56

Is there any way to get automatic row numbers in table?

For example, if I define table contents as

\begin{tabular} % black magic column definition
   \rownumber & foo\\
   \rownumber & bar\\
   \rownumber & baz\\
\end{tabular}

and get something like

1 | foo
2 | bar
3 | baz
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1

4 Answers 4

Reset to default
44 
\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{array,etoolbox}
\preto\tabular{\setcounter{magicrownumbers}{0}}
\newcounter{magicrownumbers}
\newcommand\rownumber{\stepcounter{magicrownumbers}\arabic{magicrownumbers}}
\begin{document}

\begin{tabular}{@{\makebox[3em][r]{\rownumber\space}} | r}
  Something \\
  Other stuff \\
  MAGIC!
\end{tabular}

\end{document}

output

enter image description here
If you want to start with the second row use

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{array,etoolbox}
\preto\tabular{\setcounter{magicrownumbers}{0}}
\newcounter{magicrownumbers}
\def\rownumber{}
\begin{document}

\begin{tabular}{@{\makebox[3em][r]{\rownumber\space}} | r}
  Something 
  \gdef\rownumber{\stepcounter{magicrownumbers}\arabic{magicrownumbers}} \\
  Other stuff \\
  MAGIC!
\end{tabular}

\end{document}

output
enter image description here

If one wants a heading for the columns use:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{array,etoolbox}
\preto\tabular{\setcounter{magicrownumbers}{0}}
\newcounter{magicrownumbers}
\newcommand\rownumber{\stepcounter{magicrownumbers}\arabic{magicrownumbers}}
\begin{document}

\begin{tabular}{@{\makebox[3em][r]{\rownumber\space}} | r}
\multicolumn{1}{@{\makebox[3em][r]{ID~}} | r}{\emph{whatever}}\\    
        Something \\
        Other stuff \\
        MAGIC!
\end{tabular}

\end{document}

enter image description here

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13
  • 1
    Is it possible to start numbering at the second line? i.e. have a header row? TIA.
    – Fabian Tamp
    Oct 10, 2012 at 12:00
  • 2
    edit the command \rownumber that it test the value: \ifnum\themagicrownumber>2\relax\arabic{magicrownumbers}\fi` then it puts only the number at the third row
    – user2478
    Jun 30, 2013 at 7:08
  • 1
    @Herbert Do you mean replace \begin{tabular}{@{\makebox[3em][r]{\rownumber\space}} | r} with \begin{tabular}{@{\makebox[3em][r]{\ifnum\themagicrownumber>2\relax\arabic{magicrownumbers}\fi\space}} | r} ? When I do that, I get "Undefined control sequence" errors.
    – David Doria
    Jul 7, 2014 at 14:21
  • 1
    @littleO: see my edited answer
    – user2478
    Sep 5, 2015 at 7:10
  • 1
    see edited anwer (at the end)
    – user2478
    Dec 8, 2018 at 10:36
43

You could just make it use a counter...

\documentclass{article}
\newcounter{magicrownumbers}
\newcommand\rownumber{\stepcounter{magicrownumbers}\arabic{magicrownumbers}}
\begin{document}
\begin{tabular}{l|r}
  \rownumber & Something \\
  \rownumber & Other stuff \\
  \rownumber & MAGIC!
\end{tabular}
\end{document}

enter image description here

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11
  • 2
    Is there any frendly way to reset the counter between tables?
    – miah
    Jun 21, 2011 at 11:56
  • 4
    @miah: Load etoolbox and say \preto\tabular{\setcounter{magicrownumbers}{0}}
    – egreg
    Jun 21, 2011 at 11:58
  • 6
    @egreg I put that before my second table but the counter did not reset. I had to use simply \setcounter{magicrownumbers}{0} instead
    – David Doria
    Jul 7, 2014 at 14:27
  • @DavidDoria That code should go in the preamble.
    – egreg
    Jul 7, 2014 at 14:29
  • @egreg Hm, even with that in the preamble, the row numbers do not reset for me unless I clear the counter manually as I explained.
    – David Doria
    Jul 7, 2014 at 15:05
2

The environment {NiceTabular} of nicematrix has its own built-in counter for the rows called iRow.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{nicematrix}

\begin{document}

\begin{NiceTabular}{>{\arabic{iRow}}c|c}
&  Something \\
&  Other stuff \\
&  MAGIC!
\end{NiceTabular}

\end{document}

Output of the above code

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0

A quick plain-format version as well for completenes:

\newcount\rowcount
\def\myhalign#1{\halign{\global\advance\rowcount by 1 \the\rowcount\quad##&#1}\rowcount=0}
% Yes, yes, next up in *sniping*: "One problem: you can't use repeating preamble"...
\myhalign{#\hfil\cr
  blah\cr
  foo\cr}
\halign{#\hfil\cr
  bar\cr
  baz\cr}
\myhalign{&#\hfil\cr
  asdf&asdf&asdf\cr
  sdfg&asdf&dfgh\cr}
\myhalign{#\hfil&&\hfil#\cr
  doesn't&work\cr
  boo&hoo\cr}
\bye
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3
  • Two problems. 1. Every subsequent \halign will advance the counter even if it doesn't need it. 2. If a row shouldn't be numbered (a header), omitting \the\rowcount would not avoid stepping the counter. The stepping should go in the table preamble.
    – egreg
    Jun 21, 2011 at 14:48
  • @egreg I wasn't aiming for a be-all-end-all solution; just an answer to the question.
    – morbusg
    Jun 21, 2011 at 14:51
  • @egreg: You don't need the @<username>-notation when you're addressing your comment to the answerer/questioner.
    – morbusg
    Jun 21, 2011 at 14:57

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