Tabular vertical alignment

Question

I need to make a command that may be used like in table on the left but create vertical alignment like in table on the right.

I mean left column in table is top aligned. Right column is vertically centred to the middle of content in the left if it's lower than the left column. If the right column is equal or higher than the left, then the right column is top aligned.

\documentclass[12pt,a4paper]{article}
\usepackage{geometry,array,graphicx,multicol}
\begin{document}

\newcommand{\myrow}[1]{
    \hline 
    \scalebox{3}{A} & #1 \\
    \hline
    }

\begin{multicols}{2}

\begin{tabular}{|m{2em}|m{7em}|}
    \myrow{a a a}
    \myrow{a a a a a a a a a a a a}
    \myrow{a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a}
    \myrow{a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a}
    \myrow{a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a}
    \myrow{a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a}
\end{tabular}

\begin{tabular}{|m{2em}|m{7em}|}
    \hline
    \scalebox{3}{A} & a a a \\
    \hline
    \scalebox{3}{A} & a a a a a a a a a a a a \\
    \hline
    \scalebox{3}{A} & a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a \\
    \hline
    \scalebox{3}{A} & a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a \\
                    & a a a \\
    \hline
    \scalebox{3}{A} & a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a \\
                    & a a a a a a a a a \\
                    & a a a \\
    \hline
    \scalebox{3}{A} & a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a \\
                    & a a a a a a a a a \\
                    & a a a a a a a a a \\
                    & a a a \\
    \hline
\end{tabular}

\end{multicols}

\end{document}

Answer 1

Lower the big letter by the proper amount (adding some space below for avoiding it touching the rule). The second column specifier should be p.

\documentclass[12pt,a4paper]{article}
\usepackage{graphicx}

\newcommand{\bigletter}[1]{%
  \raisebox{\dimexpr1ex-\height}{%
    \scalebox{3}{#1\rule[-1pt]{0pt}{1pt}}}%
}

\newcommand{\myrow}[1]{%
  \bigletter{A} & #1 \\
  \hline
}

\begin{document}

\begin{tabular}{|c|p{7em}|}
  \hline
  \myrow{a a a}
  \myrow{a a a a a a a a a a a a}
  \myrow{a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a}
  \myrow{a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a}
  \myrow{a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a}
  \myrow{a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a}
\end{tabular}

\end{document}

A different solution with centering in case the big letter is vertically bigger than the text. Note: I assume that the big letter will always be uppercase.

\documentclass[12pt,a4paper]{article}
\usepackage{graphicx}

\makeatletter
\newcommand{\myrow}[2]{%
  \sbox{\z@}{\scalebox{3}{#1}}%
  \sbox{\z@}{\vrule height \dimexpr\ht\z@+4pt depth 2pt width 0pt \box\z@}%
  \sbox{\tw@}{\parbox{7em}{#2}}%
  \ifdim\ht\z@>\dimexpr\ht\tw@+\dp\tw@\relax
    \expandafter\@firstoftwo
  \else
    \expandafter\@secondoftwo
  \fi
  {\begin{tabular}{@{}c@{}}\box\z@\end{tabular} & \parbox{7em}{#2}}%
  {\raisebox{\dimexpr1ex+4pt-\height}{\box\z@} & #2}%
  \\ \hline
}
\makeatother

\begin{document}

\begin{tabular}{|c|p{7em}|}
  \hline
  \myrow{A}{a a a}
  \myrow{A}{a a a a a a a a a a a a}
  \myrow{A}{a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a}
  \myrow{A}{a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a}
  \myrow{A}{a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a}
  \myrow{A}{a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a}
\end{tabular}

\end{document}