Manage Table

A table in PowerPoint is an efficient way of displaying and portraying information. The information in a grid of cells (arranged in rows and columns) is straightforward and easy to understand.

Aspose.Slides provides the Table class, ITable interface, Cell class, ICell interface, and other types to allow you to create, update, and manage tables in all kinds of presentations.

Create Table from Scratch

  1. Create an instance of the Presentation class.
  2. Get a slide’s reference through its index.
  3. Define an array of columnWidth.
  4. Define an array of rowHeight.
  5. Add an ITable object to the slide through the addTable method.
  6. Iterate through each ICell to apply formatting to the top, bottom, right, and left borders.
  7. Merge the first two cells of the table’s first row.
  8. Access an ICell’s TextFrame.
  9. Add some text to the TextFrame.
  10. Save the modified presentation.

This Java code shows you how to create a table in a presentation:

// Instantiates a Presentation class that represents a PPTX file
Presentation pres = new Presentation();
try {
    // Accesses the first slide
    ISlide sld = pres.getSlides().get_Item(0);

    // Defines columns with widths and rows with heights
    double[] dblCols = {50, 50, 50};
    double[] dblRows = {50, 30, 30, 30, 30};

    // Adds a table shape to slide
    ITable tbl = sld.getShapes().addTable(100, 50, dblCols, dblRows);

    // Sets the border format for each cell
    for (int row = 0; row < tbl.getRows().size(); row++)
    {
        for (int cell = 0; cell < tbl.getRows().get_Item(row).size(); cell++)
        {
            ICellFormat cellFormat = tbl.getRows().get_Item(row).get_Item(cell).getCellFormat();
            
            cellFormat.getBorderTop().getFillFormat().setFillType(FillType.Solid);
            cellFormat.getBorderTop().getFillFormat().getSolidFillColor().setColor(Color.RED);
            cellFormat.getBorderTop().setWidth(5);

            cellFormat.getBorderBottom().getFillFormat().setFillType(FillType.Solid);
            cellFormat.getBorderBottom().getFillFormat().getSolidFillColor().setColor(Color.RED);
            cellFormat.getBorderBottom().setWidth(5);

            cellFormat.getBorderLeft().getFillFormat().setFillType(FillType.Solid);
            cellFormat.getBorderLeft().getFillFormat().getSolidFillColor().setColor(Color.RED);
            cellFormat.getBorderLeft().setWidth(5);

            cellFormat.getBorderRight().getFillFormat().setFillType(FillType.Solid);
            cellFormat.getBorderRight().getFillFormat().getSolidFillColor().setColor(Color.RED);
            cellFormat.getBorderRight().setWidth(5);
        }
    }
    // Merges cells 1 & 2 of row 1
    tbl.mergeCells(tbl.getRows().get_Item(0).get_Item(0), tbl.getRows().get_Item(1).get_Item(1), false);

    // Adds some text to the merged cell
    tbl.getRows().get_Item(0).get_Item(0).getTextFrame().setText("Merged Cells");

    // Saves the presentation to Disk
    pres.save("table.pptx", SaveFormat.Pptx);
} finally {
    if (pres != null) pres.dispose();
}

Numbering in Standard Table

In a standard table, the numeration of cells is straightforward and zero-based. The first cell in a table is indexed as 0,0 (column 0, row 0).

For example, the cells in a table with 4 columns and 4 rows are numbered this way:

(0, 0) (1, 0) (2, 0) (3, 0)
(0, 1) (1, 1) (2, 1) (3, 1)
(0, 2) (1, 2) (2, 2) (3, 2)
(0, 3) (1, 3) (2, 3) (3, 3)

This Java code shows you how to specify the numbering for cells in a table:

// Instantiates a Presentation class that represents a PPTX file
Presentation pres = new Presentation();
try {
    // Accesses first slide
    ISlide sld = pres.getSlides().get_Item(0);

    // Defines columns with widths and rows with heights
    double[] dblCols = { 70, 70, 70, 70 };
    double[] dblRows = { 70, 70, 70, 70 };

    // Adds a table shape to slide
    ITable tbl = sld.getShapes().addTable(100, 50, dblCols, dblRows);

    // Sets the border format for each cell
    for (IRow row : tbl.getRows())
    {
        for (ICell cell : row)
        {
            cell.getCellFormat().getBorderTop().getFillFormat().setFillType(FillType.Solid);
            cell.getCellFormat().getBorderTop().getFillFormat().getSolidFillColor().setColor(Color.RED);
            cell.getCellFormat().getBorderTop().setWidth(5);

            cell.getCellFormat().getBorderBottom().getFillFormat().setFillType(FillType.Solid);
            cell.getCellFormat().getBorderBottom().getFillFormat().getSolidFillColor().setColor(Color.RED);
            cell.getCellFormat().getBorderBottom().setWidth(5);

            cell.getCellFormat().getBorderLeft().getFillFormat().setFillType(FillType.Solid);
            cell.getCellFormat().getBorderLeft().getFillFormat().getSolidFillColor().setColor(Color.RED);
            cell.getCellFormat().getBorderLeft().setWidth(5);

            cell.getCellFormat().getBorderRight().getFillFormat().setFillType(FillType.Solid);
            cell.getCellFormat().getBorderRight().getFillFormat().getSolidFillColor().setColor(Color.RED);
            cell.getCellFormat().getBorderRight().setWidth(5);
        }
    }

    // Saves presentation to disk
    pres.save("StandardTables_out.pptx", SaveFormat.Pptx);
} finally {
    if (pres != null) pres.dispose();
}

Access Existing Table

  1. Create an instance of the Presentation class.

  2. Get a reference to the slide containing the table through its index.

  3. Create an ITable object and set it to null.

  4. Iterate through all IShape objects till the table is found.

    If you suspect the slide you are dealing with contains a single table, you can simply check all the shapes it contains. When a shape is identified as a table, you can typecast it as a Table object. But if the slide you are dealing with contains several tables, then you are better off searching for the table you need through its setAlternativeText(String value).

  5. Use the ITable object to work with the table. In the example below, we added a new row to the table.

  6. Save the modified presentation.

This Java code shows you how to access and work with an existing table:

// Instantiates the Presentation class that represents a PPTX file
Presentation pres = new Presentation("UpdateExistingTable.pptx");
try {

    // Accesses the first slide
    ISlide sld = pres.getSlides().get_Item(0);

    // Initializes null TableEx
    ITable tbl = null;

    // Iterates through the shapes and sets a reference to the table found
    for (IShape shp : sld.getShapes()) 
    {
        if (shp instanceof ITable) 
        {
            tbl = (ITable) shp;
            // Sets the text for the first column of the second row
            tbl.get_Item(0, 1).getTextFrame().setText("New");
        }
    }
    
    // Saves the modified presentation to disk
    pres.save("table1_out.pptx", SaveFormat.Pptx);
} finally {
    if (pres != null) pres.dispose();
}

Align Text in Table

  1. Create an instance of the Presentation class.
  2. Get a slide’s reference through its index.
  3. Add an ITable object to the slide.
  4. Access an ITextFrame object from the table.
  5. Access the ITextFrame IParagraph.
  6. Align the text vertically.
  7. Save the modified presentation.

This Java code shows you how to align the text in a table:

// Creates an instance of the Presentation class
Presentation pres = new Presentation();
try {
    // Gets the first slide 
    ISlide slide = pres.getSlides().get_Item(0);
    
    // Defines columns with widths and rows with heights
    double[] dblCols = { 120, 120, 120, 120 };
    double[] dblRows = { 100, 100, 100, 100 };
    
    // Adds the table shape to the slide
    ITable tbl = slide.getShapes().addTable(100, 50, dblCols, dblRows);
    tbl.get_Item(1, 0).getTextFrame().setText("10");
    tbl.get_Item(2, 0).getTextFrame().setText("20");
    tbl.get_Item(3, 0).getTextFrame().setText("30");
    
    // Accesses the text frame
    ITextFrame txtFrame = tbl.get_Item(0, 0).getTextFrame();
    
    // Creates the Paragraph object for the text frame
    IParagraph paragraph = txtFrame.getParagraphs().get_Item(0);
    
    // Creates the Portion object for paragraph
    IPortion portion = paragraph.getPortions().get_Item(0);
    portion.setText("Text here");
    portion.getPortionFormat().getFillFormat().setFillType(FillType.Solid);
    portion.getPortionFormat().getFillFormat().getSolidFillColor().setColor(Color.BLACK);
    
    // Aligns the text vertically
    ICell cell = tbl.get_Item(0, 0);
    cell.setTextAnchorType(TextAnchorType.Center);
    cell.setTextVerticalType(TextVerticalType.Vertical270);
    
    // Saves the presentation to disk
    pres.save("Vertical_Align_Text_out.pptx", SaveFormat.Pptx);
} finally {
    if (pres != null) pres.dispose();
}

Set Text Formatting on Table Level

  1. Create an instance of the Presentation class.
  2. Get a slide’s reference through its index.
  3. Access an ITable object from the Slide.
  4. Set the setFontHeight(float value) for the text.
  5. Set the setAlignment(int value) and setMarginRight(float value).
  6. Set the setTextVerticalType(byte value).
  7. Save the modified presentation.

This Java code shows you how to apply your preferred formatting options to the text in a table:

// Creates an instance of the Presentation class
Presentation pres = new Presentation("simpletable.pptx");
try {
    // Let's assume that the first shape on the first slide is a table
    ITable someTable = (ITable) pres.getSlides().get_Item(0).getShapes().get_Item(0);
    
    // Sets the table cells' font height
    PortionFormat portionFormat = new PortionFormat();
    portionFormat.setFontHeight(25);
    someTable.setTextFormat(portionFormat);
    
    // Sets the table cells' text alignment and right margin in one call
    ParagraphFormat paragraphFormat = new ParagraphFormat();
    paragraphFormat.setAlignment(TextAlignment.Right);
    paragraphFormat.setMarginRight(20);
    someTable.setTextFormat(paragraphFormat);
    
    // Sets the table cells' text vertical type
    TextFrameFormat textFrameFormat = new TextFrameFormat();
    textFrameFormat.setTextVerticalType(TextVerticalType.Vertical);
    someTable.setTextFormat(textFrameFormat);
    
    pres.save("result.pptx", SaveFormat.Pptx);
} finally {
    if (pres != null) pres.dispose();
}

Get Table Style Properties

Aspose.Slides allows you to retrieve the style properties for a table so that you can use those details for another table or somewhere else. This Java code shows you how to get the style properties from a table preset style:

Presentation pres = new Presentation();
try {
    ITable table = pres.getSlides().get_Item(0).getShapes().addTable(10, 10, new double[] { 100, 150 }, new double[] { 5, 5, 5 });
    table.setStylePreset(TableStylePreset.DarkStyle1); // change the default style preset theme 
    pres.save("table.pptx", SaveFormat.Pptx);
} finally {
    if (pres != null) pres.dispose();
}

Lock Aspect Ratio of Table

The aspect ratio of a geometric shape is the ratio of its sizes in different dimensions. Aspose.Slides provided the setAspectRatioLocked property to allow you to lock the aspect ratio setting for tables and other shapes.

This Java code shows you how to lock the aspect ratio for a table:

Presentation pres = new Presentation("pres.pptx");
try {
    ITable table = (ITable)pres.getSlides().get_Item(0).getShapes().get_Item(0);
    System.out.println("Lock aspect ratio set: " + table.getGraphicalObjectLock().getAspectRatioLocked());

    table.getGraphicalObjectLock().setAspectRatioLocked(!table.getGraphicalObjectLock().getAspectRatioLocked()); // invert

    System.out.println("Lock aspect ratio set: " + table.getGraphicalObjectLock().getAspectRatioLocked());

    pres.save("pres-out.pptx", SaveFormat.Pptx);
} finally {
    if (pres != null) pres.dispose();
}
Manage Rows and Columns