Table with multirow, multicolumns as header, using parbox, text gets stretched

Question

I'm trying to write a table in LaTeX using multirows and multicolumns right in the header. I managed to get it just like I want it with this code (which I compiled easily in overleaf):

\documentclass[12pt,a4paper]{article}
\usepackage{booktabs}% http://ctan.org/pkg/booktabs
\usepackage[margin=3cm]{geometry}% http://ctan.org/pkg/geometry
\usepackage{multirow}
\usepackage{array}


\begin{document}
\setlength\extrarowheight{2pt}%%precisei definir isso para dar meis espaço para a bottom rule da tabela
\noindent
\small
\centering
\begin{tabular}{ccccc}
    \toprule
    \multirow{2}{*}{\parbox{0.15\linewidth}{\centering Dimensão da Teoria do Fluxo}} \multirow{2}{*}{\parbox{0.15\linewidth}{\centering Componente do Framework}} & \multicolumn{3}{c}{\parbox{0.7\linewidth}{\centering Heurísticas}} \\ %%defini parboxes para setar as dimensões de cada coluna de acordo com a margem do texto.
    \cmidrule{2-4}
     & &
    \parbox{0.1\linewidth}{\centering N} &
    \parbox{0.3\linewidth}{\centering Descrição detalhada} & 
    \parbox{0.3\linewidth}{\centering Referências CALL} \\
    \midrule
    \bottomrule
  \end{tabular}
\end{document}

It gives me the following table:

However, as soon as I enter some lines, the table gets stretched and it's not entering data according to my 5-cell rule, I don't know why!

Answer 1

• It is not entirely clear how your table should look, so proposed possible solution is based on guessing what you after
• I would not use \parboxes for text in table cells. Instead of it I would rather prescribe of column widths
• Splitting cells in the first columns lead to troubles. Better is divide column into two columns in where is needed, merge adjacent columns into \multicolumn cell.
• In MWE below is assumed that you like to have multi column cells only at first two column, so for this columns are defined special new command.
• For more sophisticate table structure can be managed by use Tabularray package. However, for its use I need more information about your table (so please extend your table code to more rows (with some dummy text),

\documentclass[12pt,a4paper]{article}
\usepackage[margin=3cm]{geometry}% http://ctan.org/pkg/geometry
%---------------- show page layout. don't use in a real document!
\usepackage{showframe}
\renewcommand\ShowFrameLinethickness{0.15pt}
\renewcommand*\ShowFrameColor{\color{red}}
%---------------------------------------------------------------%

\usepackage{booktabs}
\usepackage{multirow}
\usepackage{tabularx}
\newcolumntype{C}[1]{>{\hsize=#1\hsize%
                       \centering\arraybackslash}X}
\NewExpandableDocumentCommand\mcxx{m}
{\multicolumn{2}
             {>{\centering\arraybackslash}p{%
                    \dimexpr.3\linewidth+2\tabcolsep+\arrayrulewidth}}
             {#1}
}



\begin{document}
\setlength\extrarowheight{2pt}%%precisei definir isso para dar meis espaço para a bottom rule da tabela
\noindent
\small
\renewcommand\multirowsetup{\centering}%
\begin{tabularx}{\textwidth}{@{}    C{0.15} C{0.15}
                                    c
                                    C{0.3}  C{0.3}
                             @{}}
    \toprule
\multirow{2}{=}{Dimensão da Teoria do Fluxo}
    &   \multirow{2}{=}{Componente do Framework}
        & \multicolumn{3}{c}{Heurísticas}           \\
    \cmidrule(l){3-5}
    &   &   N
            &   Descrição detalhada
                &       Referências CALL            \\
    \midrule
\mcxx{some quite long text over three columns}
            &   &                                   \\
    \midrule
A   & B & C & D & E                                 \\
    \bottomrule
  \end{tabularx}
\end{document}

(red lines indicate document pages layouts)