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17:31, 28th March 2024 (GMT+0)

Easy Tables and Grids.

Posted by jase
jase
admin, 3106 posts
Cogito, ergo procuro.
Carpe stultus!
Tue 14 May 2013
at 15:56
  • msg #124

Re: Easy Tables and Grids.

In reply to Skald (msg # 122):

Well ! or * springs to mind.  Not in favour of any kind of "escape" coding, the simple fact is if you want to make sure it's printed, then put a space before your text.  Much easier than messing around with single quotes.

If people don't think it's an issue that's fine, but I was concerned about people trying to number cells, for some reason, which might make them included to use the hash symbol.

But if it's going to cause issue and we can't think of a simple character to use, then I can just make it mandatory to have a space in-between the control codes and the text, rather than the current more lenient conditions.


In reply to PushBarToOpen (msg # 123):

Why remove the flexibility proposed?  I'd really be surprised if we couldn't come up with another character that allows for the non-bold highlighting that Skald suggested.

Note that I'm also still waiting for somebody to actually state if they think "#" will, or will not, be an issue!!  Proposed alternatives are all very well and good, and thanks for the input, but are they actually needed?  I don't even know that yet!  You are all going to be using it, not me, so I need that simple question answered first.
matthewfenn
member, 322 posts
www.nj-pbem.com
Northern Journey PBeM DM
Tue 14 May 2013
at 16:13
  • msg #125

Re: Easy Tables and Grids.

I think the # symbol is fine.  I agree that some people might try to use it to number a cell, however since if they try to use it without a space between the cell codes and the contents, then they'd fall foul of the number being interpreted as cell spanning instead...

I personally would enforce the need for the space before the cell contents... As you said, it is good practice.
Utsukushi
member, 1220 posts
I should really stay out
of this, I know...but...
Tue 14 May 2013
at 16:18
  • msg #126

Re: Easy Tables and Grids.

jase:
Note that I'm also still waiting for somebody to actually state if they think "#" will, or will not, be an issue!!  Proposed alternatives are all very well and good, and thanks for the input, but are they actually needed?  I don't even know that yet!  You are all going to be using it, not me, so I need that simple question answered first.

Unless the space is mandatory, I think an alternative would be better.  I can totally see why Skald picked it to start with - it's a good intuitive suggestion of shading - but it's also one of the only punctuation marks people often use at the front of their text.

So I'd either make the space mandatory, or use !.  ! suggests emphasis, so I think people will pick it up pretty easily.
ninthbit
member, 63 posts
Steampunk Advocate
My profile has goodies
Tue 14 May 2013
at 16:54
  • msg #127

Re: Easy Tables and Grids.

I've been losly following this topic, so excuse me if I'm way off here.  But I would go with the following:

# Use = here
Use ! here

The ! would seem to correlate with the bold better, the = is a fair representation of shading, and the # is then available for numbering.

Edit:  BTW, I can't wait for this feature.  >=)
This message was last edited by the user at 16:59, Tue 14 May 2013.
jase
admin, 3107 posts
Cogito, ergo procuro.
Carpe stultus!
Wed 15 May 2013
at 00:04
  • msg #128

Re: Easy Tables and Grids.

matthewfenn:
if they try to use it without a space between the cell codes and the contents, then they'd fall foul of the number being interpreted as cell spanning instead...

Not quite - it'll highlight but not span.  It's lenient with the non-numeric formatting characters "<>^=", but not with the cellspan/rowspan/width digits.  The logic was it's "safe" to assume that "<Text" means left aligned text, but it's not safe to make any assumptions when the text contains a number.  Which lead to my concern with hash, as I was unsure it's safe to assume that something beginning with it was meaning highlight.  Post 91 has examples on what is or isn't allowed.

If all this leniency is going to cause confusion, and possibly catch unsuspecting members out, then perhaps it'd be best if space was mandatory.  I was trying to be nice, but maybe it's counterproductive.  (c;


In reply to ninthbit (msg # 127):

I can easily swap around the meaning of "=" and "!" (if that's what we choose).
jmkool
member, 266 posts
aka'd as The Kool
Wed 15 May 2013
at 04:06
  • msg #129

Re: Easy Tables and Grids.

My vote is:

Mandatory space
# for shaded & bold
= for shaded (without centered text, if you can swing it)

But I'll work with whatever symbols you pick, I just want mandatory space, and no centering on the shaded.
Skald
moderator, 424 posts
Whatever it is,
I'm against it
Wed 15 May 2013
at 13:19
  • msg #130

Re: Easy Tables and Grids.

Personally I don't like mandatory spaces, but I suppose they're a necessary evil ... OR alternatively that's just my OCD showing (I DO like my pre-transformation grid to line up nicely too, if humanly possible).

I also like jmkool's idea of swapping the # and = tags around on the basis that the # is an = with additional vertical lines, so suggests additional functionality which is the bolding ... the only problem with that is that I think # is more likely to be used in a header than anywhere else - at least that's where I'd use it.

Good point jase about ! not being used very much before text ... given that, and the above, I'm voting for ninthbit's variation:

! for shaded and bold
= for shaded

on the basis that ! indicates attention, which is kinda the point of a header row.
matthewfenn
member, 325 posts
www.nj-pbem.com
Northern Journey PBeM DM
Thu 30 May 2013
at 15:43
  • msg #131

Re: Easy Tables and Grids.

I echo jmkool:

My vote is:

Mandatory space
# for shaded & bold
= for shaded (without centered text, if you can swing it)
Denalor
member, 64 posts
Fri 21 Jun 2013
at 10:19
  • msg #132

Re: Easy Tables and Grids.

jmkool:
We do, after all, have the detailed <table> mechanics if we need that.

I must admit that I never made much with tables but lately I have found that they are actually very useful for the "problem" I have at the moment.
So the last couple of days I've been busy trying to understand/learn all that html-table stuff.
I currently fail with something as easy as coloring of specific cells

<td bgcolor="#808080">xyz</td>

to shade a cell dark gray does not seem to work.

So I certainly anticipate the implementation of this huge thread.
When can this be expected ?
bigbadron
moderator, 13761 posts
He's big, he's bad,
but mostly he's Ron.
Fri 21 Jun 2013
at 10:25

Re: Easy Tables and Grids.

Very little html works on RPoL - none of it in fact, since the site uses its own RUBB code, which just emulates some of the functions of html.  However, it doesn't emulate everything.  Cell shading would be one of the things that it doesn't.
matthewfenn
member, 328 posts
www.nj-pbem.com
Northern Journey PBeM DM
Fri 21 Jun 2013
at 11:32
  • msg #134

Re: Easy Tables and Grids.

The only cell shading available in RUBB is by the code that Jase has put into place on this forum or by making the cell a header cell:

Shaded as a HeaderNot a Header
Shaded using = symbolShaded as a Header
Not shadedShaded using = symbol

Using code:
>  |! Shaded as a Header      | Not a Header             |
>  |= Shaded using = symbol   |! Shaded as a Header      |
>  | Not shaded               |= Shaded using = symbol   |


Can't wait for this functionality to spread to the rest of the site.  :-)
This message was lightly edited by admin, as it was in need of a minor tweak, at 03:18, Sat 22 June 2013.
Denalor
member, 65 posts
Fri 21 Jun 2013
at 16:56
  • msg #135

Re: Easy Tables and Grids.

Okay, thanks for the explanation... never bothered what RuBB actually is, so I simply assumed it's just html... whatever. Am throwing expression that I actually know next to nothing about (blushes).
Makes the implementation even more anticipated :-)
ninthbit
member, 132 posts
Steampunk Advocate
My profile has goodies
Fri 21 Jun 2013
at 17:43
  • msg #136

Re: Easy Tables and Grids.

There are a lot of different option available to players and GMs.  Some tags also have a few undocumented options as well.  If you ever wonder how somebody posted a certain format, just hit the "quote" link to look at the code.

/help/content.cgi?t=faqs&page=rubbcode
jase
admin, 3149 posts
Cogito, ergo procuro.
Carpe stultus!
Sat 22 Jun 2013
at 03:17
  • msg #137

Re: Easy Tables and Grids.

While I'd love to be able to allow any and all colours, the problem is that with different themes (especially with the ability for people to be able to create their own now) using a bg colour that works for you, might not work well for others.


I've changed the control codes for headers and for highlighting, using "#" had too much potential for clashing (even though it was the symbol that made the most sense).  "!" is now a header ("!!" for the entire/rest of the row), and "=" is now shading.
jmkool
member, 310 posts
aka'd as The Kool
Mon 24 Jun 2013
at 05:42
  • msg #138

Re: Easy Tables and Grids.

This works just fine!  This is probably the most anticipated feature I have yet seen.
Denalor
member, 79 posts
Mon 2 Dec 2013
at 08:52
  • msg #139

Re: Easy Tables and Grids.

What I'm currently searching for is how to “end” a table.
Sorry, that needs some explanation.
I do a lot of stuff with MS Excel and I want to convert the tables to make them fit here on RPoL.
So essentially it's a couple of VBA routines, which convert each row in Excel into a line for RPoL adding in all those | and what not which we now have. (I had previously done all this with the old table commands… which was quite a fuzz).
Anyway.
So I have data in Excel all listed in one row after the other.
The first 8 rows have 10 columns each.
But at rows 11-15 I only need 8 columns and so on.
But those 10 columns are set for the whole table.
So I somehow need to reset the number of columns. Naturally I could insert a row in Excel and thus prevent all the fuzz (well, it does create some major upheaval in my Excel routines, but I suppose I could manage), but it would be a lot easier if there were some “even though it’s written in the next row, do reset the number of columns” command.

This probably shows what I mean:

General Data
NameSpiritCAT24Sub. Drive Rating15Sensor Rating2Screen Rating4
Class Armor QualityDB +15MSA125Sensor Bonus10Screen Bonus20
Cost6.567.333Armor Belt15MTs13EW Rating2Rad. Shield Rating4
Mass900Hits1.035Trans. Drive Rating5EW Bonus10Rad. Shield Bonus20
Tactics0Microfreq.Mk. 2Reactor Rating95Control Points6Cargo416,6
Predict2Tight BeamMk. 0Duration50Crew6Streamlinedyes
Evade5TBDMk. 0Andrium95Computer Mk.60Landing Gearyes
Weapon Systems100% 
FMMk.TypeMountFire ArcHUDMagazineCrew  
210BlastFlexibleFront QTR Right15    
210BlastFlexibleFront QTR Left15    
110MissileFlexibleAft1520   
FMMk.TypeCATDBEWHitsMTs  
110Standard211010112  
110Standard211010112  
Tractor Beam1x Mk.05        
AuxiliariesLife SupportMicrofreq Rig Mk. 2       

Skald
moderator, 481 posts
Whatever it is,
I'm against it
Mon 2 Dec 2013
at 13:53
  • msg #140

Re: Easy Tables and Grids.

I think that might be too hard for Easy Tables ??  Best I can do is as follows, as when I try to span the headings across multiple columns, the table snaps back to the default grid evening things out:

|a|
|b|c|d|e|
|f|
|g|h|

a
bcde
f
gh

So I think you're going to have to use the pseudo-HTML table code - this seems to be what you're after ?

<table>
<tr><th colspan="4">Heading 1</th></th></tr>
<tr><td>Content Row 1 Column 1</td><td>Content Row 1 Column 2</td><td>Content Row 1 Column 3</td><td>Content Row 1 Column 4</td></tr>
<tr><th colspan="2">Heading 2</th></th></tr>
<tr><td>Content Row 2 Column 1</td><td>Content Row 2 Column 2</td></tr>
</table>

Heading 1
Content Row 1 Column 1Content Row 1 Column 2Content Row 1 Column 3Content Row 1 Column 4
Heading 2
Content Row 2 Column 1Content Row 2 Column 2

Denalor
member, 80 posts
Mon 2 Dec 2013
at 14:12
  • msg #141

Re: Easy Tables and Grids.

Ahhh, wasn't aware that the "regular" (non-easy) commands would do the trick.
Thanks
LonePaladin
member, 395 posts
Creator of HeroForge
Wed 4 Dec 2013
at 05:05
  • msg #142

Re: Easy Tables and Grids.

I ran across something like this in trying to set up a table-based character sheet. The way I got around it was to just add a blank line wherever I needed to reset the column count.

For instance, this:
Code for Nerds:
| Character Name: |> X | Player: |> x |100%
| XP/Level: |> 10,000 / 1 | Campaign: |> x |

| Race: |> X ||= Stat |! Temp |! Pot. ||! Base |! Race |! Spec |!|! BONUS |100%
| Profession: |> X || Agility |^ 20 |^ 0 ||^ +0 |^ |^ ||=^ +0 |
|2 Training Packages: || Constitution |^ 20 |^ 0 ||^ +0 |^ |^ ||=^ +0 |
|>2 || Memory |^ 20 |^ 0 ||^ +0 |^ |^ ||=^ +0 |
|>2 || Reasoning |^ 20 |^ 0 ||^ +0 |^ |^ ||=^ +0 |
|>2 || Self-Discipline |^ 20 |^ 0 ||^ +0 |^ |^ ||=^ +0 |
|2 || Empathy |^ 20 |^ 0 ||^ +0 |^ |^ ||=^ +0 |
| Soul Departure: |> 6 rounds || Intuition |^ 20 |^ 0 ||^ +0 |^ |^ ||=^ +0 |
| Recovery: |> ×1.0 || Presence |^ 20 |^ 0 ||^ +0 |^ |^ ||=^ +0 |
|!2 Body Development Progress || Quickness |^ 20 |^ 0 ||^ +0 |^ |^ ||=^ +0 |
|^2 0 0 0 0 0 || Strength |^ 20 |^ 0 ||^ +0 |^ |^ ||=^ +0 |
|!2 MP Development Progress ||
|^2 0 0 0 0 0 || Appearance |^ |^ 0 ||^ +0 |^ |^ ||=^ +0 |
Gives this:
Character Name:XPlayer:x
XP/Level:10,000 / 1Campaign:x

Race:X StatTempPot. BaseRaceSpec BONUS
Profession:X Agility200 +0   +0
Training Packages: Constitution200 +0   +0
  Memory200 +0   +0
  Reasoning200 +0   +0
  Self-Discipline200 +0   +0
  Empathy200 +0   +0
Soul Departure:6 rounds Intuition200 +0   +0
Recovery:×1.0 Presence200 +0   +0
Body Development Progress Quickness200 +0   +0
0 0 0 0 0 Strength200 +0   +0
MP Development Progress          
0 0 0 0 0 Appearance 0 +0   +0

(I had to get rid of all the extra spaces to get the post within the allowed character limit. The full table is a LOT bigger than this.)
steelsmiter
member, 552 posts
GURPS, FFd6, Pathfinder
NO FREEFORM!
Thu 5 Dec 2013
at 16:10
  • msg #143

Re: Easy Tables and Grids.

came across a minor glitch
WeaponDamageReachParryCostWtSTLCNotes
Dwarven Great Axe1d+5 cut102250lbs12‡4[1]

on my character sheet it shows no number for the weight of the weapon unless I add a hash, but then it shows the hash:

WeaponDamageReachParryCostWtSTLCNotes
Dwarven Great Axe1d+5 cut102250#8 lbs12‡4[1]

Any way I can fix that?
Doccus
member, 28 posts
Happily GMing since 1979.
Thu 5 Dec 2013
at 17:36
  • msg #144

Re: Easy Tables and Grids.

Put a space between the vertical bar and the 8.  Otherwise, it looks to the parser like it's a column span directive.
steelsmiter
member, 553 posts
GURPS, FFd6, Pathfinder
NO FREEFORM!
Thu 5 Dec 2013
at 18:37
  • msg #145

Re: Easy Tables and Grids.

In reply to Doccus (msg # 144):

oh hey thanks. I didn't notice that.
matthewfenn
member, 337 posts
www.nj-pbem.com
Northern Journey PBeM DM
Sat 7 Dec 2013
at 09:49
  • msg #146

Re: Easy Tables and Grids.

I kept forgetting the rules for these easy tables... so I thought I'd check the help files to see if they had been summarised - and they have!   Thank you Jase!

Here is the link for those who are interested:

/help/?t=help&page=easytable
spaceace
member, 198 posts
Do or do not
there is no try
Tue 11 Feb 2014
at 13:05
  • msg #147

Re: Easy Tables and Grids.

is there a code to force a new line in table cell?


| two<hr>lines | single |
| single       | single |


two
lines
single
singlesingle

<hr> works, but I'd like to do away with the line between them

 doesn't do anything
Denalor
member, 85 posts
Tue 11 Feb 2014
at 13:08
  • msg #148

Re: Easy Tables and Grids.

\n should do the trick


| two \n lines | single |
| single       | single |


two
lines
single
singlesingle


Yes it does :-)
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