# Is it possible to justify table title using PDF::SimpleTable **URL:** \ **Category:** Ruby\ **Created:** [July 23, 2009, 3:47pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/is-it-possible-to-justify-table-title-using-pdf-simpletable/172584 "2009-07-23T15:47:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jimb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/f4b2a3/32.png) [@jimb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jimb)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 3:47pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/is-it-possible-to-justify-table-title-using-pdf-simpletable/172584/1 "2009-07-23T15:47:19Z")
Hi, I’m making a pdf using the PDF::Writer gem. In the pdf I need a table, which I make using PDF::SimpleTable The code: pdf = PDF::Writer.new PDF::SimpleTable.new do |tab| tab.title = “My title” tab.column\_order.push(\*%w(field entry)) tab.columns[“field”] = PDF::SimpleTable::Column.new(“field”) tab.columns[“entry”] = PDF::SimpleTable::Column.new(“entry”) tab.show\_lines = :none tab.show\_headings = false tab.shade\_rows = :none tab.position = :left tab.orientation = :right data = [ { “field” , “ **Last name** ”, “entry” , “#{applicant.last\_name}” } etc … Is it possible to justify the title of the table to the left. Currently it positions itself above the table in the dead center of the table. I would like to have the title above the table, but on the left hand side. I’ve downloaded and read Austin Z.'s pdf manual from rubyforge, but I can only find commands to change the title’s color, font size and gap to table contents. I’ve also tried: tab.title = “My title”, :justify =\> left tab.title\_justify = left both of which throw errors. Would be very appreciative of any help. ---
**Author:** ![jimb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/f4b2a3/32.png) [@jimb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jimb)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 3:54pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/is-it-possible-to-justify-table-title-using-pdf-simpletable/172584/2 "2009-07-23T15:54:24Z")
On Thu, Jul 23, 2009 at 9:47 AM, Jim B.[removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > Would be very appreciative of any help. Use Prawn instead. PDF::Writer is no longer supported, except for critical bug fixes. [http://prawn.majesticseacreature.com/](http://prawn.majesticseacreature.com/) ---
**Author:** ![jimb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/f4b2a3/32.png) [@jimb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jimb)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 6:13pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/is-it-possible-to-justify-table-title-using-pdf-simpletable/172584/3 "2009-07-23T18:13:00Z")
On Thu, Jul 23, 2009 at 11:34 AM, Jim B.[removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > get font\_style on a per cell basis within a table. > There are actually three ways to do it: # may require the 0.5 pre-release, can’t remember table [{ :text =\> “blah”, :font\_style =\> :bold }, “another field”] and also: require “prawn/format” table [[“ **foo** ”, “…”]] Both of these have some issues, but work fine for basic needs. Patches welcome if you run into problems. > What does ‘no longer supported’ actually mean? > No longer being developed or is there some other compatibility issue to > consider? Well, PDF::Writer will never really support UTF-8, the patches to make it run on Ruby 1.9 that appeared recently only do so in a very basic level, and there are many subtle oddities / bugs that never got fixed. The API is very poor by modern Ruby standards (even if it was great in its time), and performance is abysmal. Also, technically speaking I’m the maintainer of PDF::Writer right now, and my solution to ‘fix’ it was to build Prawn, after I did some minor cleanup and bug fixes that were collecting dust for a couple years. The only reason PDF::Writer isn’t officially dead yet is because Prawn isn’t officially alive yet. But folks keep on contributing, and I shave off time where I can. I’m hoping to have something ready by the year end. -greg ---
**Author:** ![jimb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/f4b2a3/32.png) [@jimb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jimb)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 6:14pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/is-it-possible-to-justify-table-title-using-pdf-simpletable/172584/4 "2009-07-23T18:14:45Z")
On Thu, Jul 23, 2009 at 12:11 PM, Gregory Brown[removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > On Thu, Jul 23, 2009 at 11:34 AM, Jim B.[removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > There are actually three ways to do it: > > # may require the 0.5 pre-release, can’t remember > > table [{ :text =\> “blah”, :font\_style =\> :bold }, “another field”] > > and also: > > require “prawn/format” > table [[“ **foo** ”, “…”]] - but the third way (manually building a Prawn::Table::Cell), is not recommended ---
**Author:** ![jimb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/f4b2a3/32.png) [@jimb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jimb)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 5:34pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/is-it-possible-to-justify-table-title-using-pdf-simpletable/172584/5 "2009-07-23T17:34:25Z")
> Use Prawn instead. PDF::Writer is no longer supported, except for > critical bug fixes. > > [http://prawn.majesticseacreature.com/](http://prawn.majesticseacreature.com/) Thanks for that. I just downloaded and installed the prawn gem and have spent the past hour and a half recreating my table using prawn. One issue which puts me off using it however, is that there is no way to get font\_style on a per cell basis within a table. What does ‘no longer supported’ actually mean? No longer being developed or is there some other compatibility issue to consider? ---
**Author:** ![jimb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/f4b2a3/32.png) [@jimb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jimb)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 6:39pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/is-it-possible-to-justify-table-title-using-pdf-simpletable/172584/6 "2009-07-23T18:39:56Z")
On Thu, Jul 23, 2009 at 12:31 PM, Jim B.[removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > > # may require the 0.5 pre-release, can’t remember > > > > table [{ :text =\> “blah”, :font\_style =\> :bold }, “another field”] > > Great, that works perfectly (also on prawn 0.5.0.1) > I had based my previous statement that this was not possible on one of > your posts to google groups: > [http://groups.google.com/group/prawn-ruby/browse\_thread/thread/4dbd89db83c35c85](http://groups.google.com/group/prawn-ruby/browse_thread/thread/4dbd89db83c35c85) Ah, I see. Yeah, I’ve been quitely merging patchs and adding things, probably not the best of practices. Prawn will have a renaissance of activity and buzz after 0.5.1, because I’ll be doing a better job of keeping folks informed of what’s to come and what’s there by then. That’s why it’s taking me so long, I’m trying to transition from an alpha product to something that looks like it might actually see a 1.0 someday. Things will get better soon. 🙂 -greg ---
**Author:** ![jimb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/f4b2a3/32.png) [@jimb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jimb)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 6:31pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/is-it-possible-to-justify-table-title-using-pdf-simpletable/172584/7 "2009-07-23T18:31:48Z")
> # may require the 0.5 pre-release, can’t remember > > table [{ :text =\> “blah”, :font\_style =\> :bold }, “another field”] Great, that works perfectly (also on prawn 0.5.0.1) I had based my previous statement that this was not possible on one of your posts to google groups: [http://groups.google.com/group/prawn-ruby/browse\_thread/thread/4dbd89db83c35c85](http://groups.google.com/group/prawn-ruby/browse_thread/thread/4dbd89db83c35c85) Thanks also for your answer as to why PDF::Writer isn’t such a good option. I will use prawn for pdf generation from now on. Thanks again.