Graphics, Figures & Tables ⇒ Make \cmidrule underneath last heading go to edge of table

[ptrcao]

There is a \cmidrule(l){4-4} underneath the "Name" heading which doesn't follow through to the far extreme of the table. Notice I have not trimmed it the the right.

Code: Select all

\documentclass[12pt]{article}

\usepackage{a4wide} %yeah, I know it's obsolete; just until I learn how to use geometry

\usepackage{booktabs} %for top, middle and bottomline

\usepackage{multirow} %multi column and row spanning

\usepackage{rotating} %enables sidewaystable

\begin{document}

\begin{sidewaystable}[h]
\begin{tabular*}{1\textwidth}{l l l l} %notice the asterisk needed to enable manual width-setting
 \toprule
\multicolumn{4}{c}{Nutritional Modes}\\
\midrule
Energy source & Reducing equivalent source & Carbon source & Name\\
\cmidrule(r){1-1} \cmidrule(l r){2-2}  \cmidrule(l r){3-3}  \cmidrule(l){4-4}
\multirow{4}{*}{Light {\it Photo-}} & \multirow{2}{*}{Organic -organo-} & Organic -heterotroph & Photoorganoheterotroph\\
& & Carbon dioxide -autotroph & Photoorganoautotroph \\
\cmidrule(l r){2-4}
&  \multirow{2}{*}{Inorganic -litho-} & Organic -heterotroph & Photolithoheterotroph\\
& & Carbon dioxide -autotroph & Photolithoautotroph \\ 
\midrule
\multirow{4}{*}{Chemical compounds {\it Chemo-}} & \multirow{2}{*}{Organic -organo-} & Organic -heterotroph & Chemoorganoheterotroph\\
& & Carbon dioxide -autotroph & Chemoorganoautotroph \\
\cmidrule(l r){2-4}
&  \multirow{2}{*}{Inorganic -litho-} & Organic -heterotroph & Chemolithoheterotroph\\
& & Carbon dioxide -autotroph & Chemolithoautotroph\\ 
\bottomrule
\end{tabular*}
\end{sidewaystable}


\end{document}

[localghost]

There is no sense in using the starred version of the tabular environment if you don't use its features in the column declaration.

Code: Select all

\documentclass[11pt]{article}
\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
\usepackage[includeheadfoot,margin=1in]{geometry}  % now you have learned how to use geometry
\usepackage{booktabs}  % for top, middle and bottomline
\usepackage{multirow}  % multi column and row spanning
\usepackage{rotating}  % enables sidewaystable

\begin{document}
  \begin{sidewaystable}
    \centering
    \begin{tabular}{llll} \toprule
      \multicolumn{4}{c}{Nutritional Modes} \\ \midrule
      Energy source & Reducing equivalent source & Carbon source & Name\\
      \cmidrule(r){1-1} \cmidrule(l r){2-2}  \cmidrule(l r){3-3}  \cmidrule(l){4-4}
      \multirow{4}{*}{Light {\it Photo-}} & \multirow{2}{*}{Organic -organo-} & Organic -heterotroph & Photoorganoheterotroph \\
      & & Carbon dioxide -autotroph & Photoorganoautotroph \\ \cmidrule(l r){2-4}
      & \multirow{2}{*}{Inorganic -litho-} & Organic -heterotroph &Photolithoheterotroph\\
      & & Carbon dioxide -autotroph & Photolithoautotroph \\ \midrule
      \multirow{4}{*}{Chemical compounds {\it Chemo-}} & \multirow{2}{*}{Organic -organo-} & Organic -heterotroph & Chemoorganoheterotroph \\
      & & Carbon dioxide -autotroph & Chemoorganoautotroph \\ \cmidrule(l r){2-4}
      & \multirow{2}{*}{Inorganic -litho-} & Organic -heterotroph & Chemolithoheterotroph\\
      & & Carbon dioxide -autotroph & Chemolithoautotroph \\ \bottomrule
    \end{tabular}
  \end{sidewaystable}
\end{document}

[ptrcao]

There is no sense in using the starred version of the tabular environment if you don't use its features in the column declaration.

Code: Select all

\documentclass[11pt]{article}
\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
\usepackage[includeheadfoot,margin=1in]{geometry}  % now you have learned how to use geometry
\usepackage{booktabs}  % for top, middle and bottomline
\usepackage{multirow}  % multi column and row spanning
\usepackage{rotating}  % enables sidewaystable

\begin{document}
  \begin{sidewaystable}
    \centering
    \begin{tabular}{llll} \toprule
      \multicolumn{4}{c}{Nutritional Modes} \\ \midrule
      Energy source & Reducing equivalent source & Carbon source & Name\\
      \cmidrule(r){1-1} \cmidrule(l r){2-2}  \cmidrule(l r){3-3}  \cmidrule(l){4-4}
      \multirow{4}{*}{Light {\it Photo-}} & \multirow{2}{*}{Organic -organo-} & Organic -heterotroph & Photoorganoheterotroph \\
      & & Carbon dioxide -autotroph & Photoorganoautotroph \\ \cmidrule(l r){2-4}
      & \multirow{2}{*}{Inorganic -litho-} & Organic -heterotroph &Photolithoheterotroph\\
      & & Carbon dioxide -autotroph & Photolithoautotroph \\ \midrule
      \multirow{4}{*}{Chemical compounds {\it Chemo-}} & \multirow{2}{*}{Organic -organo-} & Organic -heterotroph & Chemoorganoheterotroph \\
      & & Carbon dioxide -autotroph & Chemoorganoautotroph \\ \cmidrule(l r){2-4}
      & \multirow{2}{*}{Inorganic -litho-} & Organic -heterotroph & Chemolithoheterotroph\\
      & & Carbon dioxide -autotroph & Chemolithoautotroph \\ \bottomrule
    \end{tabular}
  \end{sidewaystable}
\end{document}

It worked. Thanks.

[ptrcao]

There is no sense in using the starred version of the tabular environment if you don't use its features in the column declaration.

This is a sensible observation. Though Thorsten, isn't the * necessary if one wants to specify a fixed width for the table? For example I always like to set large tables to have a width equal to \textwidth or \linewidth, so it doesn't exceed the width of the page and violate margins. In that case wouldn't I have no choice but to use the starred version of tabular?

I'd prefer to use regular tabular of course, where possible, but I don't know if it's possible to set a fixed width in regular tabular.

[localghost]

[…] isn't the * necessary if one wants to specify a fixed width for the table? For example I always like to set large tables to have a width equal to \textwidth or \linewidth, so it doesn't exceed the width of the page and violate margins. In that case wouldn't I have no choice but to use the starred version of tabular? […]

That is correct. But as already mentioned you then should use the features of this environment. That is to say setting the length \extracolsep to a stretchable value [1]. Here again shown by the known example.

Code: Select all

\documentclass[11pt]{article}
\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
\usepackage[includeheadfoot,margin=1in]{geometry}  % now you have learned how to use geometry
\usepackage{booktabs}  % for top, middle and bottomline
\usepackage{multirow}  % multi column and row spanning
\usepackage{rotating}  % enables sidewaystable

\begin{document}
  \begin{sidewaystable}
    \centering
    \begin{tabular*}{\textheight}{@{\extracolsep{\fill}}llll} \toprule
      \multicolumn{4}{c}{Nutritional Modes} \\ \midrule
      Energy source & Reducing equivalent source & Carbon source & Name\\
      \cmidrule(r){1-1} \cmidrule(l r){2-2}  \cmidrule(l r){3-3}  \cmidrule(l){4-4}
      \multirow{4}{*}{Light {\it Photo-}} & \multirow{2}{*}{Organic -organo-} & Organic -heterotroph & Photoorganoheterotroph \\
      & & Carbon dioxide -autotroph & Photoorganoautotroph \\ \cmidrule(l r){2-4}
      & \multirow{2}{*}{Inorganic -litho-} & Organic -heterotroph &Photolithoheterotroph\\
      & & Carbon dioxide -autotroph & Photolithoautotroph \\ \midrule
      \multirow{4}{*}{Chemical compounds {\it Chemo-}} & \multirow{2}{*}{Organic -organo-} & Organic -heterotroph & Chemoorganoheterotroph \\
      & & Carbon dioxide -autotroph & Chemoorganoautotroph \\ \cmidrule(l r){2-4}
      & \multirow{2}{*}{Inorganic -litho-} & Organic -heterotroph & Chemolithoheterotroph\\
      & & Carbon dioxide -autotroph & Chemolithoautotroph \\ \bottomrule
    \end{tabular*}
  \end{sidewaystable}
\end{document}

But now the original problem returns. Perhaps some trimming of the horizontal rules might do the trick.

[…] I'd prefer to use regular tabular of course, where possible, but I don't know if it's possible to set a fixed width in regular tabular.

Fixed-width tables are possible in many ways [1]. A quite new player in this game is the tabu package which seems to be an allrounder regarding tables.

[1] TeX Frequently Asked Questions - Fixed-width tables

[ptrcao]

But now the original problem returns. Perhaps some trimming of the horizontal rules might do the trick.

When I compiled your most recently suggested code with tabular starred, the \cmidrule underneath the last heading seemed to extend to the end of the table, so effectively the problem sorted itself out without any trimming modifications?

I think the {@{\extracolsep{\fill}} caused the inter-column space to expand in a way that pushed the last column against the right edge of the table, thus removing the original gap on the far right?

Other unrelated questions:

• Why do you use \textheight in the width argument?
• I did some searches and stumbled across \columnwidth, which doesn't seem to mean what I think it means. I take it to mean the present table column width but it's basically interpreted as \linewidth or \textwidth?

[localghost]

[…] When I compiled your most recently suggested code with tabular starred, the \cmidrule underneath the last heading seemed to extend to the end of the table, so effectively the problem sorted itself out without any trimming modifications? […]

I observed that not all horizontal rules line up with the right side. Therefore my concerns.

[…] I think the {@{\extracolsep{\fill}} caused the inter-column space to expand in a way that pushed the last column against the right edge of the table, thus removing the original gap on the far right? […]

The extra column separation affects all columns that follow this command in the table column declaration. See link to the TeX FAQ.

[…] Other unrelated questions:

• Why do you use \textheight in the width argument?
• I did some searches and stumbled across \columnwidth, which doesn't seem to mean what I think it means. I take it to mean the present table column width but it's basically interpreted as \linewidth or \textwidth?

• Since the table is going to appear in landscape orientation, its width becomes its height when printed in a portrait document. Therefore the length \textheight to make it fill the page.
• In two-columned documents the line width is maintained in the length register \columnwidth. It is calculated from the text width minus the distance \columnsep between the columns. It is identical with \textwidth and \linewidth in a single-column document. \linewidth can vary inside several environments like minipage, where it is determined by the given width. The same applies to the \parbox command.