Re: Tables: missing multi-col/row syntax

[Tom Gillespie <tgbugs@gmail.com>]

Any support for something like this would need to retain backward
compatibility as well to avoid older versions reformatting the tables
due to e.g. the presence of a double pipe. I also think that extending
the table syntax in ways that makes it more complex than it already
is, will be a non-starter. Thus, an alternate but more likely approach
would be to allow specification of what cells to merge outside the
table as is done for formulas. It is not elegant, but it would be a
layer on top of existing syntax, and it would allow the fundamental
structure of the table to remain the same -- rows of cells. For
example #+TBLCELLMERGE: @2-3$1 or something like that. Thoughts?
Tom

On Mon, Nov 2, 2020 at 1:37 PM TEC <tecosaur@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Hi all,
>
> This is a pretty major 'feature request', but I think also an
> important
> one.
>
> When developing large tables, it can often be /necessary/ to start
> using
> multi-column/row cells for clarity, and sensible exporting
> results.
>
> As far as I am aware, in Org does not currently have any
> multi-col/row
> syntax. The only viable method seems to be re-implementing the
> table
> using export blocks in every backend you may want to export to (in
> my
> case, usually TeX + HTML). This is clumsy, difficult to work with,
> and
> could be avoided should org gain support for multi-col/row syntax.
>
> I appreciate that this would constitute a major change both the
> Org's
> syntax and the codebase, but I believe such a change is warranted
> by the
> advantages it would provide.
>
> Both how this can be implemented while minimising/eliminating the
> chance
> of breaking well-formed current table elements, and what syntax
> may be
> both acceptable and seem sensible to use.
>
> I would anticipate such a feature working by designating two
> characters
> to indicate "add row" and "add column". For example "|" and "-".
> These
> characters would take affect when /immediately following/ (no
> space) a
> cell separator ("|"), and designate the dimensions of the top
> right cell.
>
> Example:
> | a | b | c |
> |---+---+---|
> | a | - | | |
> | - | b | . |
> | . | | | c |
>
> Would be interpreted just as any current table is.
>
> However,
>
> | hello | there | you  |
> |-------+-------+------|
> || two column   | cell |
>
> Contains a 2x1 cell.
>
> | a little | test |
> |----------+------|
> |- hello   | hi   |
> | two row  | you  |
>
> Contains a 1x2 cell. In a more complex example:
>
> | a | b | c |
> |---+---+---|
> ||-- hi | a |
> | two x | . |
> | three | b |
> | c | - | . |
>
> Contains a 2x3 cell.
>
> This is just the first syntax that comes to mind, but hopefully
> the
> general form of this idea seems viable.
>
> All the best,
>
> Timothy.
>