Centre column contents in tabularx

Question

I have created a table using tabularx but I can't seem to centre the text within the columns. I have tried to use 'X' and 'c' (which works on tabular) but nothing seems to work. Can someone please advise? I am also unsure what @{}*{3} in the line {\linewidth}{@{}*{3}{>{\arraybackslash}X}} means.

Here's my MWE:

    \documentclass[a4paper,11pt]{article}
\usepackage{tabularx}
\usepackage{booktabs,caption, makecell}
\usepackage{pdflscape,afterpage}

\begin{document}

\begin{landscape}% Landscape page
\begin{table}[ht]
\caption{Cognitive walkthrough goals, tasks and actions}
\centering
  \small
\begin{tabularx}{\linewidth}{@{}*{3}{>{\arraybackslash}X}}
\toprule\midrule[0.5pt]
 \thead{\textbf{Goal}}& \thead{\textbf{Task}} & \thead{\textbf{Action}} \\
\midrule
Evaluate the ease in which users can join projects & Access and account set up & 
\begin{enumerate} 
    \item Teast A: Video provides a powerful way to help you prove your point. \par
    Test B: Video provides a powerful way to help you prove your point. 
    \item Video provides a powerful way to help you prove your point.
\end{enumerate} \\
\addlinespace
Evaluate the ease in learning to map & Learning how to map & Read tutorial \\
\addlinespace
Contribute data & Contributing data by classifying maps & 
\begin{enumerate}
    \item Video provides a powerful way to help you prove your point.
    \item Test A: Video provides a powerful way to help you prove your point. \par
     Test B: Video provides a powerful way to help you prove your point.
     \item Video provides a powerful way to help you prove your point.
 \end{enumerate} \\
\addlinespace
Evaluate if the user likes using the application and whether they like using it & - & - \\
\bottomrule
 \end{tabularx}%
    \hspace*{-12mm}%
\label{table:comparison of techniques}
\end{table}
\end{landscape}

\end{document}

I've also attached a picture of what I'd like to centre as an example.

Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

like this?

• for centering of cells' contents and at the same time preserve features of X columns, you can define new column type, for example

  \newcolumntype{C}{>{\centering\arraybackslash}X}

• or in the case that in document is only one such column you can write as is done in mwe below

• beside centering in mwe below is improved appearance of the enumerate list. for this is added the package enumerate and etoolbox

\documentclass[a4paper,11pt]{article}
\usepackage{tabularx}
\usepackage{booktabs, makecell}
\usepackage{pdflscape}
\usepackage{caption}
\usepackage{enumitem}   % <--- added
\usepackage{etoolbox}   % <--- added
\AtBeginEnvironment{table}{%
    \setlist[enumerate]{nosep,     % <--- added
                        topsep     = 0pt,
                        partopsep  = 0pt,
                        leftmargin = *         ,
                        before     = \vspace{-0.6\baselineskip},
                        after      = \vspace{-\baselineskip}
                        }}

\begin{document}
    \begin{landscape}% Landscape page
\begin{table}[ht]
\caption{Cognitive walkthrough goals, tasks and actions}
\label{table:comparison of techniques}
  \small
\begin{tabularx}{\linewidth}{@{}
                            X
>{\centering\arraybackslash}X  % content of `X` column is now centered
                            X
                            @{}}
    \toprule
\thead{\textbf{Goal}}& \thead{\textbf{Task}} & \thead{\textbf{Action}} \\
    \midrule
Evaluate the ease in which users can join projects
    &   Access and account set up
        &   \begin{enumerate}
            \item   Teast A: Video provides a powerful way to help you prove your point.

                    Test B: Video provides a powerful way to help you prove your point.
            \item Video provides a powerful way to help you prove your point.
            \end{enumerate}     \\
    \addlinespace
Evaluate the ease in learning to map
    &   Learning how to map
        &   Read tutorial   \\
    \addlinespace
Contribute data
    &   Contributing data by classifying maps
        &   \begin{enumerate}
            \item Video provides a powerful way to help you prove your point.
            \item Test A: Video provides a powerful way to help you prove your point.

                Test B: Video provides a powerful way to help you prove your point.
            \item Video provides a powerful way to help you prove your point.
            \end{enumerate}     \\
    \addlinespace
Evaluate if the user likes using the application and whether they like using it
    & -- & --                   \\
    \bottomrule
\end{tabularx}%
\end{table}
    \end{landscape}