a few suggestions for org-mode table

a few suggestions for org-mode table

[Michael Brand]

1) I would like to have the fixed width columns in tables to be able to wrap around text as an alternative to the now implemented text truncation. As a "workaround" I use this:

| x | first letter  |
| y | the greek     |
|   | \ letter      |
|   | \ ypsilon     |
|   | z still empty |
| t | x, y, z and t |

This is almost perfect except the real pain for the manual rewrap when changing the text. The difficulty I see here is to define, how do I want to indicate the top and bottom edge and width of the cell? Probably by padding the separators +---+---+ and defining the column width <9> if they are not already there. But since I would like to optionally remove the separators again after the change, it would be necessary to have some indentation like I did with `\ ' and which should not conflict with alignment.


2) One could like to have configurable left/right alignment, even combinable with column width, e. g.

| <l10>      | <r>       |
| 3.14       |      0x10 |
| 3.141592=> | 0x32 0x10 |


3) One could like to have decimal point alignment

|   432.10 |
| 5'432.1  |

Re: a few suggestions for org-mode table

[Carsten Dominik]

Hi Michael,

Org-mode tables are single line per row, and this will
not change, I am quite sure - there are too many problems
associated with this.

Interestingly enough, there was a time when I wanted to have
this as well, and there is even a command in Org where you can
wrap a couple of lines in a table by selecting text from
"the greek" to "empty" and calling `M-x org-table-wrap-region'.

However, this is not a good solution, because it does not work
correctly with the exporters.

A much better solution is to write all that text into one line
and use <N>, for example <20> in the same column in another row
to restrict the width of this column for display.  You can mark this
row with "/" in the first, special column to make sure that it will
not appear in export.

Finally, for export, you can then use attributes to make this
column format as a narrow block.

Here is an example tuned for for LaTeX:

#+ATTR_LaTeX: align=|l|p{2cm}|
| / |   | <20>                 |
|   | x | first letter         |
|   | y | the greek letter ypsilon z still empty |
|   | t | x, y, z and t        |
|   |   |                      |

HTH

- Carsten

On Jun 19, 2009, at 5:29 PM, Michael Brand wrote:

> 1) I would like to have the fixed width columns in tables to be able  
> to wrap around text as an alternative to the now implemented text  
> truncation. As a "workaround" I use this:
>
> | x | first letter  |
> | y | the greek     |
> |   | \ letter      |
> |   | \ ypsilon     |
> |   | z still empty |
> | t | x, y, z and t |
>
> This is almost perfect except the real pain for the manual rewrap  
> when changing the text. The difficulty I see here is to define, how  
> do I want to indicate the top and bottom edge and width of the cell?  
> Probably by padding the separators +---+---+ and defining the column  
> width <9> if they are not already there. But since I would like to  
> optionally remove the separators again after the change, it would be  
> necessary to have some indentation like I did with `\ ' and which  
> should not conflict with alignment.
>
>
> 2) One could like to have configurable left/right alignment, even  
> combinable with column width, e. g.
>
> | <l10>      | <r>       |
> | 3.14       |      0x10 |
> | 3.141592=> | 0x32 0x10 |
>
>
> 3) One could like to have decimal point alignment
>
> |   432.10 |
> | 5'432.1  |
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Emacs-orgmode mailing list
> Remember: use `Reply All' to send replies to the list.
> Emacs-orgmode@gnu.org
> http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/emacs-orgmode

Re: a few suggestions for org-mode table

[Carsten Dominik]

On Jun 19, 2009, at 5:29 PM, Michael Brand wrote:

> 1) I would like to have the fixed width columns in tables to be able  
> to wrap around text as an alternative to the now implemented text  
> truncation. As a "workaround" I use this:
>
> | x | first letter  |
> | y | the greek     |
> |   | \ letter      |
> |   | \ ypsilon     |
> |   | z still empty |
> | t | x, y, z and t |
>
> This is almost perfect except the real pain for the manual rewrap  
> when changing the text. The difficulty I see here is to define, how  
> do I want to indicate the top and bottom edge and width of the cell?  
> Probably by padding the separators +---+---+ and defining the column  
> width <9> if they are not already there. But since I would like to  
> optionally remove the separators again after the change, it would be  
> necessary to have some indentation like I did with `\ ' and which  
> should not conflict with alignment.
>
>
> 2) One could like to have configurable left/right alignment, even  
> combinable with column width, e. g.
>
> | <l10>      | <r>       |
> | 3.14       |      0x10 |
> | 3.141592=> | 0x32 0x10 |

This is an excellent idea.

> 3) One could like to have decimal point alignment
>
> |   432.10 |
> | 5'432.1  |

Hmm, yes, would be nice, but maybe a bit hard.  I'll put it on my list.

- Carsten

Re: a few suggestions for org-mode table

[Carsten Dominik]

On Jun 19, 2009, at 5:29 PM, Michael Brand wrote:
>
> 2) One could like to have configurable left/right alignment, even  
> combinable with column width, e. g.
>
> | <l10>      | <r>       |
> | 3.14       |      0x10 |
> | 3.141592=> | 0x32 0x10 |

This is now implemented, thanks for the nice idea.

>
>
> 3) One could like to have decimal point alignment
>
> |   432.10 |
> | 5'432.1  |


Implementing this into the current system would be significant work.
As an alternative, try a formula to that maps a column onto itself,
with a format specifier:

$2=$2;f.3

or something like this..............

- Carsten

Re: a few suggestions for org-mode table, bug report

[Michael Brand]

Carsten Dominik wrote:
> 
> On Jun 19, 2009, at 5:29 PM, Michael Brand wrote:
>>
>> 2) One could like to have configurable left/right alignment, even 
>> combinable with column width, e. g.
>>
>> | <l10>      | <r>       |
>> | 3.14       |      0x10 |
>> | 3.141592=> | 0x32 0x10 |
> 
> This is now implemented, thanks for the nice idea.

Thank you very much for this implementation.


I stress-tested it for my own documentation and found a minor flaw which someone might be interested to fix someday/maybe: With the raw input of

| <l8>     |       <r11> |
| 3.14     |   0x10 0x00 |
| 3.1415926535897932384626433832795 | 0x40 0x30 0x20 |

and after aligning I get displayed

| <l8>     |       <r11> |
| 3.14     |   0x10 0x00 |
| 3.1415=> | 0x40 0x30=> |

with org-version 6.29c on "GNU Emacs 23.1.1 (i386-mingw-nt5.1.2600) of 2009-07-30 on SOFT-MJASON" but would expect

| <l8>     |       <r11> |
| 3.14     |   0x10 0x00 |
| 3.1415=> | <=0x30 0x20 |

The same applies analogously without `l' and `r'.

Re: a few suggestions for org-mode table, bug report

[Carsten Dominik]

On Aug 19, 2009, at 9:51 PM, Michael Brand wrote:

> Carsten Dominik wrote:
>> On Jun 19, 2009, at 5:29 PM, Michael Brand wrote:
>>>
>>> 2) One could like to have configurable left/right alignment, even  
>>> combinable with column width, e. g.
>>>
>>> | <l10>      | <r>       |
>>> | 3.14       |      0x10 |
>>> | 3.141592=> | 0x32 0x10 |
>> This is now implemented, thanks for the nice idea.
>
> Thank you very much for this implementation.
>
>
> I stress-tested it for my own documentation and found a minor flaw  
> which someone might be interested to fix someday/maybe: With the raw  
> input of
>
> | <l8>     |       <r11> |
> | 3.14     |   0x10 0x00 |
> | 3.1415926535897932384626433832795 | 0x40 0x30 0x20 |
>
> and after aligning I get displayed
>
> | <l8>     |       <r11> |
> | 3.14     |   0x10 0x00 |
> | 3.1415=> | 0x40 0x30=> |
>
> with org-version 6.29c on "GNU Emacs 23.1.1 (i386-mingw-nt5.1.2600)  
> of 2009-07-30 on SOFT-MJASON" but would expect
>
> | <l8>     |       <r11> |
> | 3.14     |   0x10 0x00 |
> | 3.1415=> | <=0x30 0x20 |


Naah, too much trouble for little gain.

- Carsten

>
> The same applies analogously without `l' and `r'.
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Emacs-orgmode mailing list
> Remember: use `Reply All' to send replies to the list.
> Emacs-orgmode@gnu.org
> http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/emacs-orgmode