commit 71ff14aec4b16a9bc8a35826ef628b3de374ef2c Author: Mark Claypool <claypool@cs.wpi.edu> Date: Sat Dec 16 08:00:35 2023 -0500 Updates diff --git a/tables.md b/tables.md index ac89014..ad29972 100644 --- a/tables.md +++ b/tables.md @@ -1,13 +1,13 @@ --- pagetitle: Good Tables -version: 1.0 +version: 1.1 --- # Good Tables -+ Have a caption which has the table number (e.g., Table 1) and that -explains the data shown in the table. Table captions go *above* the -table. +While graphs are long known to need care to make them effective, +tables can use some love, too. The basic grid-like table with +boxes between all cells is *not* the way to go. + Remove any vertical lines. Vertical lines can almost always be removed. A good table will only have three horizontal lines - two to @@ -19,22 +19,28 @@ than, say, horizontal lines. If you really need a line beyond the main 3, consider a dashed line. + Consider cell alignment. When in doubt, align on the left. But -often numbers should be aligned on the right. +often numbers should be aligned on the right. Having equal precision +after a decimal point can make right-aligned numbers easier to compare +across rows. + ++ Have a caption which has the table number (e.g., Table 1) and that +explains the data shown in the table. Table captions go *above* the +table. + Light gray can be used to separate regions of a table, especially -for large tables or tables with lots of columns. +for large tables or tables with lots of columns e.g., alternating +white/gray by row or clusters of rows. + Don't repeat text across columns or across rows. Use multi-row and multi-column cells instead. -+ Keep the table on one page. Make sure cells do not "orphan" to the -following page. ++ Keep the table on one page. i.e., make sure cells do not "orphan" +to the following page. ## Links Markus Puschel. "Small Guide to Making Nice Tables", Online: <https://people.inf.ethz.ch/markusp/teaching/guides/guide-tables.pdf> - Stack overflow discussion: <https://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/112343/beautiful-table-samples>