Tables

A table is a DITA element that enables you to organize content in a grid where the relationship between rows and columns is clearly visible. Use the Insert Table option in the Content Editor toolbar to create a table and define its properties.

Content Editor toolbar with the Insert Table option highlighted

Note: Tables are very useful for effective presentation of your content, however they are also difficult to read on smaller screens. In some cases, using a different element, like definition list element, works better.

Tip: The publishing engine can handle table formatting parameters such as row heights, column widths, and border styling in the output format.

Insert a Table

Insert a table to organize information in a grid.

In the Content Library, double-click a topic.
Place your cursor where you want to insert a table.
In the Content Editor toolbar, click Insert Table .
Figure 1. Insert Table option in the Content Editor toolbar
Tip: Adding a table with the quick insert menu only adds a table consisting of a single cell. To add more complex tables faster, use the Insert Table toolbar button.
Set table parameters in the Create Table window that opens.
1. Optional: Add a table title.
2. Optional: Add horizontal header.
3. Specify the amount of rows and columns.
Click Save.

Configure a Table

Configure various properties of a table.

In the Content Library, double-click a topic.
Place your cursor anywhere within a table element.

The table toolbar opens. It enables you to manage table properties, the number of rows and columns, and also to split/merge cells.
In the table toolbar, click Properties.
The Table Properties window enables you to add a header and configure output settings like table framing, row and column separators, alignment, and column width.
Configure table properties and click Save.

Table Properties

Table Properties are a set of additional settings for a table element that can be customized in Heretto CCMS. You can access it from the table toolbar.

Important: Table properties affect the output of your content. Use them with caution as they can interfere with your output styling or force some unwanted styling changes. HTML-based outputs, for example, offer much more table styling options with CSS and in most cases you wouldn't like to overwrite these. There are three basic options for most of the table properties:

-- not set -- which means that the property is not set anyhow and due to that, the table is "clean" for output styling. That option is advised if the table element is styled separately in your output engine.
0 which means that a property (e.g. a separator line between columns) is set not to appear and this will also be forced to the output styling.
1 which means that a property (e.g. a separator line between columns) is set to appear and this will also be forced to the output styling.

Has Header

By selecting this check box, you simply add a horizontal header to your table.

Alignment

This drop-down menu enables you to choose a global alignment setting, for all the cells of the table. See DITA documentation to learn more about available options.

Row Separator

This drop-down menu enables you to decide whether all of the the table rows should be separated by horizontal lines.

Column Separator

This drop-down menu enables you to decide whether all of the table columns should be separated by vertical lines.

Frame

This drop-down menu enables you to decide whether the table should be framed and, if yes, in what manner. See DITA documentation to learn more about available options.

Column Specifications - Align, Colsep, Rowsep

These options enable you to set the alignment (Align), column separator (Colsep), and row separator (Rowsep) settings more granularly - the settings only apply to the respective columns.

Columns Specifications - Column Width

The width of columns is measured in * (asterisk), which is a relative, proportional unit. The total sum of * makes up to 100% and each column's * value becomes the proportional percent of that sum.

Let's consider a column with column width set in the following way:

Then, the sum is 10* and this is considered 100% (full table width). Each of the columns will have the following proportion of the width, thus:

Manage Table Rows and Columns

Manage your table by adding and deleting columns and rows.

In the Content Library, double-click a topic.
Place your cursor in a cell located in the row/column you want to edit.

Choose one of the options from the table toolbar:

table toolbar enables you to manage table rows and columns — Figure 3. Row and Column options in the Table Toolbar

Option	Description
Add a row	By using the Row + button, you insert a row below the row in which the cursor is placed.
Delete a row	By using the Row - button, you delete the row in which the cursor is placed.
Add a column	By using the Column + button, you add a column on the right side of the column in which the cursor is placed.
Delete a column	By using the Column - button, you delete the column in which the cursor is placed.
Duplicate a column	By using the Duplicate Col button, you duplicate the column in which the cursor is placed. The duplicate column appears on the right side, with all the cells filled in identically.

Merge Table Cells

Create tables with cells that span several columns or rows.

In the Content Library, double-click a topic.
In a table, place your cursor in a cell you want to merge.
From the table toolbar, next to Join, select Left, Right, Up, or Down.

Split Table Cells

Reconfigure a table by splitting previously merged cells.

In the Content Library, double-click a topic.
Place your cursor in the joined cell that you want to split.
From the context menu, next to Split, select Horizontal or Vertical.

Add a Vertical Header

Typically, table elements have their content organized in columns. In such cases, it is a good practice to include a horizontal header, which is like a label of each column. Sometimes, however, the content is also organized in rows (or in both columns and rows). In such a case you can also add a vertical header.

In the Content Library, double-click a topic.
Place your cursor in a table element.
On the right, click Attributes.

Tip: The attributes that show in the Attributes tab are context-sensitive. To ensure that you are applying attributes to the correct element, you can check the element drop-down menu at the top of the Attributes tab - the root table element should be selected there.
In the Attributes tab, in the rowheader drop-down menu, select firstcol.
Add header text in the vertical header.

Table element with a vertical header set up — Figure 4. Example of a vertical header

Simple Tables

Apart from the table element, DITA also offers the simple table element.

Simpletable Element

Even though Heretto CCMS supports the simple table element (simpletable), we advise not to use it unless there's a valid use case which requires it. Contrary to the table element, simple table element is very limited:

It cannot be changed into the table element if it needs to be scaled in the future
Advanced features (e.g properties or headers) are harder to edit
It lacks the title element
It's not possible to merge cells in it

The simple table element can be added to your content directly from the quick insert menu.

Gretyl's Portal

Heretto Help

Tables

Insert a Table

Configure a Table

Table Properties

Manage Table Rows and Columns

Merge Table Cells

Split Table Cells

Add a Vertical Header

Simple Tables

Simpletable Element

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