Could org-mode implement multiple rows in tables?

Could org-mode implement multiple rows in tables?

[Ma Jiehong]

Hello!

First of all, I am pleased to send my first email to the mailing list of 
org-mode! I have been using org-mode for several years, and I am very 
happy with it.

However, I would like to know if a new feature could be implemented.

Currently, org-mode tables are neat, and very easy to use. One of the 
features available, is column grouping by adding "<" and ">" to the 
required columns.

But what about  having some cells spanning through more than 1 row (that 
is to say, vertically)?

Was that already been considered in the past, and if so, why was it 
rejected? Perhaps, this could be feasible now?

Regards,

Jiehong

Re: Could org-mode implement multiple rows in tables?

[Rasmus]

Hi Ma,

Ma Jiehong <ma.jiehong@gmail.com> writes:

> But what about  having some cells spanning through more than 1 row
> (that is to say, vertically)?

Just to understand, you are asking for something like this:

|   | b |
| a |---|
|   | c |

It's not supported ATM.  You could probably make an export filter to get
it in the output, if that's what you are looking for.

There's table.el-tables which support this kind of thing, but they are
not really convenient to work with, and at least in LaTeX they will not
easily support booktabs (last I checked).

> Was that already been considered in the past, and if so, why was it
> rejected? 

I don't know.

> Perhaps, this could be feasible now?

Of course it would be feasible, but it would probably require *a lot* of
work, and you haven't argued why this is compelling.

Personally, I can see the use of multicolumns,

|    a   |
|--------|
| b | c  |

but less so of multirows.

Hope it helps,
Rasmus

-- 
One thing that is clear: it's all down hill from here 

Re: Could org-mode implement multiple rows in tables?

[Rasmus]

Rasmus <rasmus@gmx.us> writes:

>> Perhaps, this could be feasible now?
>
> Of course it would be feasible, but it would probably require *a lot* of
> work, and you haven't argued why this is compelling.

How would I even specify "a" as a multirow in the following matrix?
Maybe some signal could be used like <⋯> in the case of vertical-border
groups.

| a | b |
|   | c |

—Rasmus

-- 
m-mm-mmm-mmmm bacon!