Coloring longtable rows via macro

Question

coming from here: former thread, I focus on one question and provide a MVE. My problem is: I want to color rows in a longtable with the same color via a macro, to differentiate between two different builds, triggered from outside (internal and public version). Doing this via rowcolor, only the first row is colored, others remain in default background color. I could use the command on every row, however I want only to have one command.

Thanks.

The MWE is:

\documentclass[a4paper,11pt,index=totoc]{scrreprt}

% --- out of style file

% \def\isRelease{1}

\usepackage{colortbl} 
\usepackage{array}
\usepackage{longtable}
\usepackage{booktabs}
\usepackage[justification=centering,font=scriptsize,labelfont=bf,position=bottom]{caption}
\usepackage{xifthen} 
\usepackage{color}

\newcommand{\headcol}{\rowcolor{black}}
\newcommand{\internCol}{\rowcolor{yellow}}

\newcommand{\startLongTable}%
{%
  \renewcommand{\arraystretch}{1.2}%
  \setlength\LTleft{0pt plus \textwidth}%
  \setlength\LTright{0pt plus \textwidth}%
}

\newcommand{\tableRowEnd}%
{%
\\ \midrule%
}

\newcommand{\lastTableRowEnd}%
{%
\\ \addlinespace%
}

\newcommand{\preTableHeaderLine}{\arrayrulecolor{black}\specialrule{\heavyrulewidth}{\abovetopsep}{0pt}%
            \arrayrulecolor{black}\specialrule{\belowrulesep}{0pt}{0pt}%
            \arrayrulecolor{black}}
\newcommand{\postTableHeaderLine}{\arrayrulecolor{black}\specialrule{\aboverulesep}{0pt}{0pt}%
            \arrayrulecolor{black}\specialrule{\lightrulewidth}{0pt}{0pt}%
            \arrayrulecolor{black}}

\newcommand{\tableIntern}[2]%
{%
  \ifdefined\isRelease%
    #1%
  \else%
    \tableRowEnd%
    \internCol#2%
  \fi%
}

% --- --------------------------

\begin{document}

\startLongTable
\begin{longtable}{ >{\centering}p{0.1\textwidth-2\tabcolsep} 
                                p{0.2\textwidth-2\tabcolsep} 
                                p{0.4\textwidth-2\tabcolsep} 
                   >{\centering}p{0.2\textwidth-2\tabcolsep}
    >{\centering\arraybackslash}p{0.1\textwidth-2\tabcolsep}
                 }
\preTableHeaderLine
\headcol \color{white} Field & \color{white} Name & \color{white} Description & \color{white} Format & \color{white} \# \\
\postTableHeaderLine \addlinespace
\endhead
1 & Field1 & Name1 & A & 2 \tableRowEnd
2 & Field2 & Name2 & B & 3
\tableIntern{\lastTableRowEnd}
{
3 & Field3 & Name3 & C & 3 \tableRowEnd
4 & Field4 & Name4 & C & 4 \lastTableRowEnd
}
\bottomrule
\caption{stackoverflow MWE}
\label{table:stackoverflowMWE}
\end{longtable}


\end{document}

Answer 1

You can load xcolor with option [table] instead of colortbl: it extends the latter with a \rowcolors{no of 1st coloured row}{odd rows colour}{even rows colour} command which does what you want if you choose the same colour for even and odd rows.

Just a comment aside: I don't think the horizontal rules between coloured rows look very nice. You might as well replace them with \addlinespace. Also, if you want horizontal rules without the white strips, you can set \above/belowrulesep to 0pt and add some (coloured) padding with the cellspace package. Last point: in my opinion, the white column heads on a black background are more readable with a bold font.

\documentclass[a4paper,11pt,index=totoc]{scrreprt}

% --- out of style file

% \def\isRelease{1}

\usepackage[table]{xcolor}
\usepackage{array}
\usepackage{longtable}
\usepackage{booktabs}
\usepackage[justification=centering,font=scriptsize,labelfont=bf,position=bottom]{caption}
\usepackage{xifthen}

\newcommand{\headcol}{\rowcolor{black}}
\newcommand{\internCol}{\rowcolor{yellow}}

\newcommand{\startLongTable}%
{%
  \renewcommand{\arraystretch}{1.2}%
  \setlength\LTleft{0pt plus \textwidth}%
  \setlength\LTright{0pt plus \textwidth}%
}

\newcommand{\tableRowEnd}%
{%
\\ \midrule%
}

\newcommand{\lastTableRowEnd}%
{%
\\ \addlinespace%
}

\newcommand{\preTableHeaderLine}{\arrayrulecolor{black}\specialrule{\heavyrulewidth}{\abovetopsep}{0pt}%
            \arrayrulecolor{black}\specialrule{\belowrulesep}{0pt}{0pt}%
            \arrayrulecolor{black}}
\newcommand{\postTableHeaderLine}{\arrayrulecolor{black}\specialrule{\aboverulesep}{0pt}{0pt}%
            \arrayrulecolor{black}\specialrule{\lightrulewidth}{0pt}{0pt}%
            \arrayrulecolor{black}}

\newcommand{\tableIntern}[2]%
{%
  \ifdefined\isRelease%
    #1%
  \else%
    \tableRowEnd%
    \internCol#2%
  \fi%
}

% --- --------------------------

\begin{document}

\startLongTable\rowcolors{2}{yellow}{yellow}
\begin{longtable}{ >{\centering}p{0.1\textwidth-2\tabcolsep}
                                p{0.2\textwidth-2\tabcolsep}
                                p{0.4\textwidth-2\tabcolsep}
                   >{\centering}p{0.2\textwidth-2\tabcolsep}
    >{\centering\arraybackslash}p{0.1\textwidth-2\tabcolsep}
                 }
\preTableHeaderLine
\headcol \color{white}\bfseries Field & \color{white}\bfseries Name & \color{white}\bfseries Description & \color{white}\bfseries Format & \color{white}\bfseries \# \\
\postTableHeaderLine \addlinespace
\endhead
1 & Field1 & Name1 & A & 2 \tableRowEnd
2 & Field2 & Name2 & B & 3
\tableIntern{\lastTableRowEnd}
{
3 & Field3 & Name3 & C & 3 \tableRowEnd
4 & Field4 & Name4 & C & 4 \lastTableRowEnd
}
\hiderowcolors
\bottomrule
\caption{stackoverflow MWE}
\label{table:stackoverflowMWE}
\end{longtable}

\end{document} 

Edit:

Another code, playing with the \showRowcolors and \hideRowcolors switches to activate and deactivate row colouring:

\documentclass[a4paper,11pt,index=totoc]{scrreprt}
    % --- out of style file

    % \def\isRelease{1}

    \usepackage[table]{xcolor}
    \usepackage{array}
    \usepackage{longtable}
    \usepackage{booktabs}
    \usepackage[justification=centering,font=scriptsize,labelfont=bf,position=bottom]{caption}
    \usepackage{xifthen}

    \newcommand{\headcol}{\rowcolor{black}}
    \newcommand{\internCol}{\rowcolor{yellow}}

    \newcommand{\startLongTable}%
    {%
      \renewcommand{\arraystretch}{1.2}%
      \setlength\LTleft{0pt plus \textwidth}%
      \setlength\LTright{0pt plus \textwidth}%
    }

    \newcommand{\tableRowEnd}%
    {%
    \\ \midrule%
    }

    \newcommand{\lastTableRowEnd}%
    {%
    \\ \addlinespace%
    }

    \newcommand{\preTableHeaderLine}{\arrayrulecolor{black}\specialrule{\heavyrulewidth}{\abovetopsep}{0pt}%
\specialrule{\belowrulesep}{0pt}{0pt}%
}
    \newcommand{\postTableHeaderLine}{\arrayrulecolor{black}\specialrule{\aboverulesep}{0pt}{0pt}%
                \specialrule{\lightrulewidth}{0pt}{0pt}%
                }

    \newcommand{\tableIntern}[2]%
    {%
      \ifdefined\isRelease%
        #1%
      \else%
        \tableRowEnd%
        \internCol#2%
      \fi%
    }

    % --- --------------------------

    \begin{document}
    \startLongTable\rowcolors{2}{yellow}{yellow}
    \begin{longtable}{ >{\centering}p{0.1\textwidth-2\tabcolsep}
                                    p{0.2\textwidth-2\tabcolsep}
                                    p{0.4\textwidth-2\tabcolsep}
                       >{\centering}p{0.2\textwidth-2\tabcolsep}
        >{\centering\arraybackslash}p{0.1\textwidth-2\tabcolsep}
                     }
    \preTableHeaderLine
    \headcol \color{white}\bfseries Field & \color{white}\bfseries Name & \color{white}\bfseries Description & \color{white}\bfseries Format & \color{white}\bfseries \# \\
    \postTableHeaderLine% \addlinespace
    \endhead
    \hiderowcolors 1 & Field1 & Name1 & A & 2 \tableRowEnd
    2 & Field2 & Name2 & B & 3
    \tableIntern{\lastTableRowEnd}
    {
    3 & Field3 & Name3 & C & 3 \tableRowEnd
    4 & Field4 & Name4 & C & 4 \tableRowEnd
    }
    \hiderowcolors 5 & Field5 & Name5 & D & 2 \tableRowEnd
    \showrowcolors 6 & Field6 & Name6 & E & 3\lastTableRowEnd
        \hiderowcolors
    \bottomrule
    \caption{stackoverflow MWE}
    \label{table:stackoverflowMWE}
    \end{longtable}

    \end{document} 

Answer 2

I wouldn't put tabular lines in an argument. This is rather fragile. I would use a syntax like \startrelease ... \stoprelease.

Beside this: If your \tableIntern part ends with a different line command then something like this could work:

\documentclass[a4paper,11pt,index=totoc]{scrreprt}

% --- out of style file

% \def\isRelease{1}

\usepackage{colortbl}
\usepackage{array}
\usepackage{longtable}
\usepackage{booktabs}
\usepackage[justification=centering,font=scriptsize,labelfont=bf,position=bottom]{caption}
\usepackage{xifthen}
\usepackage{color}

\newcommand{\headcol}{\rowcolor{black}}
\newcommand{\internCol}{\rowcolor{yellow}}

\newcommand{\startLongTable}%
{%
  \renewcommand{\arraystretch}{1.2}%
  \setlength\LTleft{0pt plus \textwidth}%
  \setlength\LTright{0pt plus \textwidth}%
}

\newcommand{\tableRowEnd}%
{%
\\ \midrule%
}

\newcommand{\lastTableRowEnd}%
{%
\\ \addlinespace%
}

\newcommand{\preTableHeaderLine}{\arrayrulecolor{black}\specialrule{\heavyrulewidth}{\abovetopsep}{0pt}%
            \arrayrulecolor{black}\specialrule{\belowrulesep}{0pt}{0pt}%
            \arrayrulecolor{black}}
\newcommand{\postTableHeaderLine}{\arrayrulecolor{black}\specialrule{\aboverulesep}{0pt}{0pt}%
            \arrayrulecolor{black}\specialrule{\lightrulewidth}{0pt}{0pt}%
            \arrayrulecolor{black}}

\newcommand{\tableIntern}[2]%
{%
  \ifdefined\isRelease%
    #1%
  \else%
    \gdef \tableRowEnd{\\\midrule\internCol}%
    \gdef \lastTableRowEnd{\gdef\tableRowEnd{\\\midrule}\\\addlinespace}%
    \tableRowEnd%
    \internCol#2%
  \fi%
}

% --- --------------------------

\begin{document}

\startLongTable
\begin{longtable}{ >{\centering}p{0.1\textwidth-2\tabcolsep}
                                p{0.2\textwidth-2\tabcolsep}
                                p{0.4\textwidth-2\tabcolsep}
                   >{\centering}p{0.2\textwidth-2\tabcolsep}
    >{\centering\arraybackslash}p{0.1\textwidth-2\tabcolsep}
                 }
\preTableHeaderLine
\headcol \color{white} Field & \color{white} Name & \color{white} Description & \color{white} Format & \color{white} \# \\
\postTableHeaderLine \addlinespace
\endhead
1 & Field1 & Name1 & A & 2 \tableRowEnd
2 & Field2 & Name2 & B & 3
\tableIntern{\lastTableRowEnd}
{
3 & Field3 & Name3 & C & 3 \tableRowEnd
4 & Field4 & Name4 & C & 4 \lastTableRowEnd
}
5 & text & Name3 & C & 3 \tableRowEnd
6 & test\\
\bottomrule
\caption{stackoverflow MWE}
\label{table:stackoverflowMWE}
\end{longtable}


\end{document}

Answer 3

An idea is to create a "phantom extra column" and give an empty multirow command inside it with only the row color... If you find difficulties... ask me to help you... (I tried a little but it is a little complicated to get in your code). I think you can do it very easy (You already know how your code works)