# $Id$
#
# >>Copyright::
# Copyright (c) 1992-1996, Ian Clatworthy (ianc@mincom.com).
# You may distribute under the terms specified in the LICENSE file.
#
# >>History::
# -----------------------------------------------------------------------
# Date Who Change
# 29-Feb-96 ianc SDF 2.000
# -----------------------------------------------------------------------
#
H1: Overview
H2: Features
SDF supports a range of features related to tables including:
* tables are defined in a simple format which is:
- easy to write and read
- upwardly-compatible with the CSV (comma-separated value) format
exported by most databases and spreadsheets
- upwardly-compatible with the fixed-width format generated by
most reporting tools.
* column widths can be dynamically sized or explicitly set
* heading, footing and group rows can be specified
* table alignment and positioning can be controlled
* cells support custom alignment, shading, ruling and colours.
In fact, SDF can do lots of very clever things with tables
including spreadsheet-like calculations on cells and ranges
of cells!
H2: Creating a Table
Tables are usually defined via the {{FILT:table}} filter.
For example:
E: !block table
E: Fruit Comments
E: Tropical:
E: mango a fruit-bat favorite
E: banana great for smoothies
E: Other:
E: Tomato often matched with basil
E: !endblock
:or:
E: !include "fruits.tbl"; table
H2: TBL Format
The {{FILT:table}} filter expects a table definition in a simple text
format (called {{FMT:TBL}}) where:
^ the first (non-comment) line is the header record
+ remaining lines are data records.
The header record specifies the field names and the layout.
Fields can be placed in fixed-width columns or delimited by a
special character. Fixed-width format (as shown above) is usually used.
Note: The width of columns in the "input" has no bearing on the
width of columns in the output. To change the output width, refer to
{{SECT:Sizing Columns}}.
See the {{DOC:SDF Reference}} for further details on {{FMT:TBL}} format.