Latex Tables

LaTeX Tables with tabularray

Self-Evolving Skill: This skill improves through use. If instructions are wrong, parameters drifted, or a workaround was needed — fix this file immediately, don't defer. Only update for real, reproducible issues.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:

• Creating tables with fixed-width columns
• Formatting complex table layouts
• Need precise column alignment
• Migrating from tabular/tabularx/longtable/booktabs
• Troubleshooting table overflow issues

Quick Reference

Why tabularray?

Modern LaTeX3 package (replaces old solutions):

• Fixed-width columns with proper alignment
• Clean, consistent syntax
• Replaces: tabular, tabularx, longtable, booktabs
• Better performance than legacy packages
• Part of TeX Live 2025

---

Installation

# Check if installed
kpsewhich tabularray.sty

# If not found, install:
sudo tlmgr install tabularray

Basic Usage

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{tabularray}  % Modern table package

\begin{document}
% Simple table
\begin{tblr}{colspec={ccc}, hlines, vlines}
  Header 1 & Header 2 & Header 3 \\
  Data 1   & Data 2   & Data 3   \\
\end{tblr}
\end{document}

---

Quick Reference Card

% Minimal table
\begin{tblr}{colspec={ccc}}
  A & B & C \\
\end{tblr}

% With all lines
\begin{tblr}{colspec={ccc}, hlines, vlines}
  A & B & C \\
\end{tblr}

% Fixed widths
\begin{tblr}{colspec={Q[2cm] Q[3cm] Q[2cm]}, hlines}
  A & B & C \\
\end{tblr}

% Bold header
\begin{tblr}{
  colspec={ccc},
  row{1}={font=\bfseries}
}
  Header & Header & Header \\
  Data   & Data   & Data   \\
\end{tblr}

---

Best Practices

1. Use Q[width] for fixed columns instead of p{width} 2. Specify widths explicitly when text might overflow 3. Use X for flexible columns that should expand 4. Style headers with row{1} instead of manual formatting 5. Use colspec for column properties, not inline commands 6. Check package version: kpsewhich tabularray.sty (should be recent)

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Reference Documentation

For detailed information, see:

• Table Patterns - 5 common table patterns with examples
• Column Specification - Alignment options and width control
• Lines and Borders - All lines, selective lines, thick lines
• Troubleshooting - Table too wide, text not wrapping, alignment issues
• Migration - Migrating from tabular and tabularx

Official Docs: Run texdoc tabularray for complete package documentation

See Also:

• Use latex/setup skill for installing tabularray package
• Use latex/build skill for compilation workflows

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Troubleshooting

Post-Execution Reflection

After this skill completes, check before closing:

1. Did the command succeed? — If not, fix the instruction or error table that caused the failure. 2. Did parameters or output change? — If the underlying tool's interface drifted, update Usage examples and Parameters table to match. 3. Was a workaround needed? — If you had to improvise (different flags, extra steps), update this SKILL.md so the next invocation doesn't need the same workaround.

Only update if the issue is real and reproducible — not speculative.

Skill: LaTeX Tables with tabularray

Column Specification (colspec)

Alignment Options

Examples

% 3 centered columns
colspec = {ccc}

% Left, center, right
colspec = {lcr}

% Fixed widths
colspec = {Q[2cm] Q[3cm] Q[1.5cm]}

% Mixed: fixed left, flexible middle, fixed right
colspec = {Q[2cm] X Q[2cm]}

% With alignment in fixed-width
colspec = {Q[2cm,l] Q[3cm,c] Q[2cm,r]}

Evolution Log

Convention: Reverse chronological order (newest on top, oldest at bottom). Prepend new entries.

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2026-02-26: Initial Evolution Log

Status: Skill is in use and maintained. Track improvements here.

Purpose

This evolution log tracks updates to the skill. Each entry should note:

• What changed (content, structure, tooling)
• Why it changed (bug fix, feature request, best practice)
• Files affected

How to Use

1. When updating SKILL.md or references, add an entry here with the date 2. Keep entries reverse-chronological (newest first) 3. Link to ADRs or GitHub issues when relevant 4. Reference specific line changes when helpful

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Skill: LaTeX Tables with tabularray

Lines and Borders

All Lines

\begin{tblr}{
  colspec = {ccc},
  hlines,              % All horizontal lines
  vlines               % All vertical lines
}

Selective Lines

\begin{tblr}{
  colspec = {ccc},
  hline{1,2,Z} = {solid},  % Top, after header, bottom
  vline{2} = {dashed}      % Dashed line after column 1
}

Thick Lines

\begin{tblr}{
  colspec = {ccc},
  hline{1,Z} = {2pt},     % Thick top/bottom
  hline{2} = {1pt}         % Thinner after header
}

Skill: LaTeX Tables with tabularray

Migration from Old Packages

From tabular

% Old:
\begin{tabular}{|c|c|c|}
  \hline
  A & B & C \\
  \hline
\end{tabular}

% New:
\begin{tblr}{
  colspec = {ccc},
  hlines, vlines
}
  A & B & C \\
\end{tblr}

From tabularx

% Old:
\begin{tabularx}{\textwidth}{|l|X|r|}
  \hline
  Left & Middle & Right \\
  \hline
\end{tabularx}

% New:
\begin{tblr}{
  width = \textwidth,
  colspec = {lXr},
  hlines
}
  Left & Middle & Right \\
\end{tblr}

Skill: LaTeX Tables with tabularray

Common Table Patterns

1. Simple Table with Lines

\begin{table}[h]
  \centering
  \begin{tblr}{
    colspec = {ccc},    % 3 centered columns
    hlines,              % Horizontal lines
    vlines               % Vertical lines
  }
    Header 1 & Header 2 & Header 3 \\
    Data 1   & Data 2   & Data 3   \\
    More 1   & More 2   & More 3   \\
  \end{tblr}
  \caption{My table}
\end{table}

2. Fixed-Width Columns

\begin{table}[h]
  \centering
  \begin{tblr}{
    colspec = {Q[2cm] Q[4cm] Q[2cm]},  % Fixed widths: 2cm, 4cm, 2cm
    hlines, vlines
  }
    Short & This is longer text that wraps & Data \\
    A     & More wrapping content here     & B    \\
  \end{tblr}
\end{table}

3. Mixed Column Types

\begin{tblr}{
  colspec = {l Q[3cm,c] r},  % Left, centered fixed-width, right
  hlines
}
  Left-aligned & Centered in 3cm & Right-aligned \\
  Text         & More text       & 123           \\
\end{tblr}

4. No Lines (Minimal Style)

\begin{tblr}{
  colspec = {lcc},
  row{1} = {font=\bfseries}  % Bold first row (header)
}
  Name     & Age & City    \\
  Alice    & 25  & Boston  \\
  Bob      & 30  & Seattle \\
\end{tblr}

5. Colored Rows/Columns

\usepackage{xcolor}

\begin{tblr}{
  colspec = {ccc},
  row{1} = {bg=blue!20},      % Light blue header
  row{even} = {bg=gray!10}    % Alternate row colors
}
  Header 1 & Header 2 & Header 3 \\
  Data 1   & Data 2   & Data 3   \\
  Data 4   & Data 5   & Data 6   \\
\end{tblr}

Skill: LaTeX Tables with tabularray

Common Issues

Issue: Table Too Wide

Solution 1: Fixed-width columns

% Instead of:
colspec = {ccc}

% Use fixed widths that fit:
colspec = {Q[2cm] Q[3cm] Q[2cm]}

Solution 2: Flexible columns

colspec = {XXX}  % All columns expand equally

Solution 3: Scale table

\usepackage{graphicx}

\begin{table}[h]
  \resizebox{\textwidth}{!}{%
    \begin{tblr}{...}
      % table content
    \end{tblr}
  }
\end{table}

Issue: Text Not Wrapping

Problem: Using c or l or r doesn't wrap

Solution: Use Q[width] for wrapping

% ❌ Won't wrap:
colspec = {ccc}

% ✅ Will wrap:
colspec = {Q[3cm] Q[4cm] Q[3cm]}

Issue: Alignment in Fixed-Width Column

% Left-aligned in fixed width
Q[3cm, l]

% Centered in fixed width
Q[3cm, c]

% Right-aligned in fixed width
Q[3cm, r]