Table with heading row

Headings identify the data in the column. Headings are optional; included them as needed.

No heading row

Omit heading when the table contents is obvious based on the surround context.

Table with a title

Only include a title when necessary for referencing the table in text. And then it is best to include a link to the table, like for This is a table title.

Table full-width, unequal column widths

Create a table that fills the 100% the width of the content column by assigning table-full-width to the outputclass attribute for the <table> element.

Table with equal-width columns

Create equal-width columns by assigning table-equal-cols to the outputclass attribute for the <table> element.

Column width specifications

Be default, browsers apply their own algorithms to evaluate table content, and then attempt to automatically size the columns appropriately. You can provide guidance or specificity to the browser using DITA column-width specifiers.

For example, consider this table:

The widths are assigned to each colum as a proportion of the entire table width using the colwidth attribute in the table source code. This specification says the table width can be dived into 4 equal portions (1+1+2), and the first two columns each get one portion (1*) while the third column gets two portions (2*).

…
   <tgroup cols="3">
      <colspec colname="c1" colnum="1" colwidth="1*"/>
      <colspec colname="c2" colnum="2" colwidth="1*"/>
      <colspec colname="c3" colnum="3" colwidth="2*"/>
      <thead>
         …

When using proporttionals widths, assign the attribute to all columns or you will get undesirable results.

The colwidth specifcation looks like this:

…
   <tgroup cols="3">
      <colspec colname="c1" colnum="1" />
      <colspec colname="c2" colnum="2" />
      <colspec colname="c3" colnum="3" colwidth="1*"/>
      <thead>
         …

The colwidth attribute can also accept fixed units (like inches, points, and pixels), which should be avoided except in the most extreme cases. When you do use it, use "rem" units, which are equal to the with of the capital letter 'M' in the base font for the page.

The colwidth specifcation looks like this:

…
   <tgroup cols="3">
      <colspec colname="c1" colnum="1" colwidth="15rem"/>
      <colspec colname="c2" colnum="2" />
      <colspec colname="c3" colnum="3"/>
      <thead>
         …

"Double-entry" table

A "double-entry" table has heading across the top and down the first (left) column.

Assign th to the outputclass attribute for an <entry> cell, you can make it look like a heading.

Simple Table

DITA has an element called a Simple Table (<simpletable>).

Wide table with horizontal scroll

The <table> is in a <p outputclass='table-h-scroll>, like this:

<p outputclass="table-h-scroll">
    <table>
         ...