Tables – How to Place a Caption at the Foot of Long Tables Using Longtable Package

captionslongtabletables

I would like to ask a question about longtable package. I've already posted it in other forums.

I have a long table (a several-pages-long one) using longtable package and I would like to add a table caption at the bottom of every piece of table, but a different one in the FIRST page.

longtable package allows a different "header" in the first page of the table (\endfirsthead) and/or a different "footer" in the LAST page of the table (\endlastfoot). What I would like to do is a different foot caption in the FIRST page of the table.

My example would be something like this:

First page table foot caption: "Table 1.2: Table description and so, and so…".

Following page table foot captions: "Table 1.2 (contd.): Table description and so, and so…".

It is similar to the example available at the documentation of longtable package about the usage of \endfirsthead, but I want to put it at the bottom of the tables because captions for all figures and tables in my document are at the foot, not at the head.

Is it so strange what I want to do?? How can I do it with longtable?

I would be very grateful if you could give me any hint or tip.

Thank you in advance for your answers! 🙂

Best Answer

You can try the following example. That adds \endfirstfoot.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[a6paper,showframe]{geometry}

\usepackage{longtable}
\makeatletter
\newbox\LT@firstfoot
\def\endfirstfoot{\LT@end@hd@ft\LT@firstfoot}
\newdimen\LT@footdiff
\def\LT@start{%
  \let\LT@start\endgraf
  \endgraf\penalty\z@
  \vskip\LTpre\endgraf
  \LT@footdiff-\ht\LT@foot
  \advance\LT@footdiff\ht\LT@firstfoot
  \dimen@\pagetotal
  \advance\dimen@ \ht\ifvoid\LT@firsthead\LT@head\else\LT@firsthead\fi
  \advance\dimen@ \dp\ifvoid\LT@firsthead\LT@head\else\LT@firsthead\fi
  \advance\dimen@ \ht\ifvoid\LT@firstfoot\LT@foot\else\LT@firstfoot\fi
  \dimen@ii\vfuzz
  \vfuzz\maxdimen
  \setbox\tw@\copy\z@
  \setbox\tw@\vsplit\tw@ to \ht\@arstrutbox
  \setbox\tw@\vbox{\unvbox\tw@}%
  \vfuzz\dimen@ii
  \advance\dimen@ \ht
      \ifdim\ht\@arstrutbox>\ht\tw@\@arstrutbox\else\tw@\fi
  \advance\dimen@\dp
      \ifdim\dp\@arstrutbox>\dp\tw@\@arstrutbox\else\tw@\fi
  \advance\dimen@ -\pagegoal
  \ifdim \dimen@>\z@\vfil\break\fi
  \global\@colroom\@colht
  \ifvoid\LT@firstfoot
    \ifvoid\LT@foot
    \else
      \advance\vsize-\ht\LT@foot
      \global\advance\@colroom-\ht\LT@foot
      \dimen@\pagegoal\advance\dimen@-\ht\LT@foot\pagegoal\dimen@
      \maxdepth\z@
    \fi
  \else
    \advance\vsize-\ht\LT@firstfoot
    \global\advance\@colroom-\ht\LT@firstfoot
    \dimen@\pagegoal\advance\dimen@-\ht\LT@firstfoot\pagegoal\dimen@
    \maxdepth\z@
  \fi
  \ifvoid\LT@firsthead\copy\LT@head\else\box\LT@firsthead\fi\nobreak
  \output{\LT@output}%
}
\def\LT@output{%
  \ifnum\outputpenalty <-\@Mi
    \ifnum\outputpenalty > -\LT@end@pen
      \LT@err{floats and marginpars not allowed in a longtable}\@ehc
    \else
      \setbox\z@\vbox{\unvbox\@cclv}%
      \ifdim \ht\LT@lastfoot>\ht\LT@foot
        \dimen@\pagegoal
        \advance\dimen@-\ht\LT@lastfoot
        \ifdim\dimen@<\ht\z@
          \setbox\@cclv\vbox{\unvbox\z@\copy\LT@foot\vss}%
          \@makecol
          \@outputpage
          \setbox\z@\vbox{\box\LT@head}%
        \fi
      \fi  
      \global\@colroom\@colht
      \global\vsize\@colht   
      \vbox
        {\unvbox\z@\box\ifvoid\LT@lastfoot\LT@foot\else\LT@lastfoot\fi}%
    \fi
  \else
    \ifvoid\LT@firstfoot
      \setbox\@cclv\vbox{\unvbox\@cclv\copy\LT@foot\vss}%
      \@makecol
      \@outputpage
      \global\vsize\@colroom
    \else
      \setbox\@cclv\vbox{\unvbox\@cclv\box\LT@firstfoot\vss}%
      \@makecol
      \@outputpage
      \global\advance\@colroom\LT@footdiff
      \global\vsize\@colroom
    \fi
    \copy\LT@head\nobreak
  \fi
}
\makeatother

\begin{document}
\begin{longtable}{l}
\hline first head\\\hline\endfirsthead
\hline head\\\hline\endhead
\hline first foot\\\hline\endfirstfoot
\hline (continued)\\foot\\\hline\endfoot
\hline last foot\\\hline\endlastfoot
A\\B\\C\\D\\E\\F\\G\\H\\I\\J\\K\\L\\M\\N\\O\\P\\Q\\R\\S\\T\\U\\V\\W\\X\\Y\\Z\\
a\\b\\c\\d\\e\\f\\g\\h\\i\\j\\k\\l\\m\\n\\o\\p\\q\\r\\s\\t\\u\\v\\w\\x\\y\\z\\
0\\1\\2\\3\\4\\5\\6\\7\\8\\9\\
\end{longtable}
\end{document}

Addendum by Skillmon:

The above approach will use the normal foot instead of the firstfoot if the longtable will only take a single page and lastfoot wasn't used. The following is almost identical to the above code, but it will use the firstfoot on a single page longtable.

The precedence for the footer on a single page longtable will be:

lastfoot, and if that's empty
firstfoot, and if that's empty
foot.

Code:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[a6paper,showframe]{geometry}

\usepackage{longtable}
\makeatletter
\newbox\LT@firstfoot
\def\endfirstfoot{\LT@end@hd@ft\LT@firstfoot}
\newdimen\LT@footdiff
\def\LT@start{%
  \let\LT@start\endgraf
  \endgraf\penalty\z@
  \vskip\LTpre\endgraf
  \LT@footdiff-\ht\LT@foot
  \advance\LT@footdiff\ht\LT@firstfoot
  \dimen@\pagetotal
  \advance\dimen@ \ht\ifvoid\LT@firsthead\LT@head\else\LT@firsthead\fi
  \advance\dimen@ \dp\ifvoid\LT@firsthead\LT@head\else\LT@firsthead\fi
  \advance\dimen@ \ht\ifvoid\LT@firstfoot\LT@foot\else\LT@firstfoot\fi
  \dimen@ii\vfuzz
  \vfuzz\maxdimen
  \setbox\tw@\copy\z@
  \setbox\tw@\vsplit\tw@ to \ht\@arstrutbox
  \setbox\tw@\vbox{\unvbox\tw@}%
  \vfuzz\dimen@ii
  \advance\dimen@ \ht
      \ifdim\ht\@arstrutbox>\ht\tw@\@arstrutbox\else\tw@\fi
  \advance\dimen@\dp
      \ifdim\dp\@arstrutbox>\dp\tw@\@arstrutbox\else\tw@\fi
  \advance\dimen@ -\pagegoal
  \ifdim \dimen@>\z@\vfil\break\fi
  \global\@colroom\@colht
  \ifvoid\LT@firstfoot
    \ifvoid\LT@foot
    \else
      \advance\vsize-\ht\LT@foot
      \global\advance\@colroom-\ht\LT@foot
      \dimen@\pagegoal\advance\dimen@-\ht\LT@foot\pagegoal\dimen@
      \maxdepth\z@
    \fi
  \else
    \advance\vsize-\ht\LT@firstfoot
    \global\advance\@colroom-\ht\LT@firstfoot
    \dimen@\pagegoal\advance\dimen@-\ht\LT@firstfoot\pagegoal\dimen@
    \maxdepth\z@
  \fi
  \ifvoid\LT@firsthead\copy\LT@head\else\box\LT@firsthead\fi\nobreak
  \output{\LT@output}%
}
\def\LT@output{%
  \ifnum\outputpenalty <-\@Mi
    \ifnum\outputpenalty > -\LT@end@pen
      \LT@err{floats and marginpars not allowed in a longtable}\@ehc
    \else
      \setbox\z@\vbox{\unvbox\@cclv}%
      \ifdim \ht\LT@lastfoot>\ht\LT@foot
        \dimen@\pagegoal
        \advance\dimen@-\ht\LT@lastfoot
        \ifdim\dimen@<\ht\z@
          \setbox\@cclv\vbox{\unvbox\z@\copy\LT@foot\vss}%
          \@makecol
          \@outputpage
          \setbox\z@\vbox{\box\LT@head}%
        \fi
      \fi  
      \global\@colroom\@colht
      \global\vsize\@colht   
      \vbox
        {%
          \unvbox\z@
          \box
            \ifvoid\LT@lastfoot
              \ifvoid\LT@firstfoot
                \LT@foot
              \else
                \LT@firstfoot
              \fi
            \else
              \LT@lastfoot
            \fi
        }%
    \fi
  \else
    \ifvoid\LT@firstfoot
      \setbox\@cclv\vbox{\unvbox\@cclv\copy\LT@foot\vss}%
      \@makecol
      \@outputpage
      \global\vsize\@colroom
    \else
      \setbox\@cclv\vbox{\unvbox\@cclv\box\LT@firstfoot\vss}%
      \@makecol
      \@outputpage
      \global\advance\@colroom\LT@footdiff
      \global\vsize\@colroom
    \fi
    \copy\LT@head\nobreak
  \fi
}
\makeatother

\begin{document}
\begin{longtable}{l}
\hline first head\\\hline\endfirsthead
\hline head\\\hline\endhead
\hline first foot\\\hline\endfirstfoot
\hline (continued)\\foot\\\hline\endfoot
\hline last foot\\\hline\endlastfoot
A\\B\\C\\D\\E\\F\\G\\H\\I\\J\\K\\L\\M\\N\\O\\P\\Q\\R\\S\\T\\U\\V\\W\\X\\Y\\Z\\
a\\b\\c\\d\\e\\f\\g\\h\\i\\j\\k\\l\\m\\n\\o\\p\\q\\r\\s\\t\\u\\v\\w\\x\\y\\z\\
0\\1\\2\\3\\4\\5\\6\\7\\8\\9\\
\end{longtable}
\end{document}

Related Solutions

Captions Formatting Longtable – Formatting Captions in Longtable Tables

One possibility would be using the caption package:

\documentclass{svmonomb}
\usepackage{longtable}
\usepackage[small,bf,singlelinecheck=off]{caption}

\begin{document}

I would like to have the longtable version \ref{longtable} look like 
the ``normal'' version \ref{table}.

\bigskip

\begin{table}
    \centering
    \begin{tabular}{rrrrrrrrr}
        1 & 1 & 1 & 1 & 1 & 1 & 1 & 1 \\
        1 & 1 & 1 & 1 & 1 & 1 & 1 & 1
    \end{tabular}
    \caption{Caption of the normal \texttt{table} environment.}
    \label{table}
\end{table}

\begin{longtable}{rrrrrrrrr}
    1 & 1 & 1 & 1 & 1 & 1 & 1 & 1 \\
    1 & 1 & 1 & 1 & 1 & 1 & 1 & 1 \\
    \caption{Caption of the \texttt{longtable} environment.}
    \label{longtable}
\end{longtable}

\end{document}

A different option would be redefining \LT@caption similar to the code of \@makecaption (which can be found inside svmonomb.cls).

[Tex/LaTex] Three different captions: longtable

longtable has two settings for the headers of the table: \endfirsthead and \endhead. The contents of \endfirsthead will be saved in the save box \LT@firsthead and the contents of \endhead in \LT@head. If the box \LT@firsthead is empty, longtable uses the contents of \LT@head. The same procedure will be used for the footer. In the same way I defined a \endsecondhead

\def\endsecondhead{\LT@end@hd@ft\LT@secondhead}

To use this command I have to define a new save box which will be set only on the second page.

\newbox\LT@secondhead

To make sure that only on the second page this box will be used I have to manipulate the output of longtable. Therefore I use a simple \ifvoid clause.

\ifvoid\LT@secondhead
   \copy\LT@head\nobreak
\else
   \box\LT@secondhead\nobreak
\fi

\ifvoid tests whether the save box \LT@secondhead is empty or not. If you set a second head, the box will be printed by \box. This command prints the box and clears the box. So on the next page the test above is true. In this way you make sure that when no second head is defined the \endhead will be used.

To allow for more than three different headings you must define new save boxes and extend the test.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{forloop,longtable}
\newcounter{count}
\setcounter{count}{1}
\makeatletter
\newbox\LT@secondhead
\def\endsecondhead{\LT@end@hd@ft\LT@secondhead}
\def\LT@output{%
  \ifnum\outputpenalty <-\@Mi
    \ifnum\outputpenalty > -\LT@end@pen
      \LT@err{floats and marginpars not allowed in a longtable}\@ehc
    \else
      \setbox\z@\vbox{\unvbox\@cclv}%
      \ifdim \ht\LT@lastfoot>\ht\LT@foot
        \dimen@\pagegoal
        \advance\dimen@-\ht\LT@lastfoot
        \ifdim\dimen@<\ht\z@
          \setbox\@cclv\vbox{\unvbox\z@\copy\LT@foot\vss}%
          \@makecol
          \@outputpage
          \ifvoid\LT@secondhead
           \setbox\z@\vbox{\box\LT@head}%
          \else
           \setbox\z@\vbox{\box\LT@secondhead}%
          \fi
        \fi
      \fi
      \global\@colroom\@colht
      \global\vsize\@colht
      \vbox
        {\unvbox\z@\box\ifvoid\LT@lastfoot\LT@foot\else\LT@lastfoot\fi}%
    \fi
  \else
    \setbox\@cclv\vbox{\unvbox\@cclv\copy\LT@foot\vss}%
    \@makecol
    \@outputpage
      \global\vsize\@colroom
      \ifvoid\LT@secondhead
         \copy\LT@head\nobreak
      \else
         \box\LT@secondhead\nobreak
      \fi
  \fi}
\makeatother


\begin{document}
\listoftables
\section{section}
\begin{longtable}{c}
\caption{foo}\\\stepcounter{table}\endfirsthead
\caption{foo bar}\\\stepcounter{table}\endsecondhead
\caption{bar}\\\endhead
\whiledo{\value{count} < 100}{\stepcounter{count}
   \arabic{count} \\}
\end{longtable}
\end{document}

Best Answer

Addendum by Skillmon:

Related Solutions

Captions Formatting Longtable – Formatting Captions in Longtable Tables

[Tex/LaTex] Three different captions: longtable

Related Question