Long Table with Long Caption

Question

I have a long table with many rows and columns over many pages. Due to my longness of caption, I cannot see the overall table content properly. When I try my code with a shorter caption, table seems fine. Is there a way to overcome? Any help is appreciated. I am also open to alternative, simple long table templates.

\begin{longtable}
{|l|l|l|l|c|l|l|l|c|c|c|} 
\hline
\textbf{n} &\textbf{$M$} &\textbf{$A_s$} &\textbf{$A_d$} &\textbf{Space} &\textbf{$D_m$} &\textbf{$D_s$} &\textbf{$D_d$} &\textbf{Delay} &\textbf{Space x Delay} &\textbf{Algorithm} \\
\hline
\endfirsthead
\multicolumn{11}{c}%
{\textit{ Continued from previous page} } \\
\hline
\textbf{n} &\textbf{$M$} &\textbf{$A_s$} &\textbf{$A_d$} &\textbf{Space} &\textbf{$D_m$} &\textbf{$D_s$} &\textbf{$D_d$} &\textbf{Delay} &\textbf{Space x Delay} &\textbf{Algorithm} \\
\hline
\endhead
\hline \multicolumn{11}{c}{\tablename\ \thetable \text{: }{Polynomial Multiplication Delay Optimization Result \protect(No Padding, $M=A_s=A_d$, $D_m=D_s=D_d$)}} \\
\endfoot
\hline
\caption{Polynomial Multiplication Delay Optimization Result (No Padding, $M=A_s=A_d$, $D_m=D_s=D_d$)}
\endlastfoot
\label{Table:Polynomial Multiplication-1}
1&1&0&0&1&1&0&0&1&1&Initial Condition\\
2&4&0&1&5&1&2&0&3&15&SB\\
\end{longtable}

Answer 1

• I would rather use xltabular package instead of longtable. It prescribe table width (for example to be equal to \textwidth)
• For both caption I would use \caption command (see MWE below)
• It is quite unusual to insert caption at bottom of table, this require some trick for make space for intermediate captions and more important, at use of the xltabular package, complicate caption numbering.

MWE:

\documentclass{article}
%\usepackage{geometry}
\usepackage{makecell, xltabular}
\renewcommand\theadfont{\bfseries}
\usepackage[font=small, labelfont=bf]{caption}
%---------------- Show page layout. Don't use in a real document!
\usepackage{showframe}
\renewcommand\ShowFrameLinethickness{0.15pt}
\renewcommand*\ShowFrameColor{\color{red}}
%---------------------------------------------------------------%
\usepackage{lipsum}
\begin{document}
\listoftables
\section{Long table}
\lipsum[1-3]
\begingroup
    \small
    \setlength\tabcolsep{4pt}
    \addtocounter{table}{1}
\begin{xltabular}{\textwidth}{|r|l|l|l|c|l|l|l|c|c|>{\centering\arraybackslash}X|}
    \hline
\thead{n} & \thead{$M$}     & \thead{$A_s$} & \thead{$A_d$}
          & \thead{Space}   & \thead{$D_m$} & \thead{$D_s$}
          & \thead{$D_d$}   & \thead{Delay} & \thead{Space x\ Delay}
          & \thead{Algorithm}   \
    \hline
\endfirsthead
    \multicolumn{11}{c}%
    {\textit{ Continued from previous page} } \
    \hline
\thead{n} & \thead{$M$}     & \thead{$A_s$} & \thead{$A_d$}
          & \thead{Space}   & \thead{$D_m$} & \thead{$D_s$}
          & \thead{$D_d$}   & \thead{Delay} & \thead{Space x\ Delay}
          & \thead{Algorithm}   \
    \hline
\endhead
    \hline
    \multicolumn{11}{c}{}\[-3ex]
\caption[]{Polynomial Multiplication Delay Optimization Result (No Padding, $M=A_s=A_d$, $D_m=D_s=D_d$)}
    \smallskip
    \addtocounter{table}{-1}
\endfoot
    \hline
    \multicolumn{11}{c}{}\[-3ex]
\caption[Polynomial Multiplication Delay Optimization Result]
        {Polynomial Multiplication Delay Optimization Result (No Padding, $M=A_s=A_d$, $D_m=D_s=D_d$)}
    \endlastfoot
\label{Table:Polynomial Multiplication-1}
%
1 & 1 & 0 & 0 & 1 & 1 & 0 & 0 & 1 & 1  & Initial Condition\
2 & 4 & 0 & 1 & 5 & 1 & 2 & 0 & 3 & 15 & SB\
3 & 1 & 0 & 0 & 1 & 1 & 0 & 0 & 1 & 1  & Initial Condition\
4 & 4 & 0 & 1 & 5 & 1 & 2 & 0 & 3 & 15 & SB\
5 & 1 & 0 & 0 & 1 & 1 & 0 & 0 & 1 & 1  & Initial Condition\
6 & 4 & 0 & 1 & 5 & 1 & 2 & 0 & 3 & 15 & SB\
7 & 1 & 0 & 0 & 1 & 1 & 0 & 0 & 1 & 1  & Initial Condition\
8 & 4 & 0 & 1 & 5 & 1 & 2 & 0 & 3 & 15 & SB\
9 & 1 & 0 & 0 & 1 & 1 & 0 & 0 & 1 & 1  & Initial Condition\
10 & 4 & 0 & 1 & 5 & 1 & 2 & 0 & 3 & 15 & SB\
11 & 1 & 0 & 0 & 1 & 1 & 0 & 0 & 1 & 1  & Initial Condition\
12 & 4 & 0 & 1 & 5 & 1 & 2 & 0 & 3 & 15 & SB\
\end{xltabular}
\endgroup
\end{document}

(red lines indicate page layout)

Addendum (Off-topic):

I would design your table on more usual and "professional" way:

• captions on the top of table
• notes for continuation of table at table bottoms
• for numbers use siunitx package
• removed vertical lines

For table I should use tabularray table with its library siunitx (it load siunitx package). It require just one compilation for final form of table.

\documentclass{article}
%\usepackage{geometry}
%---------------- Show page layout. Don't use in a real document!
\usepackage{showframe}
\renewcommand\ShowFrameLinethickness{0.15pt}
\renewcommand*\ShowFrameColor{\color{red}}
%---------------------------------------------------------------%
\usepackage{lipsum}
\usepackage{tabularray}
\UseTblrLibrary{siunitx}
  \ExplSyntaxOn
\NewChildSelector{eachtwo}
  {
    \int_step_inline:nnnn {2}{2}{\l_tblr_childs_total_tl}
      { \clist_put_right:Nn \l_tblr_childs_clist {##1} }
  }
\ExplSyntaxOff
\begin{document}
\listoftables
\section{Long table}
\lipsum[1-3]
    %\small
    \SetTblrStyle{contfoot-text}{font=\small\itshape, gray3}
    \SetTblrStyle{caption-text}{font=\small}
    \SetTblrStyle{caption-tag}{font=\small\bfseries}
\begin{longtblr}[
caption = {Polynomial Multiplication Delay Optimization Result (No Padding,\ $M=A_s=A_d$, $D_m=D_s=D_d$)},
  entry = {Polynomial Multiplication Delay Optimization Result},
  label = {tab:tblr}
                ]{rowhead = 1,
                 colsep=5pt,
                 colspec={@{} Q[c, si={table-format=2.0}] 
                          *{8}{c}
                          X[c, si={table-format=2.0}]

                          X[2,j]
                          @{} },
                 hline{1,Z} = 1pt, hline{2}=0.6pt,
                 row{1} = {mode=math},
                 row{2-Y} = {rowsep=-0.5pt},
                 row{eachtwo} = {abovesep=1ex},
                 } 
% column headers

n   & M     & A_s   & A_d 
    & \SetCell[c=1]{mode=text} Space

    & D_m   & D_s   & D_d 
    & \SetCell[c=1]{mode=text} Delay

    & \SetCell[c=1]{m,mode=text} {{{Space x Delay}}} 
    & \SetCell[c=1]{c,mode=text} Algorithm \
% table body
1 & 1 & 0 & 0 & 1 & 1 & 0 & 0 & 1 & 1  & Initial Condition\
2 & 4 & 0 & 1 & 5 & 1 & 2 & 0 & 3 & 15 & SB\
3 & 1 & 0 & 0 & 1 & 1 & 0 & 0 & 1 & 1  & Initial Condition\
4 & 4 & 0 & 1 & 5 & 1 & 2 & 0 & 3 & 15 & SB\
5 & 1 & 0 & 0 & 1 & 1 & 0 & 0 & 1 & 1  & Initial Condition\
6 & 4 & 0 & 1 & 5 & 1 & 2 & 0 & 3 & 15 & SB\
7 & 1 & 0 & 0 & 1 & 1 & 0 & 0 & 1 & 1  & Initial Condition\
8 & 4 & 0 & 1 & 5 & 1 & 2 & 0 & 3 & 15 & SB\
9 & 1 & 0 & 0 & 1 & 1 & 0 & 0 & 1 & 1  & Initial Condition\
10& 4 & 0 & 1 & 5 & 1 & 2 & 0 & 3 & 15 & SB\
11& 1 & 0 & 0 & 1 & 1 & 0 & 0 & 1 & 1  & Initial Condition\
12& 4 & 0 & 1 & 5 & 1 & 2 & 0 & 3 & 15 & SB\
\end{longtblr}
\end{document}