LaTeX Table Rendering Test Suite

This entry tests LaTeX table rendering in the Physics Library make4ht pipeline.

For these examples, table rows are terminated with ∖tabularnewline rather than the traditional double-backslash notation. This avoids ambiguity introduced by text processing or editor escaping of repeated backslash characters.

The tests are intentionally introduced in stages. Each stage adds only a small number of new LaTeX features so that rendering failures can be isolated.

Test 1: Minimal Table

Test 2: Horizontal Rules

Test 3: Full Grid

Test 4: Alignment

Test 5: Mathematics

Test 6: Multicolumn

Test 7: Paragraph Column

Test 8: Grouped Headings

Stage 1A Result

If all of the tables above render correctly, the basic table system is working and the earlier failure can be attributed to corruption of the traditional double-backslash table row terminator.

The rendering suite therefore continues using ∖tabularnewline so that the source remains robust when copied through the Physics Library editing pipeline.

Stage 1B: Hyperlink Rendering

This stage introduces the hyperref package.

The preamble for this stage should contain

\usepackage{hyperref}

No color package is required for this stage.

Hyperlinks are first tested outside a table. A second test then places the same type of hyperlink inside a table cell. This allows the general hyperlink renderer and the interaction between hyperlinks and tables to be tested separately.

Test 9: Hyperlink Outside a Table

The following text should appear as a clickable external hyperlink:

Visit Physics Library

A second hyperlink points to the LaTeX Project:

Visit the LaTeX Project

If both pieces of text appear as working hyperlinks, then basic hyperref conversion is functioning.

Test 10: Hyperlinks Inside Table Cells

The same hyperlink command is now placed inside ordinary table cells.

Test 11: Hyperlink Mixed With Mathematics

This test places mathematical notation and a hyperlink in the same table without placing them in the same cell.

Stage 1B Result

There are three useful outcomes from this stage.

1. If Test 9 and Tests 10–11 all work, then ordinary external hyperlinks and hyperlinks inside tables are supported by the current make4ht pipeline.
2. If Test 9 works but Tests 10–11 fail, then the problem is specifically associated with hyperlinks inside the tabular environment.
3. If Test 9 itself fails, then the problem should be investigated at the hyperref or make4ht configuration level before table interaction is considered.

Next Rendering Stage

After the hyperlink tests are verified, the next stage will introduce color.

The first color test should use only

\usepackage{xcolor}

and ordinary commands such as

\textcolor{red}{Critical}

It should initially avoid

\usepackage[table]{xcolor}
\rowcolor
\cellcolor

because those commands alter table-row processing and therefore require a separate rendering test.

Test 12: Comparing ∖PMlinkexternal and ∖href

This test compares the Physics Library native external-link command ∖PMlinkexternal with the standard LaTeX ∖href command from the hyperref package.

The same URLs and visible labels are used in both columns.

Test 13: Colored Text Inside a Table

This test introduces the xcolor package.

Only ordinary text color is tested here. Colored cells and colored rows are intentionally deferred to a later test because those features modify table internals.

Test 14: Colored Mathematics

This test applies color to mathematical expressions inside table cells.

Test 15: Colored Hyperlinks

This test combines the hyperlink capability established in the previous tests with ordinary text color.

Test 16: Hyperlink Color Precedence

This test determines whether hyperlink styling from the generated HTML overrides an enclosing LaTeX text color.

Test 16 Result

The pdf and HTML renderers treat explicit hyperlink colors differently.

In the PDF output, explicit colors applied with ∖textcolor are preserved for both ∖href and ∖PMlinkexternal. This is true whether the color command surrounds the hyperlink or appears inside the hyperlink label.

In the Physics Library HTML output, hyperlinks retain the normal site link color. Explicit LaTeX text colors do not override the HTML hyperlink appearance.

Therefore, authors should not rely on ∖textcolor to control hyperlink appearance consistently across PDF and HTML output. Hyperlink color in the web version should generally be considered part of the Physics Library site style rather than article-level LaTeX formatting.

PDF Hyperlink Appearance

When the hyperref package is used with its default PDF settings, external hyperlinks may be surrounded by a colored rectangular border. For example, external URLs commonly receive a cyan border.

These borders are PDF hyperlink annotations rather than table borders.

They may be disabled while preserving hyperlink functionality with

\hypersetup{
pdfborder={0 0 0}
}

The corresponding HTML output is styled independently by the web browser and Physics Library CSS.

Test 17: Single Colored Table Cell

This test introduces the colortbl package and applies a background color to individual table cells.

This is intentionally a minimal test because table background coloring changes the internal processing of the tabular environment.