How to put a table that has large paragraphs in rows across two columns?

Question

I am writing in a tex file that uses IEEEtran class. It puts texts in two columns. I have a table that I want to place across two columns. The text inside several cells are quite large. I want the page to look like this:

Please ignore the red lines under the text, as I prepared this example in MS word.

I know this problem seems common. I tried these solutions but no luck: Page-wide table in two-column mode, Creating a table in two column style page, How to put a full-width table at the top or bottom of the same two-column page as the reference text?

Here is the code I wrote:

\begin{table*}[t]
\centering
\caption{My caption}
\label{my-label}
\begin{tabular}{|l|l|l|l|}
\hline
Category           & Rules                                                                           & Examples                                                                     & Links                                       \\ \hline
\multirow{3}{*}{A} & A1A1A1A1A1A1 A1A1A1A1A1A1A1A1A1A1A1A1A1A1A1 A1A1 A1A1 A1A1A1A1A1A1A1A1A1A1      & ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 & \href\{something.com/1\}\{something.com/1\} \\ \cline{2-4} 
                   & A1A1A1A1A 1A1  A1A1A1A1A1A1A1A 1A1A1A1A1 A1A1A1 A1A1 A1A1 A1A1 A1A1A1A1A1A1A1A1 & ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 & \href\{something.com/1\}\{something.com/1\} \\ \cline{2-4} 
                   & A1A1A1A1A 1A1,A1A1A1A1A1A1A1A 1A1A1A1A1 A1A1A1 A1A1 A1A1 A1A1 A1A1A1A1A1A1A1A1  & ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 & \href\{something.com/1\}\{something.com/1\} \\ \hline
\multirow{4}{*}{B} & A1A1A1A1A 1A1,A1A1A1A1A1A1A1A 1A1A1A1A1 A1A1A1 A1A1 A1A1 A1A1 A1A1A1A1A1A1A1A1  & ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 & \href\{something.com/1\}\{something.com/1\} \\ \cline{2-4} 
                   & A1A1A1A1A 1A1,A1A1A1A1A1A1A1A 1A1A1A1A1 A1A1A1 A1A1 A1A1 A1A1 A1A1A1A1A1A1A1A1  & ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 & \href\{something.com/1\}\{something.com/1\} \\ \cline{2-4} 
                   & A1A1A1A1A 1A1,A1A1A1A1A1A1A1A 1A1A1A1A1 A1A1A1 A1A1 A1A1 A1A1 A1A1A1A1A1A1A1A1  & ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 & \href\{something.com/1\}\{something.com/1\} \\ \cline{2-4} 
                   & A1A1A1A1A 1A1,A1A1A1A1A1A1A1A 1A1A1A1A1 A1A1A1 A1A1 A1A1 A1A1 A1A1A1A1A1A1A1A1  & ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 & \href\{something.com/1\}\{something.com/1\} \\ \hline
\multirow{3}{*}{C} & A1A1A1A1A 1A1,A1A1A1A1A1A1A1A 1A1A1A1A1 A1A1A1 A1A1 A1A1 A1A1 A1A1A1A1A1A1A1A1  & ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 & \href\{something.com/1\}\{something.com/1\} \\ \cline{2-4} 
                   & A1A1A1A1A 1A1,A1A1A1A1A1A1A1A 1A1A1A1A1 A1A1A1 A1A1 A1A1 A1A1 A1A1A1A1A1A1A1A1  & ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 & \href\{something.com/1\}\{something.com/1\} \\ \cline{2-4} 
                   & A1A1A1A1A 1A1,A1A1A1A1A1A1A1A 1A1A1A1A1 A1A1A1 A1A1 A1A1 A1A1 A1A1A1A1A1A1A1A1  & ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 & \href\{something.com/1\}\{something.com/1\} \\ \hline
\end{tabular}
\end{table*}

I have not faced any compilation error. My table goes out of the page, like this:

Welcome to TeX SX! Could you post a full compilable code of what you've tried? — Bernard, Oct 05 '17 at 19:01
please show what you tried and what error you got. This seems to be a simple tabular in a table* environment (which will span the columns) — David Carlisle, Oct 05 '17 at 19:02
Hi @DavidCarlisle, I have done that and my problem is that my table goes out of the page. I think something like multicolumn might help but cannot figure out how to do that. — Dipto_Das, Oct 05 '17 at 19:55
@Dipto_Das Please have a look at minimal working example (MWE) — samcarter_is_at_topanswers.xyz, Oct 05 '17 at 20:01
that is nothing to do with ieee or multicolumn or two column table* layouts, you have simply specified that ea.ch cell is on one line and as wide as its content. change those lll to p{3cm}p{3cm}p{3cm} or however wide you want the columns. — David Carlisle, Oct 05 '17 at 20:45

Mico · Answer 1 · 2017-10-06T05:25:39.720

To make the table fit inside the text block, I suggest you use a tabularx environment, with a (modified) X column type for the second and third columns and a (modified) p column type for the fourth column; that way, LaTeX will be able to insert line breaks, if need be, in these columns. (The \RaggedRight directives instruct LaTeX to typeset the material in ragged-right mode rather than in fully-justified mode, while still allowing hyphenation.)

\documentclass[]{IEEEtran}
\usepackage{tabularx,multirow,ragged2e}
\setlength\extrarowheight{2pt} % for a slightly more "open" look
\newcolumntype{Y}{>{\RaggedRight\arraybackslash}X}
\newcolumntype{P}[1]{>{\RaggedRight\arraybackslash}p{#1}}

\usepackage[colorlinks,allcolors=blue]{hyperref}
\begin{document}

\begin{table*}[t]
%%\centering % redundant
\caption{My caption}
\label{my-label}
\begin{tabularx}{\textwidth}{|l|Y|Y|P{2cm}|} % <-- choose width of 'P' column suitably
\hline
Category & Rules & Examples & Links \\ 
\hline
\multirow{6}{*}{A} 
& A1A1A1A1A 1A1  A1A1A1A1A1A1A1A 1A1A1A1A1 A1A1A1 A1A1 A1A1 A1A1 A1A1A1A1A1A1A1A1 
& ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 
& \href{something.com/1}{something.com/1} \\ 
\cline{2-4} 
& A1A1A1A1A 1A1  A1A1A1A1A1A1A1A 1A1A1A1A1 A1A1A1 A1A1 A1A1 A1A1 A1A1A1A1A1A1A1A1 
& ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 
& \href{something.com/1}{something.com/1} \\ 
\cline{2-4} 
& A1A1A1A1A 1A1,A1A1A1A1A1A1A1A 1A1A1A1A1 A1A1A1 A1A1 A1A1 A1A1 A1A1A1A1A1A1A1A1  
& ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 
& \href{something.com/1}{something.com/1} \\ 
\hline
\multirow{8}{*}{B} 
& A1A1A1A1A 1A1,A1A1A1A1A1A1A1A 1A1A1A1A1 A1A1A1 A1A1 A1A1 A1A1 A1A1A1A1A1A1A1A1  
& ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 
& \href{something.com/1}{something.com/1} \\ 
\cline{2-4} 
& A1A1A1A1A 1A1,A1A1A1A1A1A1A1A 1A1A1A1A1 A1A1A1 A1A1 A1A1 A1A1 A1A1A1A1A1A1A1A1  
& ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 
& \href{something.com/1}{something.com/1} \\ 
\cline{2-4} 
& A1A1A1A1A 1A1,A1A1A1A1A1A1A1A 1A1A1A1A1 A1A1A1 A1A1 A1A1 A1A1 A1A1A1A1A1A1A1A1  
& ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 
& \href{something.com/1}{something.com/1} \\ 
\cline{2-4} 
& A1A1A1A1A 1A1,A1A1A1A1A1A1A1A 1A1A1A1A1 A1A1A1 A1A1 A1A1 A1A1 A1A1A1A1A1A1A1A1  
& ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 
& \href{something.com/1}{something.com/1} \\ 
\hline
\multirow{6}{*}{C} 
& A1A1A1A1A 1A1,A1A1A1A1A1A1A1A 1A1A1A1A1 A1A1A1 A1A1 A1A1 A1A1 A1A1A1A1A1A1A1A1  
& ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 
& \href{something.com/1}{something.com/1} \\ 
\cline{2-4} 
& A1A1A1A1A 1A1,A1A1A1A1A1A1A1A 1A1A1A1A1 A1A1A1 A1A1 A1A1 A1A1 A1A1A1A1A1A1A1A1  
& ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 
& \href{something.com/1}{something.com/1} \\ 
\cline{2-4} 
& A1A1A1A1A 1A1,A1A1A1A1A1A1A1A 1A1A1A1A1 A1A1A1 A1A1 A1A1 A1A1 A1A1A1A1A1A1A1A1  
& ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 ea1 ea1 e1 
& \href{something.com/1}{something.com/1} \\ 
\hline
\end{tabularx}
\end{table*}
\end{document}

How to put a table that has large paragraphs in rows across two columns?

1 Answers1