Table Column Width Fix - Summary

Problem

The differential diagnosis comparison tables throughout the physician book had uneven column widths, causing text to be oriented vertically in squished columns, making them difficult to read.

Solution Implemented

Created a comprehensive CSS stylesheet (table-styles.css) that:

1. Fixed Column Width Distribution

  • 5-Column Tables (most common - differential diagnosis tables):
    • History: 20%
    • Examination: 18%
    • Laboratory: 20%
    • Diagnostics: 22%
    • Diagnosis: 20%
  • 2-Column Tables (glossary/definitions):
    • First column: 30%
    • Second column: 70%
  • 3-Column Tables:
    • Equal distribution: 33.33% each
  • 4-Column Tables:
    • Equal distribution: 25% each

2. Typography Improvements

  • Set table-layout: auto for content-based widths
  • Added word-wrap: break-word and overflow-wrap: break-word
  • Enabled automatic hyphenation with hyphens: auto
  • Forced white-space: normal to prevent text compression

3. Visual Enhancements

  • Zebra striping: Alternate row backgrounds for better readability
  • Hover effects: Subtle highlight on row hover
  • Better borders: Green (#1C7C54) for headers, gray for body cells
  • Header styling: Light background (#f8f9fa) with bold text

4. List Items in Tables

  • Proper indentation for bullet lists within cells
  • Appropriate spacing between list items
  • Outside list positioning for better alignment

5. Responsive Design

  • Desktop (>992px): Full size, optimal readability
  • Tablet (768px - 992px): Slightly smaller text and padding
  • Mobile (<768px): Reduced text size, tighter padding
  • Small Mobile (<600px): Horizontal scroll enabled, minimum width enforced

Files Modified

Created:

  • AtoZ_Physicians/table-styles.css - Complete table styling solution

Modified:

  • AtoZ_Physicians/_quarto.yml - Added table-styles.css to CSS includes

Technical Details

CSS Specificity Strategy

Used a multi-layered approach to ensure styles apply correctly: 1. colgroup/col elements: Set width percentages 2. nth-child selectors on th/td: Fallback width enforcement 3. !important flags: Override any conflicting Quarto defaults

Browser Compatibility

  • Works with modern browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge)
  • Uses standard CSS properties (no experimental features)
  • Graceful degradation for older browsers

Before vs. After

Before:

  • Columns squeezed into uneven widths
  • Text oriented vertically in narrow columns
  • Difficult to read and scan information
  • Inconsistent spacing

After:

  • Evenly distributed columns based on content type
  • Horizontal text orientation throughout
  • Easy to scan and compare information
  • Consistent, professional appearance

Usage

The styles automatically apply to all tables in the physician book. No markdown changes required - existing tables will render with improved layout.

Example Table (5 columns):

| **History**          | **Examination** | **Laboratory**  | **Diagnostics**      | **Diagnosis**     |
|:---------------------|:----------------|:----------------|:---------------------|:------------------|
| - Sudden onset       | - Normal exam   | - CBC, CMP      | - MRI brain          | - TGA             |
| - Duration < 24 hrs  | - Repetitive    | - Electrolytes  | - EEG if indicated   | - Stroke          |

This will now render with proper column distribution and readable text flow.

Future Enhancements (Optional)

If needed, consider: 1. Custom table classes: For special formatting needs 2. Column resizing: Allow users to adjust widths 3. Fixed headers: Sticky headers for long tables 4. Export functionality: Print/PDF optimized versions 5. Dark mode: Alternative color scheme for night reading

Testing

✅ Tested with: - Multiple 5-column differential diagnosis tables - 2-column definition tables - 3-column and 4-column comparison tables - Responsive breakpoints (desktop, tablet, mobile) - Print preview

Deployment

The CSS is automatically included in all rendered HTML pages in the AtoZ_Physicians directory. Simply:

git add AtoZ_Physicians/table-styles.css AtoZ_Physicians/_quarto.yml
git commit -m "Fix table column width distribution"
git push

Netlify will rebuild and deploy with the improved table styling.

Status: ✅ Complete and tested Impact: All differential diagnosis and comparison tables throughout physician book Last Updated: November 20, 2025