# Tables

This tutorial shows different ways to make tables.

    <?php
    require('fpdf.php');

    class PDF extends FPDF
    {
    // Load data
    function LoadData($file)
    {
        // Read file lines
        $lines = file($file);
        $data = array();
        foreach($lines as $line)
            $data[] = explode(';',trim($line));
        return $data;
    }

    // Simple table
    function BasicTable($header, $data)
    {
        // Header
        foreach($header as $col)
            $this->Cell(40,7,$col,1);
        $this->Ln();
        // Data
        foreach($data as $row)
        {
            foreach($row as $col)
                $this->Cell(40,6,$col,1);
            $this->Ln();
        }
    }

    // Better table
    function ImprovedTable($header, $data)
    {
        // Column widths
        $w = array(40, 35, 40, 45);
        // Header
        for($i=0;$i<count($header);$i++)
            $this->Cell($w[$i],7,$header[$i],1,0,'C');
        $this->Ln();
        // Data
        foreach($data as $row)
        {
            $this->Cell($w[0],6,$row[0],'LR');
            $this->Cell($w[1],6,$row[1],'LR');
            $this->Cell($w[2],6,number_format($row[2]),'LR',0,'R');
            $this->Cell($w[3],6,number_format($row[3]),'LR',0,'R');
            $this->Ln();
        }
        // Closing line
        $this->Cell(array_sum($w),0,'','T');
    }

    // Colored table
    function FancyTable($header, $data)
    {
        // Colors, line width and bold font
        $this->SetFillColor(255,0,0);
        $this->SetTextColor(255);
        $this->SetDrawColor(128,0,0);
        $this->SetLineWidth(.3);
        $this->SetFont('','B');
        // Header
        $w = array(40, 35, 40, 45);
        for($i=0;$i<count($header);$i++)
            $this->Cell($w[$i],7,$header[$i],1,0,'C',true);
        $this->Ln();
        // Color and font restoration
        $this->SetFillColor(224,235,255);
        $this->SetTextColor(0);
        $this->SetFont('');
        // Data
        $fill = false;
        foreach($data as $row)
        {
            $this->Cell($w[0],6,$row[0],'LR',0,'L',$fill);
            $this->Cell($w[1],6,$row[1],'LR',0,'L',$fill);
            $this->Cell($w[2],6,number_format($row[2]),'LR',0,'R',$fill);
            $this->Cell($w[3],6,number_format($row[3]),'LR',0,'R',$fill);
            $this->Ln();
            $fill = !$fill;
        }
        // Closing line
        $this->Cell(array_sum($w),0,'','T');
    }
    }

    $pdf = new PDF();
    // Column headings
    $header = array('Country', 'Capital', 'Area (sq km)', 'Pop. (thousands)');
    // Data loading
    $data = $pdf->LoadData('countries.txt');
    $pdf->SetFont('Arial','',14);
    $pdf->AddPage();
    $pdf->BasicTable($header,$data);
    $pdf->AddPage();
    $pdf->ImprovedTable($header,$data);
    $pdf->AddPage();
    $pdf->FancyTable($header,$data);
    $pdf->Output();
    ?>

[Demo]

A table being just a collection of cells, it's natural to build one from them. The first example is achieved in the most basic way possible: simple framed cells, all of the same size and left aligned. The result is rudimentary but very quick to obtain.
The second table brings some improvements: each column has its own width, headings are centered, and numbers right aligned. Moreover, horizontal lines have been removed. This is done by means of the `border` parameter of the Cell() method, which specifies which sides of the cell must be drawn. Here we want the left (`L`) and right (`R`) ones. It remains the problem of the horizontal line to finish the table. There are two possibilities: either check for the last line in the loop, in which case we use `LRB` for the `border` parameter; or, as done here, add the line once the loop is over.
The third table is similar to the second one but uses colors. Fill, text and line colors are simply specified. Alternate coloring for rows is obtained by using alternatively transparent and filled cells.