TD 1*2 rowspan=2" .TD 1*3
                                   .TR ".TD 2*1 colspan=2"         .TD 2*3

                     A working example for headers and cells with colspan is

                            .TBL cols=3
                            .  TR ".TH colspan=2" header1+2 .TH header3
                            .  TR .TD 1*1 .TD 1*2 .TD 1*3
                            .  TR .TD 2*1 ".TD colspan=2" 2*2+3
                            .ETB

                     This looks like

                            +------------------------------+---------------+
                            |          header1+2           |    header3    |
                            +--------------+---------------+---------------+
                            | 1*1          | 1*2           | 1*3           |
                            +--------------+---------------+---------------+
                            | 2*1          | 2*2+3                         |
                            +--------------+-------------------------------+

                     A working example with rowspan is

                            .TBL cols=3
                            .  TR
                            .  TD 1*1
                            .  TD rowspan=2 1+2*2
                            .  TD 1*3
                            .
                            .  TR
                            .  TD 2*1
                            .  TD 2*3
                            .ETB

                     which looks like

                            +--------------+---------------+---------------+
                            | 1*1          | 1+2*2         | 1*3           |
                            +--------------+               +---------------+
                            | 2*1          |               | 2*3           |
                            +--------------+---------------+---------------+

       .ETB [hold]
              End of the table.

              This macro finishes a table.  It causes one of the following actions.

              •  If  the argument ‘hold’ is given, the table is held until it is freed by calling
                 the macro .t*free, which in turn prints the table  immediately,  either  at  the
                 current position or at the top of the next page if its height is larger than the
                 remaining space on the page.

              •  Otherwise, if the table is higher than the remaining space on the  page,  it  is
                 printed at the top of the next page.

              •  If  none  of the two above constraints hold, the table is printed immediately at
                 the place of its definition.

              predecessor: .TD, .TH, .ETB, cell contents
              successor: .TBL, .TR, .TD, .TH, .ETB, cell contents
              arguments:
                     hold   Prevent the table from being printed until it is freed by calling the
                            macro .t*free.  This argument is ignored for inner (nested) tables.

       .t*free [n]
              Free the next held table or n held tables.  Call this utility macro to print tables
              which are held by using the ‘hold’ argument of the .ETB macro.

   Arguments common to .TBL, .TR, .TD, and .TH
       The arguments described in this section can be specified with the .TBL and .TR macros, but
       they  are  eventually  passed on to the table cells.  If omitted, the defaults take place,
       which the user can change by setting the corresponding default registers  or  strings,  as
       documented  below.  Setting an argument with the .TBL macro has the same effect as setting
       it for all rows in the table.  Setting an argument with a .TR macro has the same effect as
       setting it for all the .TH or .TD macro in this row.

       bgc=[c]
              The background color of the table cells.  This includes the area specified with the
              ‘csp’ argument.  The argument ‘bgc=’ (no value) suppresses a background color; this
              makes the background transparent.
              Default: ‘bgc=bisque’ (string ‘t*bgc’).
       fgc=c  The foreground color of the cell contents.
              Default: ‘fgc=red4’ (string ‘t*fgc’).
       ff=name
              The font family for the table.  name is one of the groff font families, for example
              A for the AvantGarde fonts or HN for Helvetica-Narrow.
              Default: The font family found before the table (string ‘t*ff’).
       fst=style
              The font style for the table.  One of R, I, B, or BI for roman,  bold,  italic,  or
              bold  italic,  respectively.   As with roff's .ft request the ‘fst’ argument can be
              used to specify the font family and font style  together,  for  example  ‘fst=HNBI’
              instead of ‘ff=HN’ and ‘fst=BI’.
              Default: The font style in use right before the table (string ‘t*fst’).
       fsz='d1 [d2]'
              A  decimal  or  fractional  factor  d1,  by  which  the point size for the table is
              changed, and d2, by which the vertical line spacing is changed.  If d2 is  omitted,
              value d1 is taken for both.
              Default: ‘fsz='1.0 1.0'’ (string ‘t*fsz’).
       hal=l|c|b|r
              Horizontal  alignment  of the cell contents in the table.  ‘hal=l’: left alignment.
              ‘hal=c’: centered alignment.  ‘hal=b’: both (left and right)  alignment.   ‘hal=r’:
              right alignment.
              Default: ‘hal=b’ (string ‘t*hal’).
       val=t|m|b
              Vertical  alignment  of  the  cell  contents  in the table for cells lower than the
              current row.  ‘val=t’: alignment below the top of the cell.  ‘val=m’: alignment  in
              the middle of the cell.  ‘val=b’: alignment above the cell bottom.
              Default: ‘val=t’ (string ‘t*val’).
       hl=[s|d]
              Horizontal line between the rows.  If specified with .TD or .TH this is a separator
              line to the cell below.  ‘hl=’ (no value): no separator  line.   ‘hl=s’:  a  single
              separator line between the rows.  ‘hl=d’: a double separator line.

              The  thickness  of  the separator lines is the half of the border thickness, but at
              least 0.1 inches.  The distance between the double  lines  is  equal  to  the  line
              thickness.

              Remark:  Together  with ‘border=0’ for proper formatting the value of ‘csp’ must be
              at least .05 inches for single separator lines and .15 inches for double  separator
              lines.
              Default: ‘hl=s’ (string ‘t*hl’).
       vl=[s|d]
              Vertical  separator line between the cells.  If specified with .TD or .TH this is a
              separator line to the cell on the right.  ‘vl=s’: a single separator  line  between
              the  cells.   ‘vl=d’:  a double separator line.  ‘vl=’ (no value): no vertical cell
              separator lines.  For more information see the documentation of the  ‘hl’  argument
              above.
              Default: ‘vl=s’ (string ‘t*vl’).

HDTBL CUSTOMIZATION

       Before  creating  the  first  table,  you  should configure default values to minimize the
       markup needed in each table.  The following example sets up defaults suitable for  typical
       papers:

              .ds t*bgc white\" background color
              .ds t*fgc black\" foreground color
              .ds t*bc black\"  border color
              .nr t*cpd 0.1n\"  cell padding

       The file examples/common.roff provides another example setup in the ``minimal Page setup''
       section.

       A table which does not fit on a partially filled page is printed automatically on the  top
       of  the  next page if you append the little utility macro t*hm to the page header macro of
       your document's main macro package.  For example, say

              .am pg@top
              .  t*hm
              ..

       if you use the ms macro package.

       The macro t*EM checks for held or kept tables, and  for  missing  ETB  macros  (table  not
       closed).   You  can  append  this macro to the ``end'' macro of your document's main macro
       package.  For example:

              .am pg@end-text
              .  t*EM
              ..

       If you use the ms macro package.

BUGS AND SUGGESTIONS

       Please send your commments to the groff mailing list ⟨groff@gnu.org⟩ or  directly  to  the
       author.

COPYING

       Copyright © 2005-2014 Free Software Foundation, Inc.

       This file is part of groff, the groff.

       Permission  is  granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of
       the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.3 or any later version published by the Free
       Software  Foundation; with the Invariant Sections being this .ig-section and AUTHORS, with
       no Front-Cover Texts, and with no Back-Cover Texts.

       A copy of the Free Documentation License is included as a file  called  FDL  in  the  main
       directory of the groff source package.

AUTHORS

       This document was written by Joachim Walsdorff ⟨Joachim.Walsdorff@urz.uni-heidelberg.de⟩.