From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: "Daniel J. Sinder" Subject: Re: Re: Feature request: HTML table formatting Date: Thu, 12 Apr 2007 11:48:58 -0700 Message-ID: <461E7F1A.5070802@gmail.com> References: <461D6C86.2060601@gmail.com> <6ab5c96fc04df1271f2c5ddb8ba171c3@science.uva.nl> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Return-path: Received: from mailman by lists.gnu.org with tmda-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1Hc4Q7-0005mM-N9 for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Thu, 12 Apr 2007 14:53:23 -0400 Received: from exim by lists.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1Hc4Q5-0005mA-6F for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Thu, 12 Apr 2007 14:53:23 -0400 Received: from [199.232.76.173] (helo=monty-python.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1Hc4Q5-0005m7-4Z for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Thu, 12 Apr 2007 14:53:21 -0400 Received: from sd-green-bigip-177.dreamhost.com ([208.97.132.177] helo=randymail-a9.g.dreamhost.com) by monty-python.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.60) (envelope-from ) id 1Hc4Lt-0007A5-24 for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Thu, 12 Apr 2007 14:49:01 -0400 In-Reply-To: List-Id: "General discussions about Org-mode." List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Sender: emacs-orgmode-bounces+geo-emacs-orgmode=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Errors-To: emacs-orgmode-bounces+geo-emacs-orgmode=m.gmane.org@gnu.org To: Matej Cepl Cc: emacs-orgmode@gnu.org Matej Cepl wrote: > To the presentation of tables I would strongly suggest reading > http://tug.ctan.org/tex-archive/macros/latex/contrib/booktabs/booktabs.pdf > -- whenever I broke rules set there, I regreted it later. For publication quality tables, as per the above reference, I would generally agree that vertical lines have no place. However, if you're using org-mode to produce publication quality tables, I'd argue that you're probably using the wrong tool. LaTeX (and all the emacs support for it) is probably the way to go from the start. In some respects, org-mode tables are more powerful than LaTeX tables as they can be used as spreadsheets. I use org mode on a near-daily basis to collect information about my work and share it with my colleagues for analysis. The information is sometimes raw data that will never (and should never) be consumed for casual reading. In some of these cases, I find that vertical separators can increase readability and/or delineate different test conditions or data sets. I think rejecting vertical rules as a matter of style is a mistake. Whether you consider org-mode tables to be a markup or a spreadsheet, it's peers -- HTML, LaTeX, Gnumeric, Excel, etc. -- will all produce tables with vertical rules if asked to do so. I'm wary of tools that enforce style. I'd prefer to read the style guide and then decide for myself (that is, use it as a *guide* not an edict). However, if vertical rules are too clunky, difficult, time-consuming, or low priority to implement, that's an entirely different matter that I can fully understand. If I come up with an implementation, I'll gladly contribute it back for those that want it. Dan