Help:Wiki University Wikitext--Tables - Column Spans





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Spanning columns in tables
This ability to span columns is especially useful when separating sections of one table into different topics.
 * When we create tables, sometimes we want a cell to cover more than one column like in the following example:
 * NOTICE the first row consists of two cells, each spanning two cells of the following row.

How to span columns

 * If we want to span two columns, for example, we use a class called "colspan."

colspan="2"

 | colspan="2" style=" width: 50% ; ......." | Foods that have a .......
 * This coding is inserted right after the | or ! tags:
 * NOTICE the "2" represents the number of columns to span.
 * NOTICE the 50% as the width of the expanded cell. If the cells had NO width mentioned, then no width would be needed in the expanded cell above.  However, since the cells under each of these expanded cells is 25%, you have to place a width of 50% in the expanded cell above.
 * NOTE Usually this defaults to the center but if the system gets broken or changed, you will have to use the attribute of text-align:center to correct the problem.

If you have to put in the text-align: center this is how it will look.  | colspan="2" style=" width: 50%; text-align:center ; ......." | Foods that have a .......

Here is the coding for the first three rows of the above table: 
 * NOTICE again the location of the class "colspan."
 * NOTICE that the new row only has two cells, but each cell has a "colspan" in it. The two colspans cover the four cells in the next row.

Columns have to add up

 * Make sure that the columns you span add up to the total number of cells in the next row.
 * If you span a total of four columns or cells, you must have two colspan="2" in the preceding row, otherwise you will get who knows what!

Restrictions

 * You cannot create sortable tables with colspans.

Try these out


 Exercises
 * Use this coding for a table

Check your answers
 * Merge all the cells in the second row.
 * Merge the first three cells in the fourth row.

 Quick Quiz
 * Colspans must equal the number of cells in the next row.
 * A. True
 * B. False


 * If you have a row with four cells you can have in the preceding row one cell with a colspan="3" plus the remaining cell.
 * A. True
 * B. False


 * If you have a row of seven cells you can have in the preceding row one cell with a colspan="2", the next cell with a colspan="3" and the remaining cell with a colspan="2".
 * A. True
 * B. False

Check your answers

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