1

I would like to add some extra space in a few cells (not in the whole column) but I cannot figure out how to do it. I read a number of answers in SE but all I found refers to how to define custom space at opening environment and use @{}.

What I need is extra space on the left in specific cells, not all.

I thought I could just add an extra column and leave it empty any time I need extra padding. I used \multicolumn to merge columns of I don't need padding and skip a column in opposite situation.

In the MWE, the first table is without space. The second is with space, exactly as I wanted but the third table shows that if content of merged cells is long, table is in overfull.

Is there any other way to do so?

Example:

\documentclass[12pt]{article}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage[usernames,dvipsnames,svgnames,table]{xcolor}

\setlength{\arrayrulewidth}{0.5pt}
\setlength{\tabcolsep}{6pt}
\renewcommand{\arraystretch}{1.3}

\newcommand{\thickrule}{\noalign{\hrule height 1.5pt}}
\newcommand{\thinrule}{\noalign{\hrule height 0.5pt}}
\newcommand{\maintask}[3]{\rowcolor{lgray} #1 & #2 & #3}
\newcommand{\subtask}[3]{ #1 & #2 & #3}
\newcommand{\maintaska}[3]{\rowcolor{lgray} #1 & #2 & \multicolumn{2}{l}{#3}}
\newcommand{\subtaska}[3]{ #1 & #2 & & #3}


\definecolor{lgray}{gray}{0.90}

\begin{document}

Table 1

\begin{table}[h!]
\centering
\begin{tabular}{ c c p{0.7\textwidth} }
\thickrule
\rule{0pt}{18pt}
\textbf{Start} & \textbf{End} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{\textbf{Tasks}} \\[6pt]
\thickrule
\maintask{03/2017}{06/2019}{Main task 1} \\ \thinrule
\maintask{02/2017}{12/2018}{Main task 2 Main task 2 Main task 2 Main task 2 Main task 2 Main task 2 Main task 2 Main task 2 Main task 2 Main task 2 Main task 2} \\ \thinrule
\subtask{02/2017}{06/2018}{Subtask 2.1} \\ \thinrule
\subtask{02/2017}{06/2018}{Subtask 2.2} \\ \thinrule
\subtask{02/2017}{06/2018}{Subtask 2.3} \\ \thinrule
\maintask{03/2017}{06/2019}{Main task 3} \\ \thinrule
\subtask{02/2017}{06/2018}{Subtask 3.1} \\ \thinrule
\subtask{02/2017}{06/2018}{Subtask 3.2} \\ \thinrule
\maintask{03/2017}{06/2019}{Main task 4} \\ \thinrule
\subtask{02/2017}{06/2018}{Subtask 4.1} \\ \thinrule
\subtask{02/2017}{06/2018}{Subtask 4.2} \\ \thinrule
\subtask{02/2017}{06/2018}{Subtask 4.3} \\ \thinrule
\maintask{06/2018}{06/2019}{Main task 5} \\ \thinrule
\subtask{02/2017}{06/2018}{Subtask 5.1} \\ \thinrule
\subtask{02/2017}{06/2018}{Subtask 5.2} \\ \thinrule
\maintask{03/2017}{06/2019}{Main task 6} \\ \thickrule
\end{tabular}
\caption{Plan}
\label{tab:phdplan}
\end{table}

Table 2

\begin{table}[h!]
\centering
\begin{tabular}{ c c p{0.63cm} p{0.6\textwidth} }
\thickrule
\rule{0pt}{18pt}
\textbf{Start} & \textbf{End} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{\textbf{Tasks}} \\[6pt]
\thickrule
\maintaska{03/2017}{06/2019}{Main task 1} \\ \thinrule
\maintaska{02/2017}{12/2018}{Main task 2.} \\ \thinrule
\subtaska{02/2017}{06/2018}{subtask 2.1 subtask 2.1 subtask 2.1 subtask 2.1 subtask 2.1 subtask 2.1 subtask 2.1 subtask 2.1 subtask 2.1 subtask 2.1 subtask 2.1} \\ \thinrule
\subtaska{02/2017}{06/2018}{subtask 2.2} \\ \thinrule
\subtaska{02/2017}{06/2018}{subtask 2.3} \\ \thinrule
\maintaska{03/2017}{06/2019}{Main task 3} \\ \thinrule
\subtaska{02/2017}{06/2018}{subtask 3.1} \\ \thinrule
\subtaska{02/2017}{06/2018}{subtask 3.2} \\ \thinrule
\maintaska{03/2017}{06/2019}{Main task 4} \\ \thinrule
\subtaska{02/2017}{06/2018}{subtask 4.1} \\ \thinrule
\subtaska{02/2017}{06/2018}{subtask 4.2} \\ \thinrule
\subtaska{02/2017}{06/2018}{subtask 4.3} \\ \thinrule
\maintaska{06/2018}{06/2019}{Main task 5} \\ \thinrule
\subtaska{02/2017}{06/2018}{subtask 5.1} \\ \thinrule
\subtaska{02/2017}{06/2018}{subtask 5.2} \\ \thinrule
\maintaska{03/2017}{06/2019}{Main task 6} \\ \thickrule
\end{tabular}
\caption{Plan}
\label{tab:phdplan}
\end{table}

\begin{table}[h!]
\centering
\begin{tabular}{ c c p{0.63cm} p{0.6\textwidth} }
\thickrule
\rule{0pt}{18pt}
\textbf{Start} & \textbf{End} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{\textbf{Tasks}} \\[6pt]
\thickrule
\maintaska{03/2017}{06/2019}{Main task 1} \\ \thinrule
\maintaska{02/2017}{12/2018}{Main task 2 Main task 2 Main task 2 Main task 2 Main task 2 Main task 2 Main task 2 Main task 2 Main task 2 Main task 2 Main task 2 Main task 2} \\ \thinrule
\subtaska{02/2017}{06/2018}{subtask 2.1 subtask 2.1 subtask 2.1 subtask 2.1 subtask 2.1 subtask 2.1 subtask 2.1 subtask 2.1 subtask 2.1 subtask 2.1 subtask 2.1} \\ \thinrule
\subtaska{02/2017}{06/2018}{subtask 2.2} \\ \thinrule
\subtaska{02/2017}{06/2018}{subtask 2.3} \\ \thinrule
\maintaska{03/2017}{06/2019}{Main task 3} \\ \thinrule
\subtaska{02/2017}{06/2018}{subtask 3.1} \\ \thinrule
\subtaska{02/2017}{06/2018}{subtask 3.2} \\ \thinrule
\maintaska{03/2017}{06/2019}{Main task 4} \\ \thinrule
\subtaska{02/2017}{06/2018}{subtask 4.1} \\ \thinrule
\subtaska{02/2017}{06/2018}{subtask 4.2} \\ \thinrule
\subtaska{02/2017}{06/2018}{subtask 4.3} \\ \thinrule
\maintaska{06/2018}{06/2019}{Main task 5} \\ \thinrule
\subtaska{02/2017}{06/2018}{subtask 5.1} \\ \thinrule
\subtaska{02/2017}{06/2018}{subtask 5.2} \\ \thinrule
\maintaska{03/2017}{06/2019}{Main task 6} \\ \thickrule
\end{tabular}
\caption{Plan}
\label{tab:phdplan}
\end{table}

\end{document}
Celdor
  • 9,058

1 Answers1

1

you need to change definition of \maintaska to:

\newcommand{\maintaska}[3]{\rowcolor{lgray} #1 & #2 & \multicolumn{2}
     {p{\dimexpr0.6cm+2\tabcolsep+0.6\linewidth\relax}}{#3}}  % <--- changed is column type

enter image description here

Zarko
  • 296,517
  • Hey. Thanks for the working command. I don’t understand it at all m. It’s way too complicated but it’s working. I wouldn’t be able to sort it by myself. Ty – Celdor Dec 03 '17 at 03:16
  • command is simple. instead of l column type it has p{...} column type where ... is width calculated with \dimexpr0.6cm+2\tabcolsep+0.6\linewidth\relax from width of two last column in table. p (as parbox) is standard latex column type which enable to break long text in more lines. for \dimexpr you can fin more information in https://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/367361/. \tabcolsep is space between columns in table. if answer solve your problem, you can vote it and even accept :-) – Zarko Dec 03 '17 at 11:23
  • I've voted up this answer. If I may ask, where have you learned all these details? I read a couple of documents, wiki but all this cover only more basic commands. I've never come across \relax or \dimexpr etc. thanks – Celdor Dec 03 '17 at 11:48
  • @Celdor, many things i learned here, on this site :-). – Zarko Dec 03 '17 at 15:15