Work with Tables in Tagged PDFs in Java

Tagged table APIs let you create accessible table structures with explicit headers, body rows, footers, and per-cell semantics.

Create a tagged table

Use this example when you need a basic accessible table with header, body, footer, and table summary metadata.

  1. Create a new tagged PDF Document and add a TableElement.
  2. Configure the table border and populate the content with the shared helper method.
  3. Set the table summary attribute and save the document.
public static void createTable(Path outputFile) {
    try (Document document = new Document()) {
        ITaggedContent taggedContent = document.getTaggedContent();
        taggedContent.setTitle("Example table");
        taggedContent.setLanguage("en-US");

        TableElement tableElement = taggedContent.createTableElement();
        taggedContent.getRootElement().appendChild(tableElement, true);
        tableElement.setBorder(new BorderInfo(BorderSide.All, 1.2f, Color.getDarkBlue()));

        fillTable(tableElement, 50, 4, true);

        StructureAttributes tableAttributes = tableElement.getAttributes().getAttributes(AttributeOwnerStandard.Table);
        StructureAttribute summaryAttribute = new StructureAttribute(AttributeKey.Summary);
        summaryAttribute.setStringValue("The summary text for table");
        tableAttributes.setAttribute(summaryAttribute);

        document.save(outputFile.toString());
    }
}

Style a tagged table

This example applies table-level formatting such as colors, borders, column sizing, repeating rows, and alignment.

  1. Create a new tagged PDF Document and add a table element.
  2. Configure the table-level visual and layout settings.
  3. Populate the table and save the document.
public static void styleTable(Path outputFile) {
    try (Document document = new Document()) {
        ITaggedContent taggedContent = document.getTaggedContent();
        taggedContent.setTitle("Example table style");
        taggedContent.setLanguage("en-US");

        TableElement tableElement = taggedContent.createTableElement();
        taggedContent.getRootElement().appendChild(tableElement, true);

        tableElement.setBackgroundColor(Color.getBeige());
        tableElement.setBorder(new BorderInfo(BorderSide.All, 0.80f, Color.getGray()));
        tableElement.setAlignment(HorizontalAlignment.Center);
        tableElement.setBroken(TableBroken.Vertical);
        tableElement.setColumnAdjustment(ColumnAdjustment.AutoFitToWindow);
        tableElement.setColumnWidths("80 80 80 80 80");
        tableElement.setDefaultCellBorder(new BorderInfo(BorderSide.All, 0.50f, Color.getDarkBlue()));
        tableElement.setDefaultCellPadding(new MarginInfo(16.0, 2.0, 8.0, 2.0));
        tableElement.getDefaultCellTextState().setForegroundColor(Color.getDarkCyan());
        tableElement.getDefaultCellTextState().setFontSize(8.0f);
        tableElement.setDefaultColumnWidth("70");
        tableElement.setBordersIncluded(true);
        tableElement.setLeft(0.0f);
        tableElement.setTop(40.0f);
        tableElement.setRepeatingColumnsCount(2);
        tableElement.setRepeatingRowsCount(3);

        TextState rowStyle = new TextState();
        rowStyle.setBackgroundColor(Color.getLightCoral());
        tableElement.setRepeatingRowsStyle(rowStyle);

        fillTable(tableElement, 10, 5, false);
        document.save(outputFile.toString());
    }
}

Style tagged table rows

Use this example when each row should have its own metadata, borders, height settings, and cell defaults.

  1. Create a new tagged PDF Document and add table sections for head, body, and foot.
  2. Create rows and configure their row-level settings such as border, padding, height, and page behavior.
  3. Populate the rows with cells and save the document.
public static void styleTableRow(Path outputFile) {
    try (Document document = new Document()) {
        ITaggedContent taggedContent = document.getTaggedContent();
        taggedContent.setTitle("Example table style");
        taggedContent.setLanguage("en-US");

        TableElement tableElement = taggedContent.createTableElement();
        taggedContent.getRootElement().appendChild(tableElement, true);
        TableTHeadElement tableTHeadElement = tableElement.createTHead();
        TableTBodyElement tableTBodyElement = tableElement.createTBody();
        TableTFootElement tableTFootElement = tableElement.createTFoot();

        TableTRElement headTrElement = tableTHeadElement.createTR();
        headTrElement.setAlternativeText("Head Row");
        for (int colIndex = 0; colIndex < 3; colIndex++) {
            headTrElement.createTH().setText("Head " + colIndex);
        }

        for (int rowIndex = 0; rowIndex < 7; rowIndex++) {
            TableTRElement trElement = tableTBodyElement.createTR();
            trElement.setAlternativeText("Row " + rowIndex);
            trElement.setBackgroundColor(Color.getLightGoldenrodYellow());
            trElement.setBorder(new BorderInfo(BorderSide.All, 0.75f, Color.getDarkGray()));
            trElement.setDefaultCellBorder(new BorderInfo(BorderSide.All, 0.50f, Color.getBlue()));
            trElement.setMinRowHeight(100.0);
            trElement.setFixedRowHeight(120.0);
            trElement.setInNewPage(rowIndex % 3 == 1);
            trElement.setRowBroken(true);

            TextState cellTextState = new TextState();
            cellTextState.setForegroundColor(Color.getRed());
            trElement.setDefaultCellTextState(cellTextState);
            trElement.setDefaultCellPadding(new MarginInfo(16.0, 2.0, 8.0, 2.0));
            trElement.setVerticalAlignment(VerticalAlignment.Bottom);

            for (int colIndex = 0; colIndex < 3; colIndex++) {
                trElement.createTD().setText("Cell [" + rowIndex + ", " + colIndex + "]");
            }
        }

        TableTRElement footTrElement = tableTFootElement.createTR();
        footTrElement.setAlternativeText("Foot Row");
        for (int colIndex = 0; colIndex < 3; colIndex++) {
            footTrElement.createTD().setText("Foot " + colIndex);
        }

        document.save(outputFile.toString());
    }
}

Style tagged table cells

This example uses the shared helper method to create a table with cell-level formatting and merged cells.

  1. Create a new tagged PDF Document.
  2. Add a table element and populate it through the helper method with cell styling enabled.
  3. Save the document.
public static void styleTableCell(Path outputFile) {
    try (Document document = new Document()) {
        ITaggedContent taggedContent = document.getTaggedContent();
        taggedContent.setTitle("Example table cell style");
        taggedContent.setLanguage("en-US");

        TableElement tableElement = taggedContent.createTableElement();
        taggedContent.getRootElement().appendChild(tableElement, true);
        fillTable(tableElement, 4, 4, true);

        document.save(outputFile.toString());
    }
}

Adjust tagged table position

Use this example when a tagged table should be positioned explicitly on the page.

  1. Create a new tagged PDF Document and add a table element.
  2. Configure PositionSettings for the table.
  3. Apply the position settings, populate the table, and save the document.
public static void adjustTablePosition(Path outputFile) {
    try (Document document = new Document()) {
        ITaggedContent taggedContent = document.getTaggedContent();
        taggedContent.setTitle("Example table position");
        taggedContent.setLanguage("en-US");

        TableElement tableElement = taggedContent.createTableElement();
        taggedContent.getRootElement().appendChild(tableElement, true);

        PositionSettings positionSettings = new PositionSettings();
        positionSettings.setHorizontalAlignment(HorizontalAlignment.None);
        positionSettings.setMargin(new MarginInfo(20, 0, 0, 0));
        positionSettings.setVerticalAlignment(VerticalAlignment.None);
        positionSettings.setFirstParagraphInColumn(false);
        positionSettings.setKeptWithNext(false);
        positionSettings.setInNewPage(false);
        positionSettings.setInLineParagraph(false);
        tableElement.adjustPosition(positionSettings);

        fillTable(tableElement, 4, 4, true);
        document.save(outputFile.toString());
    }
}

Fill a tagged table with structured content

This helper method creates the header, body, and footer rows for a table, and optionally applies cell styling and spans.

  1. Create the table head, body, and foot sections.
  2. Populate header, body, and footer rows with accessible cell elements.
  3. Optionally configure styled cells, merged cells, and text state values.
private static void fillTable(TableElement tableElement, int rowCount, int colCount, boolean styleCells) {
    TableTHeadElement tableTHeadElement = tableElement.createTHead();
    TableTBodyElement tableTBodyElement = tableElement.createTBody();
    TableTFootElement tableTFootElement = tableElement.createTFoot();

    TableTRElement headTrElement = tableTHeadElement.createTR();
    headTrElement.setAlternativeText("Head Row");
    headTrElement.setBackgroundColor(Color.getLightGray());

    for (int columnIndex = 0; columnIndex < colCount; columnIndex++) {
        TableTHElement thElement = headTrElement.createTH();
        thElement.setText("Head " + columnIndex);
        thElement.setBackgroundColor(Color.getGreenYellow());
        thElement.setBorder(new BorderInfo(BorderSide.All, 4.0f, Color.getGray()));
        thElement.setNoBorder(true);
        thElement.setMargin(new MarginInfo(16.0, 2.0, 8.0, 2.0));
        thElement.setAlignment(HorizontalAlignment.Right);
    }

    for (int rowIndex = 0; rowIndex < rowCount; rowIndex++) {
        TableTRElement trElement = tableTBodyElement.createTR();
        trElement.setAlternativeText("Row " + rowIndex);

        for (int columnIndex = 0; columnIndex < colCount; columnIndex++) {
            int colSpan = 1;
            int rowSpan = 1;

            if (styleCells && columnIndex == 1 && rowIndex == 1) {
                colSpan = 2;
                rowSpan = 2;
            } else if (styleCells && ((rowIndex == 1 && columnIndex == 2)
                    || (rowIndex == 2 && (columnIndex == 1 || columnIndex == 2)))) {
                continue;
            }

            TableTDElement tdElement = trElement.createTD();
            tdElement.setText("Cell [" + rowIndex + ", " + columnIndex + "]");
            tdElement.setBackgroundColor(Color.getYellow());
            tdElement.setBorder(new BorderInfo(BorderSide.All, 4.0f, Color.getGray()));
            tdElement.setNoBorder(false);
            tdElement.setMargin(new MarginInfo(8.0, 2.0, 8.0, 2.0));
            tdElement.setAlignment(HorizontalAlignment.Center);

            TextState cellTextState = new TextState();
            cellTextState.setForegroundColor(Color.getDarkBlue());
            cellTextState.setFontSize(7.5f);
            cellTextState.setFontStyle(FontStyles.Bold);
            cellTextState.setFont(FontRepository.findFont("Arial"));
            tdElement.setDefaultCellTextState(cellTextState);

            tdElement.setWordWrapped(true);
            tdElement.setVerticalAlignment(VerticalAlignment.Center);
            tdElement.setColSpan(colSpan);
            tdElement.setRowSpan(rowSpan);
        }
    }

    TableTRElement footTrElement = tableTFootElement.createTR();
    footTrElement.setAlternativeText("Foot Row");
    footTrElement.setBackgroundColor(Color.getLightSeaGreen());

    for (int columnIndex = 0; columnIndex < colCount; columnIndex++) {
        TableTDElement tdElement = footTrElement.createTD();
        tdElement.setText("Foot " + columnIndex);
        tdElement.setAlignment(HorizontalAlignment.Center);
        tdElement.getStructureTextState().setFontSize(com.aspose.pdf.Nullable.of(7.0f));
        tdElement.getStructureTextState().setFontStyle(com.aspose.pdf.Nullable.of(FontStyles.Bold));
    }
}
Set Tagged PDF Structure Element Properties in Java