# Missing number treated as zero using booktabs+siunits

I am learning to use the siunits package in a tabular environment to align number by their decimal point.

I was watching the top answer given in this question by Bernard and when I tried to implement its code into my table but I get a missing number treated as zero.

! Missing number, treated as zero.
<to be read again>
c
l.15    \multicolumn{c}{1}{$\theta$ ($^{\circ}$)}
& \multicolumn{c}{1}{\sigma... A number should have been here; I inserted 0'. (If you can't figure out why I needed to see a number, look up weird error' in the index to The TeXbook.)  this is my MWE \documentclass[11pt]{article} \usepackage{siunitx} \usepackage{booktabs} \begin{document} \begin{tabular}{ l*{5}{S[table-format=4.2, table-number-alignment=center]}} \toprule \multicolumn{c}{1}{\theta$($^{\circ}$)} & \multicolumn{c}{1}{$\sigma_x^' $(kips)} & \multicolumn{c}{1}{$\sigma_y^'$(kips)} & \multicolumn{c}{1}{$\tau_{xy}^'$(kips)} & \multicolumn{c}{1}{$2\theta_p$($^{\circ}$)}\\\midrule 0 & 10 & 0 & 6 & 50.1944\\ 15 & 12.3301 & -2.3301 & 2.6962 & 20.1944\\ 30 & 12.6962 & -2.6962 & -1.3301 & 350.1944\\ 45 & 11 & -1 & -5 & 320.1944\\ 60 & 7.6962 & 2.3038 & -7.3301 & 290.1944\\ 75 & 3.6699 & 6.3301 & -7.6962 & 260.1944\\ 90 & 0 & 10 & -6 & 230.1944\\ 105 & -2.3301 & 12.3301 & -2.6962 & 200.1944\\ 120 & -2.6962 & 12.6962 & 1.3301 & 170.1944\\ 135 & -1 & 11 & 5 & 140.1944\\ 150 & 2.3038 & 7.6962 & 7.3301 & 110.1944\\ 165 & 6.3301 & 3.6699 & 7.6962 & 80.1944\\ 180 & 10 & 0 & 6 & 50.1944\\ \bottomrule \end{tabular} \end{document}  • Why don't you post a minimal example? The first compile run gave me an error message highlighting \multicolumn{c}{1}{$\theta$($^{\circ})} The syntax is wrong. First the number of columns, then the alignment. It should be \multicolumn{1}{c}{content}. – Johannes_B Apr 8 '18 at 5:14 • Also, it doesn't make any sense to have just one column for a multicol. You are probably looking for {content}. – Johannes_B Apr 8 '18 at 5:16 • You should learn how to use a package by reading the documentation. 4.2 is wrong for all your columns. Only a documentation can clearly and up to date explain what the parameters mean. – Johannes_B Apr 8 '18 at 5:23 ## 1 Answer As Johannnes_B said in his comments, the correct syntax of \multicolumn command is \multicolumn{cols}{pos}{text}  where cols=number of columns, pos=alignment, and text=content. but is your case it is enough to put the content within { }. table-format=4.2 means 4 integers and 2 decimals, I changed it according to the content of the various columns. I would like to add that in your column definition you have 6 columns (one l and five S), whereas your table only has 5 columns. Moreover \sigma_x^'$ is not correct, the ' should be put within { }, but I think you simply need $\sigma_x'. \documentclass[11pt]{article} \usepackage{siunitx} \sisetup{table-number-alignment=center} \usepackage{booktabs} \begin{document} \begin{tabular}{ S[table-format = 3] *2{S[table-format = -2.4]} S[table-format = -1.4] S[table-format = 3.4] } \toprule {\theta$($^{\circ}$)} & {$\sigma_x'$(kips)} & {$\sigma_y'$(kips)} & {$\tau_{xy}'$(kips)} & {$2\theta_p$($^{\circ}\$)}\\
\midrule
0 & 10 & 0 & 6 & 50.1944\\
15 & 12.3301 & -2.3301 & 2.6962 & 20.1944\\
30 & 12.6962 & -2.6962 & -1.3301 & 350.1944\\
45 & 11 & -1 & -5 & 320.1944\\
60 & 7.6962 & 2.3038 & -7.3301 & 290.1944\\
75 & 3.6699 & 6.3301 & -7.6962 & 260.1944\\
90 & 0 & 10 & -6 & 230.1944\\
105 & -2.3301 & 12.3301 & -2.6962 & 200.1944\\
120 & -2.6962 & 12.6962 & 1.3301 & 170.1944\\
135 & -1 & 11 & 5 & 140.1944\\
150 & 2.3038 & 7.6962 & 7.3301 & 110.1944\\
165 & 6.3301 & 3.6699 & 7.6962 & 80.1944\\
180 & 10 & 0 & 6 & 50.1944\\
\bottomrule
\end{tabular}
\end{document}


• @PaulLara You're welcome, thank you for accepting my answer! – CarLaTeX Apr 9 '18 at 19:22