The syntax for creating tables in Markdown is simple and easy to read. However, writing them can be a bit more cumbersome (at the end of the article, I recommend some tools).
You simply use dashes (-) to define the headers of the columns and vertical bars (|) to separate the columns.
Let’s look at a basic example of a table in Markdown:
| Header 1 | Header 2 | Header 3 |
|--------------|--------------|--------------|
| Data 1 | Data 2 | Data 3 |
| Data 4 | Data 5 | Data 6 |This code renders as:
| Header 1 | Header 2 | Header 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Data 1 | Data 2 | Data 3 |
| Data 4 | Data 5 | Data 6 |
Components of a Table in Markdown
- Column Headers: The first row of the table, which defines the names of the columns. They are separated by vertical bars (
|) and underlined with dashes (-). - Column Separators: The dashes (
-) below the headers indicate the start of the data rows. - Data Rows: Each data row follows the same format of separation by vertical bars (
|).
Tables in Markdown are much more limited than in other languages, like HTML. For example, it is not possible to create a table without a header, or to create merged cells.
Column Alignment
Markdown allows you to align text within the columns to the left, right, or center. This is achieved by using colons (:) in the column separators.
- Left alignment: Use
:---. - Right alignment: Use
---:. - Center alignment: Use
:---:.
Example of alignment:
| Left | Center | Right |
|:------------ |:------------:| ------------:|
| Data 1 | Data 2 | Data 3 |
| Data 4 | Data 5 | Data 6 |This renders as:
| Left | Center | Right |
|---|---|---|
| Data 1 | Data 2 | Data 3 |
| Data 4 | Data 5 | Data 6 |
Tools for Creating Tables in Markdown
Although it is possible to create tables manually, it’s a bit of a hassle to create tables if your editor doesn’t help you out a bit (for example, by automatically indenting the table).
Fortunately, there are several tools and editors that make this process easier:
- Markdown Table Generator: Online tools like TablesGenerator will help you create and customize tables visually.
- Text editor plugins: Editors like Visual Studio Code and Obsidian have extensions that help format tables in Markdown, and even copy from or to a spreadsheet.
Best Practices Tips
Simplicity: Keep tables simple and easy to read. That’s the only advice I can give you. Don’t make a giant, unreadable table.