Difference between revisions for Playground / Table Markup Guide
As of 6.2, Wacko introduces a flexible markup for data tables. Any kind of tables allowed by HTML5 can be created using this markup, from the most basic examples (e.g. simple rows of cells) to complex tables with full support for accessibility options.
Table basics
Cells
The most basic element of a table is a cell. Single cells can be created using the standard delimiter
||, e.g.:#| ||Hello|| |#
| Hello |
Note that a cell must always be open and closed by delimiters.
Rows
Rows can be created by adding on the same line multiple cells:
#| || Cell 1 | Cell 2 | Cell 3 || |#
| Cell 1 | Cell 2 | Cell 3 |
Columns
Columns can be created by adding rows on separate lines:
#| || Cell 1 || || Cell 2 || || Cell 3 || |#
| Cell 1 |
| Cell 2 |
| Cell 3 |
By now you should be able to create simple tables with multiple rows and columns.
#| || Cell 1 | Cell 2 | Cell 3 || || Cell 4 | Cell 5 | Cell 6 || || Cell 7 | Cell 8 | Cell 9 || |#
| Cell 1 | Cell 2 | Cell 3 |
| Cell 4 | Cell 5 | Cell 6 |
| Cell 7 | Cell 8 | Cell 9 |
Headings
As soon as you create slightly more complex data tables, you will need to specify column and row headings. Headings are special cells that specify what kind of data rows and columns contain. The most basic way of creating a heading is by using*| or ^| as a delimiter.The following is an example of a simple table with column headings, they must be terminated at the end of the row with the
|* :#| *| Apples | Pears |* || 300Kg | 480Kg || |#
| Apples | Pears |
|---|---|
| 300Kg | 480Kg |
Row headings are created in the same way. Since they are usually followed by normal cells, they must be terminated with the
| standard delimiter if the next element in the row is a simple cell:#| ^| Apples | 300Kg || ^| Pears | 480Kg || |#
| Apples | 300Kg |
|---|---|
| Pears | 480Kg |
You should be able by now to create simple tables with row and column headings:
#| *| | Apples | Pears |* ^| Mary | 300Kg | 320Kg || ^| John | 400Kg | 630Kg || |#
| Apples | Pears | |
|---|---|---|
| Mary | 300Kg | 320Kg |
| John | 400Kg | 630Kg |
We will describe later how to add accessibility parameters for row and column headings.
Captions
Usually tables are introduced with a caption that describes what the table contains. A caption element is introduced with a
?| delimiter and terminated with a delimiter |?.#| ?| Fruit production in 2026 |? *| | Apples | Pears |* ^| Mary | 300Kg | 320Kg || ^| John | 400Kg | 630Kg || |#
| Apples | Pears | |
|---|---|---|
| Mary | 300Kg | 320Kg |
| John | 400Kg | 630Kg |
===Cell Spans=== **Cell spans** are used to combine multiple cells or multiple headings vertically or horizontally and are created using the following attribute parameters:
||(''span <!markup:1:begin>options'')Element content||<!A cell spanning multiple columns is generated by prefixing the cell content with a
(x=''n'')(colspan=''n'') parameter, where ''n'' is the number of columns to be spanned. The following example shows how to create a cell spanning two columns:
#| <!--markup:1:begin-->||(x=2)<!--markup:1:end--> <!--markup:2:begin-->||(colspan=2)<!--markup:2:end--> Cell spanning 2 columns | Cell 3 || || Cell 4 | Cell 5 | Cell 6 || || Cell 7 | Cell 8 | Cell 9 || |#
| # Spans can also be applied to rows. A cell spanning multiple rows is generated by prefixing the cell content with a (y=''n'')(rowspan=''n'') parameter, where ''n'' is the number of rows to be spanned. The following example shows how to create a cell spanning two rows:
#| <!--markup:1:begin-->||(y=2)<!--markup:1:end--> <!--markup:2:begin-->||(rowspan=2)<!--markup:2:end--> Cell spanning 2 rows | Cell 2 | Cell 3 || || Cell 5 | Cell 6 || || Cell 7 | Cell 8 | Cell 9 || |# # |
<! |
|
| Cell 5 | Cell 6 | |
| Cell 7 | Cell 8 | Cell 9 |
Note that you must account for cells that are "pushed down" when using row spans:
#| *| | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri |* || 8-9 | <!--markup:1:begin-->|(y=9)<!--markup:1:end--> <!--markup:2:begin-->|(rowspan=9)<!--markup:2:end--> Outreach | <!--markup:1:begin-->|(y=9)<!--markup:1:end--> <!--markup:2:begin-->|(rowspan=9)<!--markup:2:end--> Outreach | || || 9-10 | | | || <-- reduced by two columns || 10-11 | | | || || 11-12 | | | || || 12-13 | | | || || 13-14 | | | || || 14-15 <!--markup:1:begin-->|(y=3)<!--markup:1:end--> <!--markup:2:begin-->|(rowspan=3)<!--markup:2:end--> CSCI 102 | CSCI 101 | CSCI 101 || || 15-16 | | || <-- reduced by one column || 16-17 | | || |#
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8-9 | <! |
<! |
<! |
<! |
<! |
<! |
|
| 9-10 | |||||||
| 10-11 | |||||||
| 11-12 | |||||||
| 12-13 | |||||||
| 13-14 | |||||||
| 14-15 <! |
<! |
<! |
CSCI 101 | CSCI 101 | |||
| 15-16 | |||||||
| 16-17 |
Spans are particularly useful to create subheadings:
#| ?| Fruit production in the last two years |? *| <!--markup:1:begin-->|(x=2)<!--markup:1:end--> <!--markup:2:begin-->|(colspan=2)<!--markup:2:end--> Apples <!--markup:1:begin-->|(x=2)<!--markup:1:end--> <!--markup:2:begin-->|(colspan=2)<!--markup:2:end--> Pears |* *| | 2025 | 2026 | 2025 | 2026 |* ^| Mary | 300Kg | 320Kg | 400kg | 280Kg || ^| John | 400Kg | 630Kg | 210Kg | 300Kg || |#
| <! |
<! |
<! |
<! |
<! |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2026 | 2025 | 2026 | |||
| Mary | 300Kg | 320Kg | 400kg | 280Kg | ||
| John | 400Kg | 630Kg | 210Kg | 300Kg | ||
Column and row spans can be combined to created funky table layouts:
#| <!--markup:1:begin-->||(x=2;y=2)<!--markup:1:end--> <!--markup:2:begin-->||(colspan=2 rowspan=2)<!--markup:2:end--> 2x2 <!--markup:1:begin-->|(x=2)<!--markup:1:end--> <!--markup:2:begin-->|(colspan=2)<!--markup:2:end--> 2x1 <!--markup:1:begin-->|(y=2)<!--markup:1:end--> <!--markup:2:begin-->|(rowspan=2)<!--markup:2:end--> 1x2 || <!--markup:1:begin-->||(y=2)<!--markup:1:end--> <!--markup:2:begin-->||(rowspan=2)<!--markup:2:end--> 1x2 | 1x1 || || 1x1 | 1x1 <!--markup:1:begin-->|(x=2)<!--markup:1:end--> <!--markup:2:begin-->|(colspan=2)<!--markup:2:end--> 2x1 || |#
| <! |
|||||||||||||
#Formatting <!<! |
? | Using text formatting within tables | ? |
||||||||||
| # ===Actions and Simple, content-generating actions (including images) can be added within table cells and headings.
#|
?| Using actions within tables |?
|| {{tagcloud}} ||
|| file:/wacko_logo.png ||
|| !!some colored text!! ||
|#
# |
? | Using actions within tables | ? |
||||||||||
| # ===Links=== All the available options to create links can be used within table cells or headings: #| ?| Adding links within tables |? || Camelcase links: | SandBox || || Escaped camelcase links: | ~SandBox escaped || || Forced links: | [[/HomePage main]] || || Interwiki links: | Wikipedia:Unicode || || Forced interwiki links: | [[Wikipedia:Unicode Unicode article on Wikipedia]] || || External links: | http://www.example.com || || Forced external links: | [[http://www.example.com Example.com]] || || Image links: | <!--markup:1:begin-->file:/Przewalski-horses.jpg?600<!--markup:1:end--> <!--markup:2:begin-->file:/IMG_20250615_134454_135-min.jpg?600<!--markup:2:end--> || |# # |
? | Adding links within tables | ? |
||||||||||
| # ===HTML=== You can also use embedded HTML in table elements: #| ?| Embedding HTML within tables |? || Here's some superscript: a^^2+1^^ || || And here's some subscript too: <!--markup:1:begin-->avv2kvv<!--markup:1:end--> <!--markup:2:begin-->a,,2k,,<!--markup:2:end--> || || I love acronyms: (?WYTIWYG What You Think Is What You Get?) || |# # |
? | Embedding HTML within tables | ? |
||||||||||
| # ===Styling=== The table markup introduces a new style selector. CSS style options can be added to any element by enclosing them within single braces, right before the element content, e.g.: ||{''style <!<!For example, to render a cell with red background and white text color, you can do the following:
#|
||{background-color:red; color:white} Hello ||
|#
# |
|||||||||||||
| # You can play with font size and text alignment:
#|
?| Adding some more style |?
||{font-size:190%; text-align:right} Please scale me! ||
||{font-size:170%; text-align:right} Please scale me! ||
||{font-size:150%; text-align:right} Please scale me! ||
||{font-size:130%; text-align:right} Please scale me! ||
||{font-size:110%; text-align:right} Please scale me! ||
||{font-size:90%; text-align:right} Please scale me! ||
||{font-size:70%; text-align:right} Please scale me! ||
|#
# |
? | Adding some more style | ? |
||||||||||
| # You can also apply style to headings and captions:
#|
?|{border:1px dotted red; color:red}Style can be applied anywhere|?
*|{color:#000; font-size:150%; font-style:italic; font-family:Georgia, Hoefler Text, Georgia, serif; font-weight:normal; line-height:150%}Emphemeral Quibus|*
||Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Duis auctor auctor pede.||
|#
# |
? | {border:1px dotted red; color:red}Style can be applied anywhere | ? * |
{color:#000; font-size:150%; font-style:italic; font-family:Georgia, Hoefler Text, Georgia, serif; font-weight:normal; line-height:150%}Emphemeral Quibus | * |
||||||||
| # Please note that style parameters should always follow attribute parameters, when both are specified for an element (see the table markup reference):
#|
<!--markup:1:begin-->?|Give priority|?
||(x=2;y=2){background-color:pink}2x2|(x=2){background-color:lightblue}2x1|(y=2){background-color:lightyellow}1x2||
||(y=2){background-color:lightyellow}1x2|{background-color:#333;color:white}1x1||
||{background-color:lightblue}1x1|{background-color:#333;color:white}1x1|(x=2){background-color:pink}2x1||<!--markup:1:end-->
<!--markup:2:begin-->?| Give priority |?
||(colspan=2 rowspan=2 bgcolor=pink) 2x2 |(colspan=2 bgcolor=lightblue) 2x1 |(rowspan=2 bgcolor=lightyellow) 1x2 ||
||(rowspan=2 bgcolor=lightyellow) 1x2 |(bgcolor=darkslategray) !!(white)1x1!! ||
||(bgcolor=lightblue) 1x1 |(bgcolor=darkslategray) !!(white)1x1!! |(colspan=2 bgcolor=pink) 2x1 ||<!--markup:2:end-->
|#
# |
<! |
Give priority | ? |
||||||||||
| <! <! |
Give priority | ? |
|||||||||||
| <! |
#Adding style through classesYou can apply existing classes from your stylesheet to any element using the class parameter (c:''class''). Note that custom style declarations specified through braced markup override class attributes.The following example applies to table cells two class selectors defined in the stylesheet. The third row shows how to override a class selector with custom style attributes:
#|
?|Using class selectors to add style to table elements||
||(c:highlight)This cell uses the ##.highlight## class||
||(c:smaller)This cell uses the ##.smaller## class||
||(c:smaller){font-size:150%}This cell uses the ##.smaller## class overridden by custom style settings||
|#
# |
? | Using class selectors to add style to table elements | ? |
|||||||||
#Global table attributesTable-level attributes can be specified by adding at the beginning of the table the following element: !| |!, which is used as a container for global table attributes. For example, you can specify global style options for a table by adding them to this element:
#|
!|{border:3px solid blue; background-color: black; color: white; width: 300px; text-align: center}|!
||Cell 1||
||Cell 2||
||Cell 3||
|#
# |
! | {border:3px solid blue; background-color: black; color: white; width: 300px; text-align: center} | ! |
||||||||||
#Referring to elements: the
|
! | (i:main_table) | ! ? |
Using id to refer to table elements | ? <! |
||||||||
| <! |
|||||||||||||
#Accessibility options====Table <!--markup:1:begin-->====Adding titles====Any table element can be given a title attribute to enhance its accessibility. Titles are typically displayed in graphical browsers by hovering over the corresponding element and are useful to display unobtrusive descriptions about specific elements. You can specify a title for any table element by using the (t=''title'') parameter.The following example adds titles to several table elements (you can hover over the table to display them):
#|
!|(t="Comparative figures for fruit production in the last year"){width: 350px}|!
?|Fruit production in 2026|?
*| |(t="yearly production of apples")Apples|(t="yearly production of pears")Pears|*
^|(t="Mary's contribution to 2026 production")Mary|(t="Mary's production of apples in 2026"){text-align:center}300Kg|(t="Mary's production of pears in 2026"){text-align:center}320Kg||
^|(t="John's contribution to 2026 production")John|(t="John's production of apples in 2026"){text-align:center}400Kg|(t="John's production of pears in 2026"){text-align:center}630Kg||
|#
# |
! | {width: 350px} | ! ? |
Fruit production in 2026 | ? * |
Apples | Pears | * |
Mary | {text-align:center}300Kg | {text-align:center}320Kg | ||
| John | {text-align:center}400Kg | {text-align:center}630Kg |
|---|
Rows in a table can be grouped in a table head, table body and table foot. This division enables browsers to support scrolling of table bodies independently of the table head and foot. When long tables are printed, the table head and foot information may be repeated on each page that contains table data. The table head and table foot should contain information about the table's columns. The table body should contain rows of table data.
Wikka allows you to create groups of rows with special markers:
- The
|[|marker groups the rows it precedes as a table head block; - The
|]|marker groups the rows it precedes as a table foot block; - The
|#|marker groups the rows it precedes as a table body;
The following example shows how to use these elements to create row groups. Note that Wikka uses different backgrounds to differentiate column headings in the table head and foot from row headings in the table body:
#|
!|{width: 400px}|!
?|Here's how you can group rows|?
|[|
*|Name|Place|Telephone|*
|]|
*|Name|Place|Telephone|*
|#|
^|John Smith|New York|555-1234||
^|Jane Smith|Los Angeles|555-2345||
^|John Doe|Unknown|Unknown||
^|Jane Doe|Unknown|Unknown||
|#
| Name | Place | Telephone |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Place | Telephone |
^|Jane Smith|Los Angeles|555-2345||
^|John Doe|Unknown|Unknown||
^|Jane Doe|Unknown|Unknown||
|#
Heading scope
To be semantically correct and accessible to users with non-visual browsers, headings should contain scope attributes describing the cell range they refer to.
- Column heading scopes can be specified using the
(o=col)(scope=col)parameter in the corresponding column heading; - Row heading scopes can be specified using the
(o=row)(scope=row)parameter in the corresponding row heading;
The following example shows how to correctly add column and row scopes to a table to make it accessible:
#| ?|Table <!--markup:1:begin-->!|(u:The number of employees and the foundation year of some imaginary companies.)|!<!--markup:1:end--> 1: Company data|| |[| *| <!--markup:1:begin-->|(o=col)Employees|(o=col)Founded|<!--markup:1:end--> <!--markup:2:begin-->|(scope=col)Employees|(scope=col)Founded|<!--markup:2:end-->* |#| <!--markup:1:begin-->^|(o=row)ACME<!--markup:1:end--> <!--markup:2:begin-->^|(scope=row)ACME<!--markup:2:end--> Inc|1000|1947|| <!--markup:1:begin-->^|(o=row)XYZ<!--markup:1:end--> <!--markup:2:begin-->^|(scope=row)XYZ<!--markup:2:end--> Corp|2000|1973|| |#