krastanov/julia-prettytables

Julia PrettyTables

Use PrettyTables.jl to render tabular data consistently across text, markdown, and HTML outputs.

Core Rendering Flow

using PrettyTables

pretty_table(data)  # default text backend
md = pretty_table(String, data; backend=:markdown)
html = pretty_table(String, data; backend=:html, stand_alone=true)

Use String output when the table must be embedded in logs, markdown files, or generated HTML.

Configure Table Sections

Use section-related keywords for report-style output:

• title, subtitle
• column_labels, row_labels, show_row_number_column, row_group_labels
• summary_rows, summary_row_labels
• footnotes, source_notes
• merge_column_label_cells

For alignment and display behavior:

• alignment, column_label_alignment, other section-specific alignment options
• maximum_number_of_rows, maximum_number_of_columns, vertical_crop_mode
• renderer, compact_printing, limit_printing

Format and Highlight Data

• Use formatters to transform displayed cell text.
• Use backend-specific highlighters:
  • TextHighlighter
  • MarkdownHighlighter
  • HtmlHighlighter

Apply formatter logic first in design, then add highlighters for visual emphasis.

Backend-Specific Controls

• Text (backend=:text): table_format::TextTableFormat, style::TextTableStyle, line wrapping/cropping controls.
• Markdown (backend=:markdown): allow_markdown_in_cells, line_breaks, table_format::MarkdownTableFormat.
• HTML (backend=:html): allow_html_in_cells, stand_alone, minify, wrap_table_in_div, table_format::HtmlTableFormat, style::HtmlTableStyle.

Prefer markdown backend for docs/README and HTML backend for web/report export.

Reference

• references/prettytables-patterns.md - sections, backends, and styling examples

Related Skills

• julia-csv - CSV data ingestion before tabular rendering