Graphics, Figures & Tables ⇒ Center columns inside a tabular

[ptrcao]

I need the second two columns to be centered.

I also need someone to please help me clean up this table. It looks ugly.

Notice it is inside a multicolumn (2-column) environment, because the context is a scientific report.

It is complex because it involves the interaction of several packages like tabularx, multicolumn and multirow.

I tried to put it inside a table environment but this introduces float issues. I want to to be floated exactly at the location in which it takes place in the document. If need be, it should continue spill over into the next column or over the page.

Min. example:

Code: Select all

\documentclass[a4paper,12pt]{article}

\author{Peter Cao}
\date{}
\usepackage[font=small,labelfont=bf,tableposition=top]{caption} %apparently needs to come first or options clash with other packages will occur

\usepackage[x11names,dvipsnames]{xcolor} %for use in color links



\usepackage[hyphens]{url}
\usepackage[colorlinks=true,linkcolor=Blue4,citecolor=blue]{hyperref}
\usepackage[hyphenbreaks]{breakurl}
\usepackage{a4wide}
\usepackage{graphicx}

\usepackage[version=3]{mhchem}

\usepackage[T1]{fontenc} %for > and < in text mode
\usepackage{tikz}
\mhchemoptions{arrows=pgf-filled}

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

\usepackage{multirow} %multi column and row spanning

\usepackage{amsmath}


\usepackage{cite}

\usepackage{multirow}
\usepackage{tabularx}



\usepackage{siunitx}

\usepackage{fancyhdr}
%\usepackage{fancyheadings} seems to be obsoleted by fancyhdr

\usepackage{comment}
\usepackage{multicol}

\usepackage{lastpage}

\newcommand{\ignore}[1]{} %a null macro which gobbles up comments, and thus acts as a tool for in-line commenting.


\begin{document}

\begin{multicols}{2}

\subsection*{Results}

{\small
\begin{tabularx}{\columnwidth}{X | X | X}
\toprule
Characteristic & \multicolumn{2}{c}{Result}\\
 \cmidrule(l){2-3}
 & Seaweed isolate & Coral isolate \\
\cmidrule(r){1-1} \cmidrule(l){2-3}
Cell shape & Rod & Rod\\
Gram stain & - & -\\
Oxidase & + & -\\
Catalase & + & -\\
MSA & Growth & No growth\\
Anaerobic & Growth (weak) & No growth\\
Motility & & \\
Indole production & & \\
Hugh \& Leifsons & & \\
\bottomrule
\end{tabularx}
}

\end{multicols}

\end{document}

[Stefan Kottwitz]

Hi Peter,

you could define a centered X column like this:

Code: Select all

\usepackage{array}
\newcolumntype{C}{>{\centering\arraybackslash}X}

Stefan

[ptrcao]

Hi Peter,

you could define a centered X column like this:

Code: Select all

\usepackage{array}
\newcolumntype{C}{>{\centering\arraybackslash}X}

Stefan

I'm not sure why but it didn't work - wasn't able to center-align the contents of the column? Did it work for you?

Could it be because my tabular is not inside a table environment? I tried to put it inside a table environment but that introduces float issues in a 2-column page layout.