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From: jiewuza <jiewuza@163.com>
Subject: Re: How to create tables with multi-rows/columns cells?
Date: Wed, 13 Sep 2017 10:22:57 +0800
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Eric S Fraga <esflists@gmail.com> writes:

> On Monday, 11 Sep 2017 at 04:36, jiewuza wrote:
>> It is quite common to have multi-rows/columns cells in talbe. But as far
>> as I know, it seems impossible with the org built-in table editor.
>
> org does not support multi-row/column cells in tables.  

Well, I am thinking whether this proposal would work:
1. `|@` as a separator, meaning the next cell will span multiple columns
2. `|$` as a separator, meaning the next cell will span multiple rows
3. the span will terminate when it meats a regular cell separator `|`
4. the content of the "multi-rows/columns cell"(the big cell) should be
placed in the right-bottom single cell of the big one

For example, these two tables have the same effect.
#+BEGIN_SRC org
   |@   | header |$   |
   | h1 | h2     | h3 |
   |----+--------+----|
   | a  |@$      |$   |
   | d  |@       | f  |

   +-----+-----+-----+
   |     h     |     |
   +-----+-----+  h3 |
   |  h1 | h2  |     |
   +-----+-----+-----+
   |  a  |           |
   +-----+     f     |
   |  d  |           |
   +-----+-----------+

#+END_SRC

I do not know if it can be implemented in a clear and simple way based
on the current org-table and ox-* code. Maybe '|@n$m' like separator
(m,n is a number) would be simpler. I do not know. But it is great if
org supports multi-row/column cells in tables.