Tables

Create structured data tables using GitHub Flavored Markdown table syntax.

Basic Tables

Create tables using pipes | and hyphens -:

| Header 1 | Header 2 | Header 3 |
|----------|----------|----------|
| Cell 1   | Cell 2   | Cell 3   |
| Cell 4   | Cell 5   | Cell 6   |

Column Alignment

Control text alignment using colons in the header separator:

| Left Aligned | Center Aligned | Right Aligned |
|:-------------|:--------------:|--------------:|
| Left         | Center         | Right         |
| Text         | Text           | Text          |

Alignment Examples

• Left: :--- or ---
• Center: :---:
• Right: ---:

Minimal Syntax

You can omit outer pipes and use minimal spacing:

Header 1 | Header 2 | Header 3
---------|----------|----------
Cell 1   | Cell 2   | Cell 3
Cell 4   | Cell 5   | Cell 6

Tables with Formatting

Use inline formatting inside table cells:

| Feature       | Status | Notes                    |
|---------------|:------:|--------------------------|
| **Bold**      | ✅     | Works perfectly          |
| *Italic*      | ✅     | Also works               |
| `Code`        | ✅     | Inline code supported    |
| ~~Strike~~    | ✅     | Strikethrough available  |

Tables with Links

Include links in table cells:

| Resource      | Link                                    |
|---------------|-----------------------------------------|
| Documentation | [Docs](https://docs.mdedit.ai)         |
| GitHub        | [Repository](https://github.com/mdedit) |

Complex Tables

Create tables with various content types:

| Name    | Age | Occupation      | Status |
|---------|:---:|-----------------|:------:|
| Alice   | 30  | **Engineer**    | ✅     |
| Bob     | 25  | *Designer*      | 🔄     |
| Charlie | 35  | `Developer`     | ❌     |

Empty Cells

Leave cells empty by using pipes without content:

| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|----------|----------|----------|
| Data 1   |          | Data 3   |
|          | Data 2   |          |

Tables with Long Content

Tables automatically handle overflow with horizontal scrolling:

| Short | Medium Length | Very Long Content That May Require Scrolling |
|-------|---------------|----------------------------------------------|
| A     | Some text     | This is a very long cell with lots of content that might overflow the table width |

Escaping Pipe Characters

Use backslash to escape pipes in cell content:

| Code Example          | Description      |
|-----------------------|------------------|
| `if (x \| y)`         | Bitwise OR       |
| `a \|\| b`            | Logical OR       |

Converting to Markdown Tables

MD Editor provides tools to convert other formats to markdown tables:

• CSV to Markdown Table: Convert CSV data to tables
• JSON to Markdown Table: Transform JSON into table format
• HTML to Markdown Table: Convert HTML tables to markdown

See the Tools section for more information.

Tips for Better Tables

1. Keep it simple: Don't overcomplicate tables with too many columns
2. Use alignment: Align numbers right, text left for better readability
3. Add headers: Always include descriptive headers
4. Consider alternatives: For complex data, consider using charts or diagrams
5. Test overflow: Check how tables look on different screen sizes

Limitations

• Tables cannot contain line breaks within cells
• Nested tables are not supported
• Some complex HTML table features are not available

For more complex table needs, consider using HTML tables directly or creating visualizations with Mermaid diagrams.

Visual Table Editor in MD Editor

MD Editor provides a powerful visual table editor that makes creating and editing tables much easier than working with raw markdown syntax.

Creating Tables Visually

Instead of manually typing table syntax with pipes and hyphens, you can:

1. Use the table insertion tool in the toolbar to create a new table
2. Specify the number of rows and columns you need
3. Fill in the content using a visual interface

Editing Existing Tables

When you select an existing table in your markdown document:

1. A context menu appears with table editing options
2. Add or remove rows and columns with a click
3. Adjust column alignment visually
4. Reorder rows by dragging
5. Access the visual editor via the three-dots menu

The visual table editor handles all the markdown syntax for you, ensuring proper formatting and alignment. This is especially helpful for large tables or when you need to frequently update table data.