[Tex/LaTex] Table not appearing properly

tables

I'm using the below script to display the table, but it is not fitting in my page.

\begin{table}[h]
\begin{tabular}{l|lllllll}
\hline
sssssssss/sssss ss ssssssssss & sssssssss & ssssssss & ssssssss                                   & sssssssssss                 & ssssssssss & sssssssss ssss sssssssss ssssssssss & sssssssss ssss sssssssss ssssssssssss \\ \hline
sssss ssssssssssss            & sss       & sss      & sssssssss, ssssssssssss                    & sssssssss sssssss, sssssss  & ssssss     &                                     &                                         \\
ssssssssss ssssssssssss        & sss       & ss       & sssssssss                                  & ssssss ssssss              & ssssss     &                                     &                                         \\
ssssssss ssssssss             & ss        & sss      & sssssssss, sssssssss sssssssssss           & ssssssssssss, sssssssss    & ssssss     &                                     &                                         \\
ssss sssss                    & sss       & sss      & sssss, ssssssssss sssssss, ssssss ssssssss & ssssssssssss               & sssssss    &                                     &                                         \\
ssss                          & ss        & sss      & sssssss ssssss, sssssssss ssssssss         & sssssssss                  & sssssss    &                                     &                                         \\
sss                           & ss        & sss      & ssssssss ssssssssss                        & sssss sssssssss            & sssssss    &                                     &                                         \\
ssssss ssssss                 & ss        & sss      & ssssssss ssssssssss                        & sssssssss ss sssss sssssss & sssssss    &                                     &                                        
\end{tabular}
\end{table}

And this is my document class used:

\documentclass[12pt]{report}

Best Answer

LaTeX is brilliant and unparalleled in its field; but it's not magical. It typesets the table it's given; it can't know that you don't intend that table to extend past the margins unless you tell it so.

To control the overall width of a table, you can use tabularx; its documentation is clear and complete, but the bottom line is you can change your column specifier to X, and that column will stretch or shrink to allow the table to fit. In your table, columns 1, 3, and 4 seem to be the issues; so:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{tabularx}
\begin{document}
\begin{table}[h]
\begin{tabularx}{\linewidth}{X|lXXXXXX}
\hline
sssssssss/sssss ss ssssssssss & sssssssss & ssssssss & ssssssss                                   & sssssssssss                 & ssssssssss & sssssssss ssss sssssssss ssssssssss & sssssssss ssss sssssssss ssssssssssss \\ \hline
sssss ssssssssssss            & sss       & sss      & sssssssss, ssssssssssss                    & sssssssss sssssss, sssssss  & ssssss     &                                     &                                         \\
ssssssssss ssssssssssss        & sss       & ss       & sssssssss                                  & ssssss ssssss              & ssssss     &                                     &                                         \\
ssssssss ssssssss             & ss        & sss      & sssssssss, sssssssss sssssssssss           & ssssssssssss, sssssssss    & ssssss     &                                     &                                         \\
ssss sssss                    & sss       & sss      & sssss, ssssssssss sssssss, ssssss ssssssss & ssssssssssss               & sssssss    &                                     &                                         \\
ssss                          & ss        & sss      & sssssss ssssss, sssssssss ssssssss         & sssssssss                  & sssssss    &                                     &                                         \\
sss                           & ss        & sss      & ssssssss ssssssssss                        & sssss sssssssss            & sssssss    &                                     &                                         \\
ssssss ssssss                 & ss        & sss      & ssssssss ssssssssss                        & sssssssss ss sssss sssssss & sssssss    &                                     &                                        
\end{tabularx}
\end{table}
\end{document}

Now, your table still doesn't look very good; since there are very few word breaks, it's impossible for LaTeX to select good break points for the columns. But this should give you the idea.

You can also consider setting your table in landscape mode (see the lscape package), or reducing the size of the text, though in the latter case you should be careful you're not making a stylistic mistake.

Also, please include a minimal working example in your question, that people can simply copy, paste, and compile, complete with \documentclass and the rest; this makes it much easier for people to help you. A quick search will reveal more information about this.

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