Chilkat HtmlToText → Plain Text: Table Conversion Gallery

The improved conversion of HTML tables to plain text is new in Chilkat v11.6.0. Each case below shows the source HTML table as rendered by the browser, its raw HTML source, and the plain-text produced by Chilkat HtmlToText. These 25 cases stress the hardest table-to-text situations: uneven cells, block content in cells, nested tables, spans, alignment, entities, and delimiter collisions.

New in Chilkat v11.6.0 25 table conversion cases
01

Uneven big vs tiny

01_uneven_big_vs_tiny.html

a paragraph-sized Description column beside 1–2 char ID/Qty columns. Column widths can't be uniform; the wide cell must wrap while the tiny cells stay put.

Rendered in browser
IDDescriptionQty
1Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.3
2Short one.10
3Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.1
HTML source
<body>
  <table border="1">
    <tr>
      <th>ID</th>
      <th>Description</th>
      <th>Qty</th>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>1</td>
      <td>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.</td>
      <td>3</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>2</td>
      <td>Short one.</td>
      <td>10</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>3</td>
      <td>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.</td>
      <td>1</td>
    </tr>
  </table>
</body>
Plain-text output
+----+-------------------------------------------------------------------+-----+
| ID |                            Description                            | Qty |
+====+===================================================================+=====+
| 1  | Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do   | 3   |
|    | eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut    |     |
|    | enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris   |     |
|    | nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.                          |     |
+----+-------------------------------------------------------------------+-----+
| 2  | Short one.                                                        | 10  |
+----+-------------------------------------------------------------------+-----+
| 3  | Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do   | 1   |
|    | eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut    |     |
|    | enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris   |     |
|    | nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Lorem ipsum dolor sit    |     |
|    | amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor          |     |
|    | incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim     |     |
|    | veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip |     |
|    | ex ea commodo consequat.                                          |     |
+----+-------------------------------------------------------------------+-----+
02

Wide column exceeds margin

02_wide_column_exceeds_margin.html

a 2-column key/value table where the value column alone exceeds the 80-char right margin. Tests wrapping *within* a column vs. blowing past the margin.

Rendered in browser
KeyValue
summaryLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
notesLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
HTML source
<body>
  <table>
    <tr>
      <td>Key</td>
      <td>Value</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>summary</td>
      <td>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>notes</td>
      <td>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.</td>
    </tr>
  </table>
</body>
Plain-text output
+---------+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Key     | Value                                                              |
+---------+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
| summary | Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do    |
|         | eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut     |
|         | enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris    |
|         | nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.                           |
+---------+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
| notes   | Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do    |
|         | eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut     |
|         | enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris    |
|         | nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.                           |
+---------+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
03

Cells with blocks

03_cells_with_blocks.html

cells contain <h3> + multiple <p>. A cell is now multi-line block content, not a value; where do the paragraph breaks go relative to the row?

Rendered in browser

Section A

First paragraph in the cell.

Second paragraph in the cell.

Section B

Only one paragraph here.

HTML source
<body>
  <table>
    <tr>
      <td>
        <h3>Section A</h3>
        <p>First paragraph in the cell.</p>
        <p>Second paragraph in the cell.</p>
      </td>
      <td>
        <h3>Section B</h3>
        <p>Only one paragraph here.</p>
      </td>
    </tr>
  </table>
</body>
Plain-text output
+-------------------------------+--------------------------+
| SECTION A                     | SECTION B                |
|                               |                          |
| First paragraph in the cell.  | Only one paragraph here. |
|                               |                          |
| Second paragraph in the cell. |                          |
+-------------------------------+--------------------------+
04

Cells with lists

04_cells_with_lists.html

cells contain <ul>/<ol>. List markers + indentation inside a table cell; interacts with the list-marker bookkeeping.

Rendered in browser
FeatureDetails
Fruits
  • Apple
  • Banana
  • Cherry
Steps
  1. Wash
  2. Peel
  3. Slice
HTML source
<body>
  <table>
    <tr>
      <th>Feature</th>
      <th>Details</th>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Fruits</td>
      <td>
        <ul>
          <li>Apple</li>
          <li>Banana</li>
          <li>Cherry</li>
        </ul>
      </td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Steps</td>
      <td>
        <ol>
          <li>Wash</li>
          <li>Peel</li>
          <li>Slice</li>
        </ol>
      </td>
    </tr>
  </table>
</body>
Plain-text output
+---------+----------+
| Feature | Details  |
+=========+==========+
| Fruits  | * Apple  |
|         | * Banana |
|         | * Cherry |
+---------+----------+
| Steps   | 1. Wash  |
|         | 2. Peel  |
|         | 3. Slice |
+---------+----------+
05

Nested table in cell

05_nested_table_in_cell.html

a full 2×2 table inside one cell of an outer table. The inner table's own row/column layout must survive inside a column of the outer one.

Rendered in browser
Outer left
inner-1ainner-1b
inner-2ainner-2b
Outer right
HTML source
<body>
  <table>
    <tr>
      <td>Outer left</td>
      <td>
        <table>
          <tr>
            <td>inner-1a</td>
            <td>inner-1b</td>
          </tr>
          <tr>
            <td>inner-2a</td>
            <td>inner-2b</td>
          </tr>
        </table>
      </td>
      <td>Outer right</td>
    </tr>
  </table>
</body>
Plain-text output
+------------+-------------------------+-------------+
| Outer left | +----------+----------+ | Outer right |
|            | | inner-1a | inner-1b | |             |
|            | +----------+----------+ |             |
|            | | inner-2a | inner-2b | |             |
|            | +----------+----------+ |             |
+------------+-------------------------+-------------+
06

Cells with links

06_cells_with_links.html

links in cells, including links wrapped in (...)/punctuation and a mailto:. Combines the table problem with the link-spacing and References behavior.

Rendered in browser
SiteDescription
AlphaSee (docs), or the API.
BetaContact beta@example.com!
HTML source
<body>
  <table>
    <tr>
      <th>Site</th>
      <th>Description</th>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td><a href="https://a.example.com/">Alpha</a></td>
      <td>See (<a href="https://a.example.com/docs">docs</a>), or the <a href="https://a.example.com/api">API</a>.</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td><a href="https://b.example.com/">Beta</a></td>
      <td>Contact <a href="mailto:beta@example.com">beta@example.com</a>!</td>
    </tr>
  </table>
</body>
Plain-text output
+----------+----------------------------------+
|   Site   |           Description            |
+==========+==================================+
| Alpha[1] | See ( docs[2] ), or the API[3] . |
+----------+----------------------------------+
| Beta[4]  | Contact beta@example.com[5] !    |
+----------+----------------------------------+


References:
[1] https://a.example.com/
[2] https://a.example.com/docs
[3] https://a.example.com/api
[4] https://b.example.com/
[5] mailto:beta@example.com
07

Cells with br and inline

07_cells_with_br_and_inline.html

address-style cells using <br> for internal lines plus <b>. Multi-line cell content driven by <br> rather than block tags.

Rendered in browser
NameAddress
Acme Corp123 Main St
Suite 400
Springfield, IL 62704
Globex1 Industrial Way
Ogdenville
HTML source
<body>
  <table>
    <tr>
      <th>Name</th>
      <th>Address</th>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td><b>Acme Corp</b></td>
      <td>123 Main St<br>Suite 400<br>Springfield, IL 62704</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td><b>Globex</b></td>
      <td>1 Industrial Way<br>Ogdenville</td>
    </tr>
  </table>
</body>
Plain-text output
+-----------+-----------------------+
|   Name    |        Address        |
+===========+=======================+
| Acme Corp | 123 Main St           |
|           | Suite 400             |
|           | Springfield, IL 62704 |
+-----------+-----------------------+
| Globex    | 1 Industrial Way      |
|           | Ogdenville            |
+-----------+-----------------------+
08

Multiparagraph uneven

08_multiparagraph_uneven.html

a 3-paragraph cell beside a 1-word cell in the same row. Extreme height mismatch; row alignment/padding decisions become visible.

Rendered in browser

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.

Tiny.

HTML source
<body>
  <table>
    <tr>
      <td>
        <p>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.</p>
        <p>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.</p>
        <p>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.</p>
      </td>
      <td>
        <p>Tiny.</p>
      </td>
    </tr>
  </table>
</body>
Plain-text output
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+-------+
| Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do      | Tiny. |
| eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim  |       |
| ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut   |       |
| aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.                                     |       |
|                                                                      |       |
| Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do      |       |
| eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim  |       |
| ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut   |       |
| aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.                                     |       |
|                                                                      |       |
| Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do      |       |
| eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim  |       |
| ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut   |       |
| aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.                                     |       |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+-------+
09

Many columns

09_many_columns.html

10 columns. Horizontal overflow: 10 columns cannot fit in 80 chars, so a column renderer must truncate, wrap, or fall back.

Rendered in browser
Col1Col2Col3Col4Col5Col6Col7Col8Col9Col10
v1v2v3v4v5v6v7v8v9v10
data1data2data3data4data5data6data7data8data9data10
HTML source
<body>
  <table>
    <tr>
      <th>Col1</th>
      <th>Col2</th>
      <th>Col3</th>
      <th>Col4</th>
      <th>Col5</th>
      <th>Col6</th>
      <th>Col7</th>
      <th>Col8</th>
      <th>Col9</th>
      <th>Col10</th>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>v1</td>
      <td>v2</td>
      <td>v3</td>
      <td>v4</td>
      <td>v5</td>
      <td>v6</td>
      <td>v7</td>
      <td>v8</td>
      <td>v9</td>
      <td>v10</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>data1</td>
      <td>data2</td>
      <td>data3</td>
      <td>data4</td>
      <td>data5</td>
      <td>data6</td>
      <td>data7</td>
      <td>data8</td>
      <td>data9</td>
      <td>data10</td>
    </tr>
  </table>
</body>
Plain-text output
+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+--------+
| Col1  | Col2  | Col3  | Col4  | Col5  | Col6  | Col7  | Col8  | Col9  | Col10  |
+=======+=======+=======+=======+=======+=======+=======+=======+=======+========+
| v1    | v2    | v3    | v4    | v5    | v6    | v7    | v8    | v9    | v10    |
+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+--------+
| data1 | data2 | data3 | data4 | data5 | data6 | data7 | data8 | data9 | data10 |
+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+--------+
10

Colspan rowspan

10_colspan_rowspan.html

colspan/rowspan. The visual grid the author intended is NOT the raw cell sequence; a flattener that ignores spans mis-associates data. (Also check whether the XML even preserves the span attributes.)

Rendered in browser
Merged Header Across Two ColumnsThird
Spans two rowsB1C1
B2C2
HTML source
<body>
  <table border="1">
    <tr>
      <th colspan="2">Merged Header Across Two Columns</th>
      <th>Third</th>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td rowspan="2">Spans two rows</td>
      <td>B1</td>
      <td>C1</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>B2</td>
      <td>C2</td>
    </tr>
  </table>
</body>
Plain-text output
+----------------------------------+-------+
| Merged Header Across Two Columns | Third |
+===========================+======+=======+
| Spans two rows            | B1   | C1    |
|                           |------+-------+
|                           | B2   | C2    |
+---------------------------+------+-------+
11

Cells with pre

11_cells_with_pre.html

<pre> code blocks inside cells. Preformatted whitespace/newlines must be preserved *and* kept within the cell's column.

Rendered in browser
LanguageExample
Python
def add(a, b):
    return a + b
Shell
for i in 1 2 3; do
  echo $i
done
HTML source
<body>
  <table>
    <tr>
      <th>Language</th>
      <th>Example</th>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Python</td>
      <td>
        <pre>def add(a, b):
    return a + b</pre>
      </td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Shell</td>
      <td>
        <pre>for i in 1 2 3; do
  echo $i
done</pre>
      </td>
    </tr>
  </table>
</body>
Plain-text output
+----------+--------------------+
| Language |      Example       |
+==========+====================+
| Python   | def add(a, b):     |
|          |     return a + b   |
+----------+--------------------+
| Shell    | for i in 1 2 3; do |
|          |   echo $i          |
|          | done               |
+----------+--------------------+
12

Cells with images

12_cells_with_images.html

one image with alt="OK", one with no alt. Cell may render as alt text, a placeholder, or nothing — and an empty cell still needs a column position.

Rendered in browser
IconLabel
OKPassed
Failed (image has no alt text)
HTML source
<body>
  <table>
    <tr>
      <th>Icon</th>
      <th>Label</th>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td><img src="check.png" alt="OK"></td>
      <td>Passed</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td><img src="x.png"></td>
      <td>Failed (image has no alt text)</td>
    </tr>
  </table>
</body>
Plain-text output
+------+--------------------------------+
| Icon |             Label              |
+======+================================+
|      | Passed                         |
+------+--------------------------------+
|      | Failed (image has no alt text) |
+------+--------------------------------+
13

Empty and full cells

13_empty_and_full_cells.html

empty cells interleaved with full ones, including an all-empty row. Tests placeholder/padding so columns don't collapse or shift.

Rendered in browser
ABC
filledfilled
middle
HTML source
<body>
  <table>
    <tr>
      <th>A</th>
      <th>B</th>
      <th>C</th>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>filled</td>
      <td>
      </td>
      <td>filled</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>
      </td>
      <td>middle</td>
      <td>
      </td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>
      </td>
      <td>
      </td>
      <td>
      </td>
    </tr>
  </table>
</body>
Plain-text output
+--------+--------+--------+
|   A    |   B    |   C    |
+========+========+========+
| filled |        | filled |
+--------+--------+--------+
|        | middle |        |
+--------+--------+--------+
|        |        |        |
+--------+--------+--------+
14

Numeric alignment

14_numeric_alignment.html

currency/quantity columns plus a totals row with empty cells. Right-alignment of numbers and a Grand Total row are where stacking looks worst.

Rendered in browser
ItemUnit PriceQtyTotal
Widget$1,299.003$3,897.00
Gadget$49.95120$5,994.00
Sprocket$0.1010,000$1,000.00
Grand Total$10,891.00
HTML source
<body>
  <table>
    <tr>
      <th>Item</th>
      <th>Unit Price</th>
      <th>Qty</th>
      <th>Total</th>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Widget</td>
      <td>$1,299.00</td>
      <td>3</td>
      <td>$3,897.00</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Gadget</td>
      <td>$49.95</td>
      <td>120</td>
      <td>$5,994.00</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Sprocket</td>
      <td>$0.10</td>
      <td>10,000</td>
      <td>$1,000.00</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Grand Total</td>
      <td>
      </td>
      <td>
      </td>
      <td>$10,891.00</td>
    </tr>
  </table>
</body>
Plain-text output
+-------------+------------+--------+------------+
|    Item     | Unit Price |  Qty   |   Total    |
+=============+============+========+============+
| Widget      | $1,299.00  | 3      | $3,897.00  |
+-------------+------------+--------+------------+
| Gadget      | $49.95     | 120    | $5,994.00  |
+-------------+------------+--------+------------+
| Sprocket    | $0.10      | 10,000 | $1,000.00  |
+-------------+------------+--------+------------+
| Grand Total |            |        | $10,891.00 |
+-------------+------------+--------+------------+
15

Huge cell wrapping

15_huge_cell_wrapping.html

a single cell with ~4 paragraphs of Lorem. One cell dominates the whole table; wrapping and column width must cope with one enormous cell.

Rendered in browser
TopicExplanation
OverviewLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
HTML source
<body>
  <table>
    <tr>
      <th>Topic</th>
      <th>Explanation</th>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Overview</td>
      <td>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.</td>
    </tr>
  </table>
</body>
Plain-text output
+----------+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
|  Topic   |                            Explanation                            |
+==========+===================================================================+
| Overview | Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do   |
|          | eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut    |
|          | enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris   |
|          | nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Lorem ipsum dolor sit    |
|          | amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor          |
|          | incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim     |
|          | veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip |
|          | ex ea commodo consequat. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur  |
|          | adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et    |
|          | dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud        |
|          | exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo        |
|          | consequat. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing     |
|          | elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna  |
|          | aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation        |
|          | ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.          |
+----------+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
16

Cells with blockquote hr

16_cells_with_blockquote_hr.html

a <blockquote> in one cell and an <hr> in another. Block decorations (indented quote, dashed rule) inside a cell column.

Rendered in browser
Quote cell:
To be or not to be.
Rule cell:
after the rule
HTML source
<body>
  <table>
    <tr>
      <td>
        Quote cell:
        <blockquote>To be or not to be.</blockquote>
      </td>
      <td>
        Rule cell:
        <hr>
        after the rule
      </td>
    </tr>
  </table>
</body>
Plain-text output
+---------------------+---------------------------+
| Quote cell:         | Rule cell: after the rule |
|                     |                           |
| To be or not to be. |                           |
+---------------------+---------------------------+
17

Deeply nested tables

17_deeply_nested_tables.html

three levels of nested tables. Recursion of the table strategy; indentation/width budget shrinks at each level.

Rendered in browser
L1
L2
L3aL3b
L2-right
L1-right
HTML source
<body>
  <table>
    <tr>
      <td>
        L1
        <table>
          <tr>
            <td>
              L2
              <table>
                <tr>
                  <td>L3a</td>
                  <td>L3b</td>
                </tr>
              </table>
            </td>
            <td>L2-right</td>
          </tr>
        </table>
      </td>
      <td>L1-right</td>
    </tr>
  </table>
</body>
Plain-text output
+------------------------------+----------+
| L1                           | L1-right |
|                              |          |
| +---------------+----------+ |          |
| | L2            | L2-right | |          |
| |               |          | |          |
| | +-----+-----+ |          | |          |
| | | L3a | L3b | |          | |          |
| | +-----+-----+ |          | |          |
| +---------------+----------+ |          |
+------------------------------+----------+
18

Caption thead tbody tfoot

18_caption_thead_tbody_tfoot.html

<caption>, <thead>, <tbody>, <tfoot>. Section grouping the flattener may ignore; caption placement and header/footer distinction.

Rendered in browser
Quarterly Results
QuarterRevenue
Q1$1.2M
Q2$1.5M
Total$2.7M
HTML source
<body>
  <table>
    <caption>Quarterly Results</caption>
    <thead>
      <tr>
        <th>Quarter</th>
        <th>Revenue</th>
      </tr>
    </thead>
    <tbody>
      <tr>
        <td>Q1</td>
        <td>$1.2M</td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td>Q2</td>
        <td>$1.5M</td>
      </tr>
    </tbody>
    <tfoot>
      <tr>
        <td>Total</td>
        <td>$2.7M</td>
      </tr>
    </tfoot>
  </table>
</body>
Plain-text output
  Quarterly Results
+---------+---------+
| Quarter | Revenue |
+=========+=========+
| Q1      | $1.2M   |
+---------+---------+
| Q2      | $1.5M   |
+---------+---------+
| Total   | $2.7M   |
+---------+---------+
19

Kitchen sink cell

19_kitchen_sink_cell.html

one cell containing a heading, paragraph, link, list, bold price, and <pre> — everything at once, next to simple cells.

Rendered in browser
ProductEverything
Mega Widget

Highlights

A great product with many features:

  • Fast
  • Cheap
  • Reliable

Price: $19.99. See details below.

SKU: MW-1000
HTML source
<body>
  <table>
    <tr>
      <th>Product</th>
      <th>Everything</th>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td><b>Mega</b> Widget</td>
      <td>
        <h4>Highlights</h4>
        <p>A <a href="https://example.com/">great</a> product with <em>many</em> features:</p>
        <ul>
          <li>Fast</li>
          <li>Cheap</li>
          <li>Reliable</li>
        </ul>
        <p>Price: <b>$19.99</b>. See details below.</p>
        <pre>SKU: MW-1000</pre>
      </td>
    </tr>
  </table>
</body>
Plain-text output
+-------------+----------------------------------------+
|   Product   |               Everything               |
+=============+========================================+
| Mega Widget | HIGHLIGHTS                             |
|             |                                        |
|             | A great[1] product with many features: |
|             |                                        |
|             | * Fast                                 |
|             | * Cheap                                |
|             | * Reliable                             |
|             |                                        |
|             | Price: $19.99. See details below.      |
|             |                                        |
|             | SKU: MW-1000                           |
+-------------+----------------------------------------+


References:
[1] https://example.com/
20

Realworld invoice

20_realworld_invoice.html

invoice with long description cells, numeric columns, and colspan subtotal/total rows. The realistic "this must look right" case.

Rendered in browser

Invoice #10432

DescriptionHoursRateAmount
Consulting: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor i12.5$150$1,875.00
Development work including code review, testing, and deployment to production.40$125$5,000.00
Misc2$100$200.00
Subtotal$7,075.00
Tax (8%)$566.00
Total Due$7,641.00

Thank you for your business.

HTML source
<body>
  <h1>Invoice #10432</h1>
  <table>
    <tr>
      <th>Description</th>
      <th>Hours</th>
      <th>Rate</th>
      <th>Amount</th>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Consulting: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor i</td>
      <td>12.5</td>
      <td>$150</td>
      <td>$1,875.00</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Development work including code review, testing, and deployment to production.</td>
      <td>40</td>
      <td>$125</td>
      <td>$5,000.00</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Misc</td>
      <td>2</td>
      <td>$100</td>
      <td>$200.00</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td colspan="3">Subtotal</td>
      <td>$7,075.00</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td colspan="3">Tax (8%)</td>
      <td>$566.00</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td colspan="3"><b>Total Due</b></td>
      <td><b>$7,641.00</b></td>
    </tr>
  </table>
  <p>Thank you for your business.</p>
</body>
Plain-text output
Invoice #10432

+---------------------------------------------------+-------+------+-----------+
|                    Description                    | Hours | Rate |  Amount   |
+===================================================+=======+======+===========+
| Consulting: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet,           | 12.5  | $150 | $1,875.00 |
| consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod       |       |      |           |
| tempor i                                          |       |      |           |
+---------------------------------------------------+-------+------+-----------+
| Development work including code review, testing,  | 40    | $125 | $5,000.00 |
| and deployment to production.                     |       |      |           |
+---------------------------------------------------+-------+------+-----------+
| Misc                                              | 2     | $100 | $200.00   |
+------------------------------------------------------------------+-----------+
| Subtotal                                                         | $7,075.00 |
+------------------------------------------------------------------+-----------+
| Tax (8%)                                                         | $566.00   |
+------------------------------------------------------------------+-----------+
| Total Due                                                        | $7,641.00 |
+------------------------------------------------------------------+-----------+

Thank you for your business.
21

Email layout two column

21_email_layout_two_column.html

a layout table (logo cell + content cell) as used in HTML email. Here the table is *not* tabular data — collapsing to columns is wrong; linear flow is likely better. Tests whether layout tables should be detected/treated differently.

Rendered in browser
LOGO

Newsletter

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.

Read more

HTML source
<body>
  <table width="600">
    <tr>
      <td width="150"><img src="logo.png" alt="LOGO"></td>
      <td>
        <h2>Newsletter</h2>
        <p>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.</p>
        <p><a href="https://example.com/read">Read more</a></p>
      </td>
    </tr>
  </table>
</body>
Plain-text output
+--+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|  | NEWSLETTER                                                                |
|  |                                                                           |
|  | Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod   |
|  | tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim      |
|  | veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea   |
|  | commodo consequat.                                                        |
|  |                                                                           |
|  | Read more[1]                                                              |
+--+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+


References:
[1] https://example.com/read
22

Cells with delimiter chars

22_cells_with_delimiter_chars.html

cell text already contains |, tab, and comma characters. Whatever column delimiter is chosen collides with cell content; tests escaping/robustness.

Rendered in browser
ExpressionMeaning
a | ba OR b (note the pipe already in the text)
x ytab-separated already
1,299.00comma as thousands separator
HTML source
<body>
  <table>
    <tr>
      <th>Expression</th>
      <th>Meaning</th>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>a | b</td>
      <td>a OR b (note the pipe already in the text)</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>x	y</td>
      <td>tab-separated already</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>1,299.00</td>
      <td>comma as thousands separator</td>
    </tr>
  </table>
</body>
Plain-text output
+------------+--------------------------------------------+
| Expression |                  Meaning                   |
+============+============================================+
| a | b      | a OR b (note the pipe already in the text) |
+------------+--------------------------------------------+
| x y        | tab-separated already                      |
+------------+--------------------------------------------+
| 1,299.00   | comma as thousands separator               |
+------------+--------------------------------------------+
23

Uneven row heights

23_uneven_row_heights.html

one row whose three cells have 1, 4, and 2 lines (via <br>). Vertical alignment of a single row's cells.

Rendered in browser
one lineline 1
line 2
line 3
line 4		line 1
line 2
HTML source
<body>
  <table>
    <tr>
      <td>one line</td>
      <td>line 1<br>line 2<br>line 3<br>line 4</td>
      <td>line 1<br>line 2</td>
    </tr>
  </table>
</body>
Plain-text output
+----------+--------+--------+
| one line | line 1 | line 1 |
|          | line 2 | line 2 |
|          | line 3 |        |
|          | line 4 |        |
+----------+--------+--------+
24

Cells with entities

24_cells_with_entities.html

&copy;, &nbsp;, &lt;/&gt;, &euro;, &mdash;, &eacute; inside cells. Entity width vs. byte width interacts with column measurement.

Rendered in browser
TermSymbol
Copyright© 2026
Less/Greater< and >
Price€9,99 — café
HTML source
<body>
  <table>
    <tr>
      <th>Term</th>
      <th>Symbol</th>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Copyright</td>
      <td>&copy;&nbsp;2026</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Less/Greater</td>
      <td>&lt; and &gt;</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Price</td>
      <td>&euro;9,99 &mdash; caf&eacute;</td>
    </tr>
  </table>
</body>
Plain-text output
+--------------+--------------+
|     Term     |    Symbol    |
+==============+==============+
| Copyright    | © 2026       |
+--------------+--------------+
| Less/Greater | < and >      |
+--------------+--------------+
| Price        | €9,99 — café |
+--------------+--------------+
25

Cell long token

25_cell_long_token.html

a 128-char unbroken hash token in a cell (no spaces to wrap on). Forces a hard mid-token chop within a column width.

Rendered in browser
FieldValue
Hasha1b2c3d4a1b2c3d4a1b2c3d4a1b2c3d4a1b2c3d4a1b2c3d4a1b2c3d4a1b2c3d4a1b2c3d4a1b2c3d4a1b2c3d4a1b2c3d4a1b2c3d4a1b2c3d4a1b2c3d4a1b2c3d4
Shortok
HTML source
<body>
  <table>
    <tr>
      <th>Field</th>
      <th>Value</th>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Hash</td>
      <td>a1b2c3d4a1b2c3d4a1b2c3d4a1b2c3d4a1b2c3d4a1b2c3d4a1b2c3d4a1b2c3d4a1b2c3d4a1b2c3d4a1b2c3d4a1b2c3d4a1b2c3d4a1b2c3d4a1b2c3d4a1b2c3d4</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Short</td>
      <td>ok</td>
    </tr>
  </table>
</body>
Plain-text output
+-------+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Field |                                                              Value                                                               |
+=======+==================================================================================================================================+
| Hash  | a1b2c3d4a1b2c3d4a1b2c3d4a1b2c3d4a1b2c3d4a1b2c3d4a1b2c3d4a1b2c3d4a1b2c3d4a1b2c3d4a1b2c3d4a1b2c3d4a1b2c3d4a1b2c3d4a1b2c3d4a1b2c3d4 |
+-------+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Short | ok                                                                                                                               |
+-------+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+