rlib-users

[Rlib-users] Text-mode tables with borders in reStructuredText style?

[Jeff K. <jt...@ya...>]

I'm quite interested in rlib as a reporting library for python. I'm drawn
to monospaced report output, so rlib output looks ideal to me. I'd like to
request a feature for rlib's text mode output to be able to add borders to
rows and columns in the style of reStructuredText. Hopefully this could be
a style property for easy setting. This convention is expressive,
regular and doesn't necessarily have to use more character space than an
unbordered output. Thanks.

From:
http://docutils.sourceforge.net/spec/rst/reStructuredText.html#tables

Two syntaxes for tables:

1. Grid tables; complete, but complex and verbose:

+------------------------+------------+----------+
| Header row, column 1   | Header 2   | Header 3 |
+========================+============+==========+
| body row 1, column 1   | column 2   | column 3 |
+------------------------+------------+----------+
| body row 2             | Cells may span        |
+------------------------+-----------------------+

2. Simple tables; easy and compact, but limited:

====================  ==========  ==========
Header row, column 1  Header 2    Header 3
====================  ==========  ==========
body row 1, column 1  column 2    column 3
body row 2            Cells may span columns
====================  ======================

Re: [Rlib-users] Text-mode tables with borders in reStructuredText style?

[Bob D. <bd...@si...>]

Hi,

Implementing that would not be too hard.. however, rlib should also draw
the boxes for HTML, and PDF...

Is this something you would like to try to implement your self?? Do you
know c?

- Bob

On Thu, 2003-12-04 at 08:50, Jeff Kowalczyk wrote:
> I'm quite interested in rlib as a reporting library for python. I'm drawn
> to monospaced report output, so rlib output looks ideal to me. I'd like to
> request a feature for rlib's text mode output to be able to add borders to
> rows and columns in the style of reStructuredText. Hopefully this could be
> a style property for easy setting. This convention is expressive,
> regular and doesn't necessarily have to use more character space than an
> unbordered output. Thanks.
> 
> From:
> http://docutils.sourceforge.net/spec/rst/reStructuredText.html#tables
> 
> Two syntaxes for tables:
> 
> 1. Grid tables; complete, but complex and verbose:
> 
> +------------------------+------------+----------+
> | Header row, column 1   | Header 2   | Header 3 |
> +========================+============+==========+
> | body row 1, column 1   | column 2   | column 3 |
> +------------------------+------------+----------+
> | body row 2             | Cells may span        |
> +------------------------+-----------------------+
> 
> 2. Simple tables; easy and compact, but limited:
> 
> ====================  ==========  ==========
> Header row, column 1  Header 2    Header 3
> ====================  ==========  ==========
> body row 1, column 1  column 2    column 3
> body row 2            Cells may span columns
> ====================  ======================
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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[Rlib-users] Re: Text-mode tables with borders in reStructuredText style?

[Jeff K. <jt...@ya...>]

Bob Doan wrote:
> Implementing that would not be too hard.. however, rlib should also draw
> the boxes for HTML, and PDF...

I'm only guessing by the sample reports, but doesn't the text mode omit
drawing lines that may be specified in the report definition? I don't
think you'd want the richer formats to use the borders if they have other
formatting defined.

My idea was that the text mode could optionally use reST bordering as a
way to express information that is lost in comparison to other formats,
based on knowledge of the report definition elements. It would also make
rlib another useful generator of reST-compatible table text. I've been
using http://jefke.free.fr/soft/texttable/ (python module) for this.

> Is this something you would like to try to implement yourself?? Do you
> know C?
>> I'd like to request a feature for rlib's text mode output to be able to
>> add borders to rows and columns in the style of reStructuredText.

Unfortunately not fluent enough to be much help with an implementation. I
was using C# before finding python a few years ago, I kind of
bypassed/ducked C altogether.

I took a brief look at rlib/libsrc/txt.c; (my compliments, rlib's C is
quite readable) would this involve a few more filters in
rlib_txt_new_output_filter(), or a modification of some other function
area?

Re: [Rlib-users] Re: Text-mode tables with borders in reStructuredText style?

[Bob D. <bd...@si...>]

Well...

Right now rlib has a concept of "Output".. which contains "Images",
"HorizontalLines", and "Lines".. "Lines" in turn contain "Text" and
"Data".. Its as simple as that at the moment... You are asking for the
ability to "Box" items... mainly "Text" and "Data" in lines.. so the 
"Line" we would add a property box="..some style..".. 

does this make sense?

Therefor we would not add another output filter

sound kinda ok?

To implement this we would have to first settle in on what exactly the
properties of boxing would be.. Chet.. Bob Kratz... any suggestions?

- Bob

On Thu, 2003-12-04 at 10:02, Jeff Kowalczyk wrote:
> Bob Doan wrote:
> > Implementing that would not be too hard.. however, rlib should also draw
> > the boxes for HTML, and PDF...
> 
> I'm only guessing by the sample reports, but doesn't the text mode omit
> drawing lines that may be specified in the report definition? I don't
> think you'd want the richer formats to use the borders if they have other
> formatting defined.
> 
> My idea was that the text mode could optionally use reST bordering as a
> way to express information that is lost in comparison to other formats,
> based on knowledge of the report definition elements. It would also make
> rlib another useful generator of reST-compatible table text. I've been
> using http://jefke.free.fr/soft/texttable/ (python module) for this.
> 
> > Is this something you would like to try to implement yourself?? Do you
> > know C?
> >> I'd like to request a feature for rlib's text mode output to be able to
> >> add borders to rows and columns in the style of reStructuredText.
> 
> Unfortunately not fluent enough to be much help with an implementation. I
> was using C# before finding python a few years ago, I kind of
> bypassed/ducked C altogether.
> 
> I took a brief look at rlib/libsrc/txt.c; (my compliments, rlib's C is
> quite readable) would this involve a few more filters in
> rlib_txt_new_output_filter(), or a modification of some other function
> area?
> 
> 
> 
> -------------------------------------------------------
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[Rlib-users] Re: Re: Text-mode tables with borders in reStructuredText style?

[Jeff K. <jt...@ya...>]

Bob Doan wrote:
> Right now rlib has a concept of "Output".. which contains "Images",
> "HorizontalLines", and "Lines".. "Lines" in turn contain "Text" and
> "Data".. Its as simple as that at the moment... You are asking for the
> ability to "Box" items... mainly "Text" and "Data" in lines.. so the 
> "Line" we would add a property box="..some style.."..  
> To implement this we would have to first settle in on what exactly the
> properties of boxing would be.. Chet.. Bob Kratz... any suggestions?

I see. Looking at
http://docutils.sourceforge.net/spec/rst/reStructuredText.html#tables

+------------------------+------------+----------+----------+
| Header row, column 1   | Header 2   | Header 3 | Header 4 |
| (header rows optional) |            |          |          |
+========================+============+==========+==========+
| body row 1, column 1   | column 2   | column 3 | column 4 |
+------------------------+------------+----------+----------+
| body row 2             | Cells may span columns.          |
+------------------------+------------+---------------------+
| body row 3             | Cells may  | - Table cells       |
+------------------------+ span rows. | - contain           |
| body row 4             |            | - body elements.    |
+------------------------+------------+---------------------+

Perhaps auto wrapping and spanning aren't necessary in the
context of precision layout like rlib uses. After all, the
objective is only to make certain rlib text output optionally
reST compatible. This way, each line wouldn't grow a dependency
on previous and subsequent lines for floating bordering. Note
that the exterior borders have no difference to internal
borders, which is convenient for the implementation.

- normal specification of column widths should result in good
  alignment, user can tweak alignment if reST column spanning is
  desired. Row spanning wouldn't be as simple.
- header property, affects lower border style.
- line may need a height (in lines) property, user is
  responsible for specifying height, truncate overflow?
- specifying text/data cell width to align in a reSt compatible
  fashion is probably OK to ask the user to handle in the
  report definition.
- default single space side margin property for cell? Reports
  that are tight on space may wish to omit margin space.

Re: [Rlib-users] Re: Re: Text-mode tables with borders in reStructuredText style?

[Bob D. <bd...@si...>]

Hi,

@ SICOM we agree we want to have this type of feature in RLIB.. more in
the PDF for us.. but we always do the other formats to be consistent.

Everton pointed out that RLIB doesn't span memo fields correctly yet...
so I need to make that happen before I can start to worry about "boxing"
stuff.... so give us a little time.. but expect it to be in before the
1.2 release

- Bob

On Thu, 2003-12-04 at 11:18, Jeff Kowalczyk wrote:
> Bob Doan wrote:
> > Right now rlib has a concept of "Output".. which contains "Images",
> > "HorizontalLines", and "Lines".. "Lines" in turn contain "Text" and
> > "Data".. Its as simple as that at the moment... You are asking for the
> > ability to "Box" items... mainly "Text" and "Data" in lines.. so the 
> > "Line" we would add a property box="..some style.."..  
> > To implement this we would have to first settle in on what exactly the
> > properties of boxing would be.. Chet.. Bob Kratz... any suggestions?
> 
> I see. Looking at
> http://docutils.sourceforge.net/spec/rst/reStructuredText.html#tables
> 
> +------------------------+------------+----------+----------+
> | Header row, column 1   | Header 2   | Header 3 | Header 4 |
> | (header rows optional) |            |          |          |
> +========================+============+==========+==========+
> | body row 1, column 1   | column 2   | column 3 | column 4 |
> +------------------------+------------+----------+----------+
> | body row 2             | Cells may span columns.          |
> +------------------------+------------+---------------------+
> | body row 3             | Cells may  | - Table cells       |
> +------------------------+ span rows. | - contain           |
> | body row 4             |            | - body elements.    |
> +------------------------+------------+---------------------+
> 
> Perhaps auto wrapping and spanning aren't necessary in the
> context of precision layout like rlib uses. After all, the
> objective is only to make certain rlib text output optionally
> reST compatible. This way, each line wouldn't grow a dependency
> on previous and subsequent lines for floating bordering. Note
> that the exterior borders have no difference to internal
> borders, which is convenient for the implementation.
> 
> - normal specification of column widths should result in good
>   alignment, user can tweak alignment if reST column spanning is
>   desired. Row spanning wouldn't be as simple.
> - header property, affects lower border style.
> - line may need a height (in lines) property, user is
>   responsible for specifying height, truncate overflow?
> - specifying text/data cell width to align in a reSt compatible
>   fashion is probably OK to ask the user to handle in the
>   report definition.
> - default single space side margin property for cell? Reports
>   that are tight on space may wish to omit margin space.
> 
> 
> 
> 
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