How to merge table's cells

Question

How to merge table cells in Latex

I have this table

\begin{table*}[htbp]
    \caption{Test Table}
    \begin{center}
        \begin{tabular}{|c|c|c|}
            \hline
            \textbf{\thead{Type}} & \textbf{\thead{Category}} & \textbf{{Name}}\\
            \hline
            Apple&IT&Nancy\\
            \hline
            Apple&Business&Mike\\
            \hline
            Apple&IT&Ali\\
            \hline
            Microsoft&Marketing&Linda\\
            \hline          
            Microsoft&IT&Sam\\
            \hline
            Google&Marketing&Eduard\\
            \hline
            Google&Business&John\\
            \hline
            
        \end{tabular}
        \label{graph_1}
    \end{center}
\end{table*}

I want to join similar values in the first column

So it would look like this.

Answer 1

with \multirow and \multicolumn

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{multirow}

\begin{document}
\begin{table*}[htbp]
    \caption{Test Table}
    \label{tab:my-table}
    \begin{center}
    \begin{tabular}{|c|c|c|}
        \hline
                              \textbf{Type }& \textbf{Category}  & \textbf{Name}   \\ \hline
        \multirow{3}{*}{Apple}     & IT        & Nancy  \\ \cline{2-3} 
                                   & Business  & Mike   \\ \cline{2-3} 
                                   & IT        & Ali    \\ \hline
        \multirow{2}{*}{Microsoft} & Marketing & Linda  \\ \cline{2-3} 
                                   & IT        & Sam    \\ \hline
        \multirow{2}{*}{Google}    & Marketing & Eduard \\ \cline{2-3} 
                                   & Business  & John   \\ \hline
    \end{tabular}
    \end{center}
\end{table*}
\end{document}

Answer 2

With {NiceTabular} of nicematrix, you merge cells with the command \Block and, then you can draw all the rules with the key hvlines (the rules are not drawn in the blocks).

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{nicematrix}

\begin{document}
\begin{table*}[htbp]
\caption{Test Table}
\label{tab:my-table}
\centering
\begin{NiceTabular}{ccc}[hvlines]
\textbf{Type }& \textbf{Category}  & \textbf{Name}   \\ 
    \Block{3-1}{Apple}     & IT        & Nancy  \\ 
                           & Business  & Mike   \\ 
                           & IT        & Ali    \\ 
    \Block{2-1}{Microsoft} & Marketing & Linda  \\ 
                           & IT        & Sam    \\ 
    \Block{2-1}{Google}    & Marketing & Eduard \\ 
                           & Business  & John   \\ 
\end{NiceTabular}
\end{table*}
\end{document}

Answer 3

    \documentclass{article}
    \usepackage{makecell, multirow, booktabs}
    \usepackage[labelfont=bf]{caption}
    \begin{document}
    
    
\begin{table*}[htbp]
    \caption{Test Table}
    \begin{center}
        \begin{tabular}{ccc}
            \toprule
            \textbf{\thead{Type}} & \textbf{\thead{Category}} & \textbf{{Name}}\\
            \hline
            \multirow{3.7}{*}{Apple}&IT&Nancy\\
            \cmidrule{2-3}
            &Business&Mike\\
            \cmidrule{2-3}
            &IT&Ali\\
            \midrule
            \multirow{2.5}{*}{Microsoft}&Marketing&Linda\\
            \cmidrule{2-3}          
            &IT&Sam\\
            \midrule
            \multirow{2.5}{*}{Google}&Marketing&Eduard\\
            \cmidrule{2-3}
            &Business&John\\
            \bottomrule
            
        \end{tabular}
        \label{graph_1}
    \end{center}
\end{table*}
    \end{document}

Answer 4

To long to be a comment ...

A wee but important modification of @js bibra answer. Differences are:

• Environment center is replaced by \centering command
• In column headers are removed \textbf{...} and used just \thead instruction. For it is defined fonts in preamble with \renewcommand\theadfont{\small\bfseries}
• For horizontal rules are used rules defined in the booktabs package. Rules are used only between group of types:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{booktabs,makecell, multirow, booktabs}
\renewcommand\theadfont{\small\bfseries}
\usepackage[skip=1ex, 
            font=small, labelfont=bf]{caption}

\begin{document}
    \begin{table}[htbp]
\caption{Test Table}
\label{tab:my-table}
    \centering
\begin{tabular}{lll}
        \toprule
             \thead{Type}   & \thead{Category}  & \thead{Name}  \\ \midrule
\multirow{3}{*}{Apple}      & IT                & Nancy         \\  
                            & Business          & Mike          \\  
                            & IT                & Ali           \\ \midrule
\multirow{2}{*}{Microsoft}  & Marketing         & Linda         \\ 
                            & IT                & Sam           \\ \midrule
\multirow{2}{*}{Google}     & Marketing         & Eduard        \\ 
                            & Business          & John          \\ 
            \bottomrule
\end{tabular}
    \end{table}
\end{document}