[reportlab-users] Large table cells

[Andy Robinson]

> Tables in RL quite sucks yet. This is just simple grid with no support =
of
> cell/colspan (attempts to support this are still too weak).=20

We do support row and column spanning and use it all the time;
what we don't support is intelligent 'line removal' around the
spanned cells.  I should also point out that we had different
design goals to HTML tables, one of which is speed on things
like financial and database tables; the HTML table algorithm
and CSS model for every edge of every cell is inherently slow.
There is also a more serious problem:  paper doesn't have scrollbars.


> RL does not support splitting one cell over the pages.

True.
>=20
> Second suggestion:=20
>   Buy Pisa from Spirito.de :-) They support cell.../colspan
> and other goodness.

Maybe someone could pound on Dirk to contribute this as a change
from pounding on me to release PageCatcher :-)
>=20
> Third suggestion:=20
>   Throw away RL and use Java... (bad solution, btw).

Which Java library does tables well enough?
>=20
> Fourth suggestion:=20
>   Pay for me or RL guys and we will develope it better.

How about giving the group a time estimate?  I may be
missing some critical insight, as I currently believe that
a workable HTML-like table renderer meeting everyone's
constraints would be at least several months' work...

- Andy