Fill partial tabular* row with color

Question

I am attempting to use tabular* to generate a table as I would like to also use the midrule, bottomrule etc. in order to get the different line thicknesses. However, in my attempt below, as I also try to color sections of the table, I get spaces in the color like this:

I have looked at these related solutions but wanted to know if there is a simpler solution to use here as I am still not getting my desired result.

This is my code:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{float}
\usepackage{xcolor,colortbl,tabularx}
\usepackage{bigstrut}
\definecolor{LightGray}{gray}{0.9}
\begin{document}
\begin{table}[H]
\centering
  \caption{Not too good looking table here.\label{tab:table1}}
  \footnotesize
% Table generated by Excel2LaTeX from sheet 'Sheet2'
    \begin{tabularx}{\textwidth}{c @{\extracolsep{\fill}} c|ccc}
    %\begin{tabular}{cc|cc}
    %\toprule
    \hline
    \multicolumn{2}{c|}{\textbf{Test1}} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{\textbf{Test2}} \bigstrut[t]\
   Test11 & Test12 & Test13 & Test14 \bigstrut[b]\
   %\midrule
    \hline
    FLTR2 & 2     & 40    & FLTR0 \bigstrut[t]\
    FLTR0 & 80    & 80    & FLTR0 \
    \rowcolor[rgb]{ 1,  .78,  .808} \textcolor[rgb]{ .612,  0,  .024}{FLTR0} & \textcolor[rgb]{ .612,  0,  .024}{160} & \textcolor[rgb]{ .612,  0,  .024}{204} & \textcolor[rgb]{ .612,  0,  .024}{FLTR4} \
    FLTR6 & 6     & 44    & FLTR4 \
    \rowcolor[rgb]{ 1,  .78,  .808} \textcolor[rgb]{ .612,  0,  .024}{FLTR16} & \textcolor[rgb]{ .612,  0,  .024}{16} & \cellcolor[rgb]{ 1,  1,  1}43 & \cellcolor[rgb]{ 1,  1,  1}FLTR3 \
    FLTR4 & 44    & 6     & FLTR6 \bigstrut[b]\
    \hline
    %\bottomrule
    \end{tabularx}%
    %\end{tabular}
\end{table}
\end{document}

How to get the color to fill the cells without any gaps and at the same time use the toprule, midrule etc?

colortbl really doesn't want to colour the inter-column spaces produced by tabular* if you really want to stretch the table, you could look at newer packages such as nicematrix or tabularray that use different mechaisms to add the coloured panels. — David Carlisle, Oct 15 '22 at 16:52

Zarko · Accepted Answer · 2022-10-16T02:02:51.260

Use of @{\extracolsep{\fill}} insert extra spaces between columns which cannot be colored by \rowcolor{...} So, a way to use of tabularx is promising way, but in it you shouldn't use @{\extracolsep{\fill}}
At use of tabularx require that at least one column is type X
If all columns can have the same width, than code for your table usingtabularx can be:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[table]{xcolor}
\usepackage{tabularx}
\newcolumntype{C}{>{\centering\arraybackslash}X}
\begin{document}
\begin{table}[ht]
\centering
  \caption{Not too good looking table here.\label{tab:table1}}
  \footnotesize
    \begin{tabularx}{\textwidth}{CC|CC}
\hline
\multicolumn{2}{c|}{\textbf{Test1}} 
                    & \multicolumn{2}{c}{\textbf{Test2}}    \
Test11  & Test12    & Test13    & Test14                    \
    \hline
FLTR2   & 2         & 40        & FLTR0                     \
FLTR0   & 80        & 80        & FLTR0                     \
\rowcolor{red!30} 
\textcolor{purple}{FLTR0} 
        & \textcolor{purple}{160} 
                    &  \textcolor{purple}{204} 
                                & \textcolor{purple}{FLTR4} \
FLTR6   & 6         & 44        & FLTR4                     \
\rowcolor{red!30}
\textcolor{purple}{FLTR16} 
        & \textcolor{purple}{16} 
                    & \textcolor{purple}{43¸} 
                                & \textcolor{purple}{FLTR3} \
FLTR4   & 44        & 6         & FLTR6                     \
    \hline
    \end{tabularx}%
\end{table}
\end{document}

To my opinion this table has far to much empty spaces between columns contents. It will be nicer, if you are willing to reduce table width.

Edit: An example of narrower table with colored only some cells in the first and second column width use of tabularray and siunitx packages, MWE can be:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[table]{xcolor}
\usepackage{tabularray}
\UseTblrLibrary{booktabs, siunitx, varwidth}
\NewTableCommand\SCC[2]{\SetCell{bg=#1, fg=#2}}
\begin{document}
\begin{table}[ht]
\centering

\caption{Not too good looking table here.}
\label{tab:table1}
    \begin{tblr}{colspec={Q[l] Q[c, si={table-format=3.0}] |
                          Q[c, si={table-format=3.0}] Q[l] },
                 row{1} = {font=\bfseries, guard},
                 row{2} = {guard}
                 }
    \toprule
\SetCell[c=2]{c}    Test 1
        &           & \SetCell[c=2]{c}    Test 2

                                &                   \
Test11  & Test12    & Test13    & Test14            \
    \midrule
FLTR2   &   2       & 40        & FLTR0             \
FLTR0   &   80      & 80        & FLTR0             \
\SetRow{bg=red!20, fg=purple} 
FLTR0   &   160     &   204     &   FLTR4           \

FLTR6   &   6       &   44      &   FLTR4           \
\SCC{red!20}{purple}
FLTR16  & \SCC{red!20}{purple}
            16      &   43      &   FLTR3           \
FLTR4   &   44      &   6       & FLTR6             \
    \bottomrule
    \end{tblr}%
\end{table}
\end{document}

thanks for your solution, however, I am running to an error, ! Undefined control sequence. \l_tmpa_tl ->\SCC{red!20}{purple} ... — Joe, Oct 16 '22 at 01:36
@Joe, sory, at editing of answer I forgot add definition for \SCC. Now corrected. — Zarko, Oct 16 '22 at 01:59

js bibra · Answer 2 · 2022-10-15T17:49:40.067

maybe this helps--queries are welcome

MWE

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{nicematrix}
\usepackage{booktabs}
\usepackage{bigstrut}
\definecolor{LightGray}{gray}{0.9}
\begin{document}
\begin{NiceTabular}{c @{\extracolsep{\fill}} c|ccc}[colortbl-like]
    \toprule
\multicolumn{2}{c|}{\textbf{Test1}} &amp; \multicolumn{2}{c}{\textbf{Test2}} \bigstrut[t]\\
    Test11 &amp; Test12 &amp; Test13 &amp; Test14 \bigstrut[b]\\
    \midrule
    FLTR2 &amp; 2     &amp; 40    &amp; FLTR0 \bigstrut[t]\\
    FLTR0 &amp; 80    &amp; 80    &amp; FLTR0 \\
    \rowcolor[rgb]{ 1,  .78,  .808} \textcolor[rgb]{ .612,  0,  .024}{FLTR0} &amp; \textcolor[rgb]{ .612,  0,  .024}{160} &amp; \textcolor[rgb]{ .612,  0,  .024}{204} &amp; \textcolor[rgb]{ .612,  0,  .024}{FLTR4} \\
    FLTR6 &amp; 6     &amp; 44    &amp; FLTR4 \\
    \rowcolor[rgb]{ 1,  .78,  .808} \textcolor[rgb]{ .612,  0,  .024}{FLTR16} &amp; \textcolor[rgb]{ .612,  0,  .024}{16} &amp; \cellcolor[rgb]{ 1,  1,  1}43 &amp; \cellcolor[rgb]{ 1,  1,  1}FLTR3 \\
    FLTR4 &amp; 44    &amp; 6     &amp; FLTR6 \bigstrut[b]\\
    \bottomrule
\end{NiceTabular}


\end{document}

To expand the table over the entire text width--provide X columns similar of the columns of tabularx

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{nicematrix}
\usepackage{booktabs}
\usepackage{bigstrut}
\definecolor{LightGray}{gray}{0.9}
\begin{document}
\begin{NiceTabular}{c X[c]|c X[c]}[colortbl-like]
    \toprule
    \multicolumn{2}{c|}{\textbf{Test1}} &amp; \multicolumn{2}{c}{\textbf{Test2}} \bigstrut[t]\\
    Test11 &amp; Test12 &amp; Test13 &amp; Test14 \bigstrut[b]\\
    \midrule
    FLTR2 &amp; 2     &amp; 40    &amp; FLTR0 \bigstrut[t]\\
    FLTR0 &amp; 80    &amp; 80    &amp; FLTR0 \\
    \rowcolor[rgb]{ 1,  .78,  .808} \textcolor[rgb]{ .612,  0,  .024}{FLTR0} &amp; \textcolor[rgb]{ .612,  0,  .024}{160} &amp; \textcolor[rgb]{ .612,  0,  .024}{204} &amp; \textcolor[rgb]{ .612,  0,  .024}{FLTR4} \\
    FLTR6 &amp; 6     &amp; 44    &amp; FLTR4 \\
    \rowcolor[rgb]{ 1,  .78,  .808} \textcolor[rgb]{ .612,  0,  .024}{FLTR16} &amp; \textcolor[rgb]{ .612,  0,  .024}{16} &amp; \cellcolor[rgb]{ 1,  1,  1}43 &amp; \cellcolor[rgb]{ 1,  1,  1}FLTR3 \\
    FLTR4 &amp; 44    &amp; 6     &amp; FLTR6 \bigstrut[b]\\
    \bottomrule
\end{NiceTabular}


\end{document}

score 3 · Answer 3 · answered Oct 15 '22 at 20:49

By replacing {tabular*} by {NiceTabular*} of nicematrix with the key colortbl-like, here is what you obtain:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{float}
\usepackage{xcolor}
\usepackage{nicematrix}
\usepackage{bigstrut}
\definecolor{LightGray}{gray}{0.9}
\begin{document}
\begin{table}[H]
\centering
  \caption{Not too good looking table here.\label{tab:table1}}
  \footnotesize
% Table generated by Excel2LaTeX from sheet 'Sheet2'
    \begin{NiceTabular}{\textwidth}{c @{\extracolsep{\fill}} c|ccc}[colortbl-like]
    %\begin{tabular}{cc|cc}
    %\toprule
    \hline
    \multicolumn{2}{c|}{\textbf{Test1}} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{\textbf{Test2}} \bigstrut[t]\
   Test11 & Test12 & Test13 & Test14 \bigstrut[b]\
   %\midrule
    \hline
    FLTR2 & 2     & 40    & FLTR0 \bigstrut[t]\
    FLTR0 & 80    & 80    & FLTR0 \
    \rowcolor[rgb]{ 1,  .78,  .808} \textcolor[rgb]{ .612,  0,  .024}{FLTR0} & \textcolor[rgb]{ .612,  0,  .024}{160} & \textcolor[rgb]{ .612,  0,  .024}{204} & \textcolor[rgb]{ .612,  0,  .024}{FLTR4} \
    FLTR6 & 6     & 44    & FLTR4 \
    \rowcolor[rgb]{ 1,  .78,  .808} \textcolor[rgb]{ .612,  0,  .024}{FLTR16} & \textcolor[rgb]{ .612,  0,  .024}{16} & \cellcolor[rgb]{ 1,  1,  1}43 & \cellcolor[rgb]{ 1,  1,  1}FLTR3 \
    FLTR4 & 44    & 6     & FLTR6 \bigstrut[b]\
    \hline
    %\bottomrule
    \end{NiceTabular}%
    %\end{tabular}
\end{table}
\end{document}

Remark that the preamble of your tabular announces 5 columns but you have used only 4.

Fill partial tabular* row with color

3 Answers3