Make tables use proportional font - Meta

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Top Answer

Jack Douglas

I think I'm convinced that 'monospace by default' is probably only suitable for databases.ta, so we ~~are planning to make~~ have made this a community theme setting like the colour scheme.

The default for meta.ta, tex.ta, codegolf.ta, and any new communities, is now proportional rather than monospace.

Answer #2

John K N

I guess it depends on the amount of data that is inserted/displayed in the table. And if I'm using lots of similar data:

0 O l 1 I L o

...then I prefer mono-spaced:

`0 O l 1 I L o`

# Mono-spaced Font

## Small Table

|`Col1`|`Col2`|`Col3`|`Numeric Column`|  
|-|-|-|-|
|`Value 1`|`Value 2`|`123`|`10.0`|  
|`This is a row with only one cell`|` `|` `|` `|

## Big Table

|`Column1`|`Server 1`|`Server 2`|`Server 3`|
|---------------------|----------------------|----------------------|----------------------|
|`Server`|`SQLSERVERP09`|`SQLSERVERP10`|`SQLSERVERP11`|
|`IP Adresse`|`10.58.231.169`|`10.58.231.171`|`10.58.231.173`|
|`-`|` `|` `|` `|
|`SQL Server Instance`|`SQLINSTANCEP09`|`SQLINSTANCEP10`|`SQLINSTANCEP11`|
|`SQL Server Alias`|`SQLSERVERP09-i01`|`SQLSERVERP10-i01`|`SQLSERVERP11-i01`|
|`SQL Server Alias IP`|`10.58.231.170`|`10.58.231.172`|`10.58.231.174`|
|`SQL Server Port`|`1433`|`1433`|`1433`|
|`SQL Server Protocol`|`TCP`|`TCP`|`TCP`|
|`-`|` `|` `|` `|
|`SQL Server Login`|`SQL\ProgramAdmin`|`SQL\ProgramAdmin`|`SQL\ProgramAdmin`|
|`SQL Server Roles`|`public,sysadmin`|`public,sysdadmin`|`public,sysadmin`|
|`-`|` `|` `|` `|
|`SQL Server Login`|`SQL\SQLPRGDDCP03$`|`SQL\SQLPRGDDCP03$`|`SQL\SQLPRGDDCP03$`|
|`SQL Server Roles`|`public`|`public`|`public`|
|`-`|` `|` `|` `|
|`SQL Server Login`|`SQL\SQLPRGDDCP04$    `|`SQL\SQLPRGDDCP04$`|`SQL\SQLPRGDDCP04$`|
|`SQL Server Roles`|`public`|`public`|`public`|
|`-`|` `|` `|` `|



# Proportional Font

## Small Table

|Col1|Col2|Col3|Numeric Column|  
|-|-|-|-|
|Value 1|Value 2|123|10.0|  
|This is a row with only one cell| | | |

## Big Table

|  Column1 Server 1   |       Server 2       |       Server 3       |                      |
|---------------------|----------------------|----------------------|----------------------|
| Server              | SQLSERVERP09         | SQLSERVERP10         | SQLSERVERP11         |
| IP Adresse          | 10.58.231.169        | 10.58.231.171        | 10.58.231.173        |
|-| | | |
| SQL Server Instance | SQLINSTANCEP09       | SQLINSTANCEP10       | SQLINSTANCEP11       |
| SQL Server Alias    | SQLSERVERP09-i01     | SQLSERVERP10-i01     | SQLSERVERP11-i01     |
| SQL Server Alias IP | 10.58.231.170        | 10.58.231.172        | 10.58.231.174        |
| SQL Server Port     | 1433                 | 1433                 | 1433                 |
| SQL Server Protocol | TCP                  | TCP                  | TCP                  |
|-| | | |
| SQL Server Login    | SQL\ProgramAdmin     | SQL\ProgramAdmin     | SQL\ProgramAdmin     |
| SQL Server Roles    | public,sysadmin      | public,sysdadmin     | public,sysadmin      |
|-| | | |
| SQL Server Login    | SQL\SQLPRGDDCP03$    | SQL\SQLPRGDDCP03$    | SQL\SQLPRGDDCP03$    |
| SQL Server Roles    | public               | public               | public               |
|-| | | |
| SQL Server Login    | SQL\SQLPRGDDCP04$    | SQL\SQLPRGDDCP04$    | SQL\SQLPRGDDCP04$    |
| SQL Server Roles    | public               | public               | public               |
|-| | | |

It's a wee shame there's no markdown-it plugin for Pandoc's [`fenced-divs`](https://pandoc.org/MANUAL.html#extension-fenced_divs) extension. That would be so useful! (Use case: long answer with internal named links, although at least TA produces IDs automatically for heading text.) — Unless, that is, [this `markdown-it-container-pandoc` plugin](https://www.npmjs.com/package/markdown-it-container-pandoc?activeTab=readme) is it. Would be cool! B-) @Jack

for context i've been using ascii art tables for years - quit trying to faff about with markdown tables once i no longer needed to use them for jira / confluence so i'm also not super impartial either

I'm aware of that, and that's why I didn't make it a feature request. Maybe we can get an extension to allow classes, so ``` :::monospace fenced block ::: ``` renders as ```html <div class="monospace"> <p>fenced block</p> </div> ``` where the `.monospace` class is formatted with the site/user monospace font? [Pandoc does this.](https://pandoc.org/try/?text=%3A%3A%3Amonospace%0Afenced+block%0A%3A%3A%3A&from=markdown&to=html5)

I'm not convinced either, was just curious if 'by default' meant anything. As someone already accustomed to using code blocks to present tabular data on SE, I'm very happy we have a dedicated syntax for tables here, regardless of what kind of font it's rendered with.

I can see the logc there! Although, tbf, Markdown doesn't specify *anything*, so far as I'm aware, for non-backticked text 😬, only that backticked text *is* monospace. Although, again tbf, you would typically expect a default proportional, not monospaced font. (More coffee, please!)

::: quote 2 16688 6da41129661867ded98757f884fbbd8151b27a31e604efc79bce2d85a6953da5 212,223,236 62,103,153 PeterVandivier replying to Jack Douglas *— 7 minutes ago* *in [The Heap](/databases?room=2#c16688)* >monospace is monobest :::

2 Answers