S-Tables v1.

0
Robert Nilsson
Academic Computing Service
Texas A&M University
RANHELP@VENUS.TAMU.EDU
RANHELP@TAMVENUS
Types of Commands
Start/End

These are the commands for starting and

ending the table

Columns Separators

These are used to separate the columns in

the tables

Row Separators

These are used to separate the rows

Conguration

These are used to set up the functioning

of the tables such as the width of a thick
rule, whether the internal rules are thin
or thick, etc.

Specials

These include any commands that do not

t into the above categories

Start/End
Command

Arguments

Description

\begintable

none

Start a table

\begintableto

width

Start a table with the specied width.

The table will be stretched until it is
width wide

\begintablesp

stretch amount

Start a table and stretch it stretch

amount wider than it would normally be

\endtable

none

End the table

Column Separators
Command

Arguments

Description

none

End a column and place a vertical rule

of the default width between the columns
(do not use this at the end of a line)

\|

none

Same as above but the vertical rule will

be suppressed

\vt

none

Same as above but the vertical rule will

be thin

\vtt

none

Same as above but the vertical rule will

be thick

\vttt

thickness

Same as above but the vertical rule will

be thickness wide
1

Row Separators
Command

Arguments

Description

\el

none

End a line and dont put a rule under it.

(Do not use this after the last line of the
table, use \endtable)

\elt

none

Same as above except put a thin rule under the line

\eltt

none

Same as above except put a thick rule under the line

\elttt

thickness

Same as above except put a rule of width

thickness under the line

\elspec

none

This command is used to set up rules under rows that DO NOT span the entire
row. It in eect indicates that the next
row will specify the rule to be used under
the current row. This is especially useful
when using with the row spanning commands. This introduces a subclass, the
horizontal rule commands

Horizonal Rule Command Subset

\trule

none

Places a thin horizontal rule under a column. This command is only for use in
conjunction with the \elspec command
(To leave a column blank, i.e. no rule,
just leave it blank)

\ttrule

none

Same as above but the rule will be thick

\tttrule

thickness

Same as above but the rule will be thickness thick

You may be wondering what the dierence between the \elt and the \trule command is. The \elt
will end the line and draw a thin rule under it. The \trule works in conjunction with the \elspec to
generate a special rule. The special rule line is entered the same way a regular row will be entered. For
example, a normal row would look like:

This|is|a|Test\elt

This will produce a row with a thin rule under it. To produce the same eect without a rule under the
column is the following would be used:

This|is|a|Test\elspec
\trule||\trule|\trule\el

Notice that the vertical bars are used. The macro is starting a new row and the vertical bars need to be
included if you want them to continue through the line. (There is no need to only use the |, any other
column separator is also valid).
2

Configuration
Variable

Value

Description

Dimensions
\stablesthinline

dimension

This variable contains the width of a thin

rule in the table. The default value is
0.4pt and it may be changed with the
command:
\stablesthinline=<dimen>
where <dimen> is the new width.

\stablesthickline

dimension

This variable contains the width of a thick

rule in the table. The default value is 1pt
and it may be changed as above.

Counters
\stablestyle

Center the table using the current \hsize.

This is the default setting and it may be
changed by the following command:
\stablestyle=n
where n is the new value (0, 1, 2, or 3)

Left justify the table

2
3

Right justify the table

No justication
If Statements

\ifstablesinternalthin

\ifstablesborderthin

true

Make the internal rules of the table thin.

This sets the vertical rule generated by
the |. To set the value of this variable
the following command must be used:
\stablesinternalthintrue
Please note the word if is removed and
the word true has been appended to the
end. The value after this command will be
true. To set it to false append the word
false instead of true.

false

Use thick internal rules (where the | is

used)

true

Use thin rules for the border of the table

false

Use thick rules for the border of the table.

This is the default.

All settings in the conguration section should be used OUTSIDE the table. The results of changing
a setting inside the table will be unpredictable, and undesirable.
There are two more settings that need to be discussed. First is the element buering. There are two
denitions that are used for this: \stablesleft and \stablesright. The default settings are as follows:
\def\stablesleft{\quad\hfil}
\def\stablesright{\hfil\quad}
To change these, simply redene them.
The other setting is the strut. If you are interested in resetting this, the TEXbook should provide
sucient information (The strut is used to hold up the box).
3

Specials
This section will be broken into three parts: the spanning commands, the paragraph commands, and
miscellaneous information.
First of all we have two (actually three, but Ill discuss the third later) spanning commands. They are
\multicolumn and \multirow. To use \multicolumn to span several columns the command will be:
\multicolumnn and your data here.
The n species the number of columns to span across. For example, if a table has 3 columns and you want
a title across the top, n would be 3. Omit each column separator that is spanned across (in this case none
would be used). When this command is used the buering is suspended on the spanning column, so it is
necessary to put \hfils around the data in the spanning column to center it.
\multirow works slightly dierently. The number of rows to span is specied in the same way as the
number of columns in the \multicolumn macro, but the text to be spanned must be placed in curly braces
directly after:
\multirown{<horizontal material>}
The <horizontal material> will be vertically centered in the number of spanned rows. The horizontal
rules are not automatically omitted under the columns of the rows being spanned. The \elspec command
must be used to omit these rules. There will be an example at the end of the documentation of this.
The paragraph commands are \stpar and \stparrow. The format for \stpar is:
\stpar{<dimen>}{<vertical material>}
The <dimen> is the width of the paragraph (the \hsize) and the <vertical material> is the paragraph.
\stparrow will do the same thing as \stpar but it will also perform the function of \multirow. It is a
composite command and the only way to span a paragraph across multiple rows. The format is:
\stparrown{<dimen>}{<vertical material>}
In this command the n is the number of rows to be spanned and the other material is the same as in the
\stpar macro. Please note that the rules for spanning multiple rows apply to this macro also (the use of
the \elspec command.
To use both multiple rows and multiple columns, specify the \multicolumn command rst, then the
\multirow or \stparrow.
The last point I would like to make concerns the use of varying width vertical rules. If a thin vertical
rule runs into a thick vertical rule there will be an oset. The default for this oset is to the left. There are
two ways to change the setting. The rst is by using an r after any of the \vt commands. For example
\vttr will produce a thick vertical rule right justied on any wider rules. The other method is by using the
\ifstablesright setting. A true setting will line up all vertical rules generated by the | on the right. A
false setting will make the vertical rules generated by the | left justied (the default).
In all of the specials using a n parameter, if the number to be used is greater than 9, it must be placed
in curly braces ({}).

Examples
This section will give some example tables and the code to generate them organized from simple to
complex.
Example 1
\begintable
Ck\#\vt Date\vt Memo\vt Debit\vt Credit\vt Balance\eltt
245|8--2|Rent|\$ \hfill 250.00||\$ \hfill 436.29\el
246|8--2|Danson Electric|\$ \hfill 49.28||\$ \hfill 387.01\el
247|8--5|Jeffs Grocery|\$ \hfill 35.88||\$ \hfill 351.13\el
248||Void|||\el
249|8--10|Danson Times|\$ \hfill 19.00||\$ \hfill 332.13\el
250|8--14|Pizza Palace|\$ \hfill 9.95||\$ \hfill 322.18\el
251|8--15|Jones Hardware|\$ \hfill 45.20||\$ \hfill 276.98\el
252|8--15|Deposit||\$ \hfill 255.81|\$ \hfill 532.79\el
253|8--21|Account Fee|\$ \hfill .85||\$ \hfill 531.94\el
254|8--29|Telephone Co.|\$ \hfill 21.19||\$ \hfill 510.75\endtable
Ck#

Date

Memo

Debit

Credit

245

82

Rent

$ 250.00

$ 436.29

246
247

82
85

Danson Electric
Jes Grocery

$ 49.28
$ 35.88

$ 387.01
$ 351.13

248
249

810

Void
Danson Times

$ 19.00

$ 332.13

250
251

814
815

Pizza Palace
Jones Hardware

$ 9.95
$ 45.20

$ 322.18
$ 276.98

252
253

815
821

Deposit
Account Fee

254

829

Telephone Co.

$ 255.81
.85

$ 532.79
$ 531.94

$ 21.19

$ 510.75

Balance

Example 2
\begintableto{6.5truein}
\multicolumn6 \hfill Account Activity for August\hfill\eltt
Ck\#\vt Date\vt Memo\vtt Debit\vt Credit\vtt Balance\eltt
245|8--2|Rent\vtt\$ \hfill 250.00|\vtt\$ \hfill 436.29\el
246|8--2|Danson Electric\vtt\$ \hfill 49.28|\vtt\$ \hfill 387.01\el
247|8--5|Jeffs Grocery\vtt\$ \hfill 35.88|\vtt\$ \hfill 351.13\el
248||Void\vtt|\vtt\el
249|8--10|Danson Times\vtt\$ \hfill 19.00|\vtt\$ \hfill 332.13\el
250|8--14|Pizza Palace\vtt\$ \hfill 9.95|\vtt\$ \hfill 322.18\el
251|8--15|Jones Hardware\vtt\$ \hfill 45.20|\vtt\$ \hfill 276.98\el
252|8--15|Deposit\vtt|\$ \hfill 255.81\vtt\$ \hfill 532.79\el
253|8--21|Account Fee\vtt\$ \hfill .85|\vtt\$ \hfill 531.94\el
254|8--29|Telephone Co.\vtt\$ \hfill 21.19|\vtt\$ \hfill 510.75\endtable
Account Activity for August
Ck#

Date

Memo

Debit

Credit

245
246

82
82

Rent
Danson Electric

$ 250.00
$ 49.28

$ 436.29
$ 387.01

247
248

85

Jes Grocery
Void

$ 35.88

$ 351.13

249
250

810
814

Danson Times
Pizza Palace

$ 19.00
$ 9.95

$ 332.13
$ 322.18

251
252

815
815

Jones Hardware
Deposit

$ 45.20

253
254

821
829

Account Fee
Telephone Co.

$
.85
$ 21.19

$ 255.81

Balance

$ 276.98
$ 532.79
$ 531.94
$ 510.75

Example 3
\begintable
\multirow2{\#}\vt\multirow2{Date}\vt\multirow2{Memo}\vt Debit/Credit\elspec
|||\trule\el
|||Balance\eltt
\multirow2{245}|\multirow2{8--2}|\multirow2{Rent}|\$ \hfill 250.00\elspec
|||\trule\el
|||\$ \hfill 436.29\elttt{.7pt}
\multirow2{246}|\multirow2{8--2}|\multirow2{Danson Electric}|\$ \hfill 49.28\elspec
|||\trule\el
|||\$ \hfill 387.01\elttt{.7pt}
\multirow2{247}|\multirow2{8--5}|\multirow2{Jeffs Grocery}|\$ \hfill 35.88\elspec
|||\trule\el
|||\$ \hfill 351.13\elttt{.7pt}
\multirow2{248}||\multirow2{Void}|\elspec
|||\el
|||\elttt{.7pt}
\multirow2{249}|\multirow2{8--10}|\multirow2{Danson Times}|\$ \hfill 19.00\elspec
|||\trule\el
|||\$ \hfill 332.13\endtable
#

Date

Memo

245

82

Rent

246

82

Danson Electric

247

85

Jes Grocery

248
249

Debit/Credit
Balance
$

250.00

436.29

49.28

387.01

35.88

351.13

19.00

332.13

Void
810

Danson Times

Example 4
\begintable
Account|Ck\#|Debit|Credit|Balance\eltt
\stparrow3{3in}{\noindent The Lyons Investment Memorial Student Fund following
specifications 11.2.3 of the U.S. Governmental Code CCA1}
|123|\$\hfill 1,000.00||\$\hfill 20,000\elspec
|\trule|\trule|\trule|\trule\el
|124|\$\hfill 200.00||\$\hfill 19,800\elspec
|\trule|\trule|\trule|\trule\el
|||\$\hfill 4,000.00|\$\hfill 23,800\elttt{.7pt}
\multicolumn4\hfil\stpar{5.25in}{At the end of the physical year 1990 the
balance in the account for Lyons Investment Memorial Student Fund will be
tallied and the results will be published as per Governmental Code 3.4.2 of the
last payable week in the session.
The value presented here is a projection of
the actual that will be available.}\hfil|\$\hfill 25,000\endtable
Account

Ck#

Debit

Credit

Balance

The Lyons Investment Memorial Student Fund following specications 11.2.3 of the U.S. Governmental Code CCA1

123

$1,000.00

$ 20,000

124

$ 200.00

$ 19,800
$4,000.00

$ 23,800

At the end of the physical year 1990 the balance in the account for Lyons Investment Memorial Student Fund will be tallied and the results will be published as per
Governmental Code 3.4.2 of the last payable week in the session. The value presented
here is a projection of the actual that will be available.

$ 25,000