Automatic resize table

Question

I have this output:

Problem

Instead of hardcoding the resize parameter '0.8' in \resizebox{0.8\columnwidth}{!}{[...]} - I would like to make some sort of automatic resize function.

I have these two requirements:

• I want the table to fill as much as possible/the rest of the page (in height/length of the paper)
• But only to the extend, that the columnwidt of the table does not exceed the textwidth

Any idea of how to write this function in Latex? Or links to sources which may help me further with this task.

Tex Code

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage{graphics}
\usepackage{float}


\begin{document}

\section{Text}
bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla 


\section{Table}
\begin{table}[H]
\resizebox{0.8\columnwidth}{!}{
\begin{tabular}{lllll}
\hline
\multicolumn{1}{|l|}{1}  & \multicolumn{1}{c|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{c|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} \\ \hline
\multicolumn{1}{|l|}{2}  & \multicolumn{1}{c|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{c|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} \\ \hline
\multicolumn{1}{|l|}{3}  & \multicolumn{1}{c|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{c|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} \\ \hline
\multicolumn{1}{|l|}{4}  & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} \\ \hline
\multicolumn{1}{|l|}{5}  & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} \\ \hline
\multicolumn{1}{|l|}{6}  & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} \\ \hline
                         &                                &                                &                                &                                \\ \hline
\multicolumn{1}{|l|}{7}  & \multicolumn{1}{c|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{c|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} \\ \hline
\multicolumn{1}{|l|}{8}  & \multicolumn{1}{c|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{c|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} \\ \hline
\multicolumn{1}{|l|}{9}  & \multicolumn{1}{c|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{c|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} \\ \hline
\multicolumn{1}{|l|}{10} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} \\ \hline
\multicolumn{1}{|l|}{11} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} \\ \hline
\multicolumn{1}{|l|}{12} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} \\ \hline
\end{tabular}
}
\end{table}

\end{document}

Answer 1

If you want your table to fit a given width, tabularx (thanks @David Carlisle!) is the way to go.

To simplify, I set up a new column type.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage{graphics}
\usepackage{float}

\usepackage{tabularx}
\newcolumntype{C}{>{\centering\arraybackslash}X} % from array package

\usepackage{lipsum}

\begin{document}
    
    \section{Text}
    \lipsum[2]
    
    \section{Table}
    \begin{table}[H]
        \resizebox{0.8\columnwidth}{!}{
            \begin{tabular}{lllll}
                \hline
                \multicolumn{1}{|l|}{1}  & \multicolumn{1}{c|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{c|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} \\ \hline
                \multicolumn{1}{|l|}{2}  & \multicolumn{1}{c|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{c|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} \\ \hline
                \multicolumn{1}{|l|}{3}  & \multicolumn{1}{c|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{c|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} \\ \hline
                \multicolumn{1}{|l|}{4}  & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} \\ \hline
                \multicolumn{1}{|l|}{5}  & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} \\ \hline
                \multicolumn{1}{|l|}{6}  & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} \\ \hline
                                         &                                &                                &                                &                                \\ \hline
                \multicolumn{1}{|l|}{7}  & \multicolumn{1}{c|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{c|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} \\ \hline
                \multicolumn{1}{|l|}{8}  & \multicolumn{1}{c|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{c|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} \\ \hline
                \multicolumn{1}{|l|}{9}  & \multicolumn{1}{c|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{c|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} \\ \hline
                \multicolumn{1}{|l|}{10} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} \\ \hline
                \multicolumn{1}{|l|}{11} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} \\ \hline
                \multicolumn{1}{|l|}{12} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} \\ \hline
            \end{tabular}
        }
    \end{table}
    \begin{table}[H]
            \begin{tabularx}{\columnwidth}{|l*{4}{|C}|}
                \hline
                1  & Something & Something & Something & Something \\ \hline
                2  & Something & Something & Something & Something \\ \hline
                3  & Something & Something & Something & Something \\ \hline
                4  & Something & Something & Something & Something \\ \hline
                5  & Something & Something & Something & Something \\ \hline
                6  & Something & Something & Something & Something \\ \hline
                   &           &           &           &           \\ \hline
                7  & Something & Something & Something & Something \\ \hline
                8  & Something & Something & Something & Something \\ \hline
                9  & Something & Something & Something & Something \\ \hline
                10 & Something & Something & Something & Something \\ \hline
                11 & Something & Something & Something & Something \\ \hline
                12 & Something & Something & Something & Something \\ \hline
            \end{tabularx}
    \end{table}
    
\end{document}

Answer 2

As supplement to @Nbur answer ...

• as already mentioned, use of use of the \resizebox lead to inconsistency between fonts size in table an in other text.
• use of multicolumn{1}{...}{...} are just clutter in code
• use of [H] as placement specification is dangerous. It can result in unexpected result as undesired empty spaces.
• it is not clear, what you imagine with vertical stretching of table ... it also lead to change font size
• do you really want to have an very ugly designed table?

Answer of @Nbur shows the way, how you can write a table. Here is just a cleanup of used code and some improvements in height of table:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{tabularx}
\newcolumntype{C}{>{\centering\arraybackslash}X}

\begin{document}

\section{Text}
bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla

\section{Table}
    \begin{table}[ht]
    \renewcommand\arraystretch{1.3} % <---
\begin{tabularx}{\linewidth}{|l|C|C|X|X|}
    \hline
1   & Something  & Something  & Something  & Something  \\ \hline
2   & Something  & Something  & Something  & Something  \\ \hline
3   & Something  & Something  & Something  & Something  \\ \hline
4   & Something  & Something  & Something  & Something  \\ \hline
5   & Something  & Something  & Something  & Something  \\ \hline
6   & Something  & Something  & Something  & Something  \\ \hline
    &            &            &            &            \\ \hline
7   & Something  & Something  & Something  & Something  \\ \hline
8   & Something  & Something  & Something  & Something  \\ \hline
9   & Something  & Something  & Something  & Something  \\ \hline
10  & Something  & Something  & Something  & Something  \\ \hline
11  & Something  & Something  & Something  & Something  \\ \hline
12  & Something  & Something  & Something  & Something  \\ \hline
\end{tabularx}
    \end{table}
\end{document}

Answer 3

If you really want a resize of the whole table, but with some automation, have a look at the fitbox package: you can specify min and max lengths to adjust the content.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage{graphics}
\usepackage{float}

\usepackage{lipsum}
\usepackage{fitbox}

\begin{document}
    
    \section{Text}
    \lipsum[2]
    
    \section{Table}
    \begin{table}[H]
%       \resizebox{0.8\columnwidth}{!}{
        \fitbox[maxwidth=\columnwidth]{
            \begin{tabular}{lllll}
                \hline
                \multicolumn{1}{|l|}{1}  & \multicolumn{1}{c|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{c|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} \\ \hline
                \multicolumn{1}{|l|}{2}  & \multicolumn{1}{c|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{c|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} \\ \hline
                \multicolumn{1}{|l|}{3}  & \multicolumn{1}{c|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{c|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} \\ \hline
                \multicolumn{1}{|l|}{4}  & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} \\ \hline
                \multicolumn{1}{|l|}{5}  & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} \\ \hline
                \multicolumn{1}{|l|}{6}  & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Something} \\ \hline
            \end{tabular}
        }
    \end{table}
    \begin{table}[H]
        \fitbox[maxwidth=\textwidth]{
            \begin{tabular}{|l|c|}
                \hline
                1  & Something\\% & Something & Something & Something \\ \hline
                2  & Something\\% & Something & Something & Something \\ \hline
                3  & Something\\% & Something & Something & Something \\ \hline
                4  & Something\\ \hline
            \end{tabular}}
    \end{table}

\end{document}