Add initial docs for output customization

ronisbr · ronisbr · commit 1af6e40419c6 · 2026-02-11T18:31:58.000-03:00
diff --git a/docs/src/man/getting_started.md b/docs/src/man/getting_started.md
@@ -27,15 +27,6 @@ relevant variables into your current namespace.
     file. See [here](https://jupyter-client.readthedocs.io/en/stable/kernels.html) for information about location
     and specification of Jupyter kernels.
 
-    The package [PrettyTables.jl](https://github.com/ronisbr/PrettyTables.jl) renders the `DataFrame` in the
-    Jupyter notebook. Users can customize the output by passing keywords arguments `kwargs...` to the
-    function `show`: `show(stdout, MIME("text/html"), df; kwargs...)`, where `df` is the `DataFrame`. Any
-    argument supported by PrettyTables.jl in the HTML backend can be used here. Hence, for example, if the user
-    wants to change the color of all numbers smaller than 0 to red in Jupyter, they can execute:
-    `show(stdout, MIME("text/html"), df; highlighters = hl_lt(0, HtmlDecoration(color = "red")))` after
-    `using PrettyTables`. For more information about the available options, check
-    [PrettyTables.jl documentation](https://ronisbr.github.io/PrettyTables.jl/stable/man/usage/).
-
 ## The `DataFrame` Type
 
 Objects of the `DataFrame` type represent a data table as a series of vectors,
@@ -464,3 +455,206 @@ julia> Tables.rowtable(df)
  (a = 1, b = 2)
  (a = 3, b = 4)
 ```
+
+## Customizing Display Output
+
+DataFrames.jl uses [PrettyTables.jl](https://github.com/ronisbr/PrettyTables.jl) to render
+tables in both plain text (`show(df; ...)`) and HTML
+(`show(stdout, MIME("text/html"), df; ...)` in notebook-like environments).
+
+The `show` function exposes DataFrames-specific controls and also forwards `kwargs...` to
+PrettyTables.jl, so you can customize formatting, styling, and highlights.
+
+DataFrames-specific keywords accepted by `show` are:
+
+- `allrows::Bool` (text): print all rows instead of only the rows that fit the display
+   height.
+- `allcols::Bool` (text): print all columns instead of only the columns that fit the display
+   width.
+- `rowlabel::Symbol` (text): set the label used for the row-number column (default: `:Row`).
+- `summary::Bool` (text and HTML): show or hide the summary line above the table (for
+   example, `3×3 DataFrame`).
+- `eltypes::Bool` (text and HTML): show or hide the column element types under the column
+   names.
+- `truncate::Int` (text): maximum display width for each data column before truncation with
+   `…`; `0` or negative disables truncation.
+- `show_row_number::Bool` (text and HTML): show or hide row numbers.
+- `max_column_width::AbstractString` (HTML): maximum column width as a CSS length (for
+   example, `"120px"`); empty string means no width limit.
+
+The remaining `kwargs...` are forwarded to PrettyTables.jl for backend-specific
+customization.
+
+For HTML output, DataFrames.jl reserves `rowid`, `title`, and `truncate` keywords. Use
+`max_column_width` (instead of `truncate`) to control cell width in HTML rendering, and
+`top_left_str` (instead of `title`) to set the table title in HTML rendering.
+
+```julia
+julia> using DataFrames
+
+julia> df = DataFrame(
+           a = [1, 2, 3],
+           b = [3.14, -1.2, 42.0],
+           c = ["short", "a very very very very very long string", "ok"]
+      );
+
+# This is the default output.
+julia> df
+3×3 DataFrame
+ Row │ a      b        c
+     │ Int64  Float64  String
+─────┼───────────────────────────────────────────────────
+   1 │     1     3.14  short
+   2 │     2    -1.2   a very very very very very long …
+   3 │     3    42.0   ok
+
+# Using this option, no cell will be truncated if there is room to display it.
+julia> show(df; truncate = 0)
+3×3 DataFrame
+ Row │ a      b        c
+     │ Int64  Float64  String
+─────┼────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+   1 │     1     3.14  short
+   2 │     2    -1.2   a very very very very very long string
+   3 │     3    42.0   ok
+
+# Hide row numbers and rename the row label column in text output.
+julia> show(df; show_row_number = false)
+3×3 DataFrame
+ a      b        c
+ Int64  Float64  String
+───────────────────────────────────────────────────
+     1     3.14  short
+     2    -1.2   a very very very very very long …
+     3    42.0   ok
+
+# Hide the column element types in text output.
+julia> show(df; eltypes = false)
+3×3 DataFrame
+ Row │ a  b      c
+─────┼─────────────────────────────────────────────
+   1 │ 1   3.14  short
+   2 │ 2  -1.2   a very very very very very long …
+   3 │ 3  42.0   ok
+```
+
+!!! note
+
+    The following examples assume that PrettyTables.jl v3.0 or later is installed. If you
+    have an older version of PrettyTables.jl, you may need to update it to use the features
+    shown in the examples below.
+
+We can use formatters in PrettyTables.jl to change how cells are converted to strings. The
+following example shows how to replace negative values with parentheses in text output.
+
+```julia
+julia> using PrettyTables
+
+julia> df = DataFrame(
+           A = [ 0.73, -1.28,  1.91, -0.44,  0.12, -2.35,  1.08],
+           B = [-0.55,  0.67, -1.49,  2.11, -0.03,  0.94, -2.20],
+           C = [ 1.34, -0.88,  0.45, -1.76,  2.53, -0.61,  0.07],
+           D = [-1.02,  2.40, -0.31,  0.58, -2.14,  1.77, -0.90],
+           E = [ 0.26, -1.67,  2.22, -0.75,  1.05, -0.48, -2.93]
+      );
+
+# This is the default output.
+julia> df
+7×5 DataFrame
+ Row │ A        B        C        D        E
+     │ Float64  Float64  Float64  Float64  Float64
+─────┼──────────────────────────────────────────────
+   1 │   0.73    -0.55     1.34    -1.02     0.26
+   2 │  -1.28     0.67    -0.88     2.4     -1.67
+   3 │   1.91    -1.49     0.45    -0.31     2.22
+   4 │  -0.44     2.11    -1.76     0.58    -0.75
+   5 │   0.12    -0.03     2.53    -2.14     1.05
+   6 │  -2.35     0.94    -0.61     1.77    -0.48
+   7 │   1.08    -2.2      0.07    -0.9     -2.93
+
+# We can replace the negative values in text back-end with parentheses using formatters.
+# This function is called for each cell in the table. `v` is the current cell value, `i` and
+# `j` are the row and column indices of the cell. It must return the new object which will
+# be printed in the cell. In this case, we only want to change cells that are negative
+# numbers, so we return the original value for all other cells.
+julia> function parentheses_fmt(v, i, j)
+           !(v isa Number) && return v
+           v < 0 && return "($(-v))"
+           return v
+       end
+
+julia> show(df; formatters = [parentheses_fmt])
+7×5 DataFrame
+ Row │ A        B        C        D        E
+     │ Float64  Float64  Float64  Float64  Float64
+─────┼─────────────────────────────────────────────
+   1 │   0.73    (0.55)    1.34    (1.02)    0.26
+   2 │  (1.28)    0.67    (0.88)    2.4     (1.67)
+   3 │   1.91    (1.49)    0.45    (0.31)    2.22
+   4 │  (0.44)    2.11    (1.76)    0.58    (0.75)
+   5 │   0.12    (0.03)    2.53    (2.14)    1.05
+   6 │  (2.35)    0.94    (0.61)    1.77    (0.48)
+   7 │   1.08    (2.2)     0.07    (0.9)    (2.93)
+```
+
+The color of the cells can be changed using highlighters. The following example shows how to
+highlight negative values in red in HTML output.
+
+```julia
+# HTML output (e.g. in Jupyter): cap column width and highlight negatives in red.
+julia> hl = HtmlHighlighter((data, i, j) -> data[i, j] < 0, ["color" => "red"]);
+
+julia> show(
+           stdout,
+           MIME("text/html"),
+           df;
+           highlighters = [hl]
+       )
+```
+
+You can also add summary rows at the bottom of a table using PrettyTables.jl keywords.  Pass
+a vector of functions to the `summary_rows` parameter to compute metrics, and optionally use
+`summary_row_labels` to set labels for those rows.
+
+In the following example, a table displays quarterly profits for a fictional company. The
+columns represent years (2020 through 2025), the rows represent quarters, and the summary
+rows show the mean and standard deviation for each year, calculated across the four
+quarterly values in that column.
+
+```julia
+julia> using Statistics, PrettyTables
+
+julia> profit = DataFrame(
+           "2020" => [ 94.6, -105.6, -104.9,  -88.0],
+           "2021" => [-84.3,   -8.7, -109.6,   75.8],
+           "2022" => [172.6,  -42.5,   95.5, -141.0],
+           "2023" => [-71.2,   51.6,  114.3,   15.5],
+           "2024" => [-35.4,  -44.9,  140.3,   30.8],
+           "2025" => [ 24.1,  136.1,   34.8, -183.7]
+       );
+
+julia> metrics = [mean, std];
+
+julia> show(
+           profit;
+           # We use this option to align the summary rows with the data rows at the decimal
+           # point.
+           apply_alignment_regex_to_summary_rows = true,
+           summary_rows = metrics,
+           summary_row_labels = ["Mean", "Std. Dev."]
+       )
+4×6 DataFrame
+       Row │ 2020       2021       2022      2023      2024      2025
+           │ Float64    Float64    Float64   Float64   Float64   Float64
+───────────┼──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+         1 │   94.6      -84.3      172.6    -71.2     -35.4       24.1
+         2 │ -105.6       -8.7      -42.5     51.6     -44.9      136.1
+         3 │ -104.9     -109.6       95.5    114.3     140.3       34.8
+         4 │  -88.0       75.8     -141.0     15.5      30.8     -183.7
+───────────┼──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+      Mean │  -50.975    -31.7       21.15    27.55     22.7        2.825
+ Std. Dev. │   97.3905    83.5073   140.011   77.4612   85.3244   134.2
+```
+
+For more customization options, check the
+[PrettyTables.jl documentation](https://ronisbr.github.io/PrettyTables.jl/stable/).
