Master R Markdown: Formatting Tables with kable() and kableExtra

Table of Contents:

1. Introduction
2. Setting up the Markdown Document
3. Reading and Preparing the Data
4. Creating a Summary Table
5. Formatting the Table
   • 5.1 Changing the Code Chunk Options
   • 5.2 Adding a Caption
   • 5.3 Setting the Number of Decimal Places
6. Enhancing the Table with kableExtra
   • 6.1 Installing and Loading kableExtra
   • 6.2 Styling the Table
   • 6.3 Adjusting the Table Width
7. Conclusion
8. FAQ

Article

Introduction

Tables are a crucial element in data analysis and visualization. When working with R Markdown documents, it's essential to make the tables look visually appealing. In this tutorial, we will explore how to enhance and format the tables in R Markdown to make them more visually appealing.

Setting up the Markdown Document

Before we begin, let's ensure that we have a properly set up R Markdown document. We need to load the necessary packages and arrange our code chunks to read and manipulate the data. In this tutorial, we will be using the here and tidyverse packages.

Reading and Preparing the Data

To create a table, we first need to read and prepare the data. In this case, we will be using a data set that records mischievous acts based on whether individuals were in a group given an invisibility cloak. We will read the data into a tibble called invis_tib.

Creating a Summary Table

Once we have our data prepared, we can create a summary table. This table will contain information such as the number of cases in each group, the mean number of mischievous acts, and the standard deviation of acts in both groups. We will save this summary table into an object named invis_sum.

Formatting the Table

Now comes the exciting part: formatting the table to make it look nice when we knit the document. We will make use of the kable function from the knitr package to achieve this. By modifying the code chunk options, we can make significant improvements to the table's appearance.

Changing the Code Chunk Options

To begin, we need to modify the top of the code chunk containing the table. By setting results = 'asis', we inform the knitr package to process the results using the kable function.

Adding a Caption

We can further enhance the table by adding a caption to provide context and a clear title to the table. By setting the caption option within the kable function, the resulting table will display the specified caption above it.

Setting the Number of Decimal Places

In some instances, displaying excessive decimal places can clutter the table. To address this, we can modify the digits option within the kable function. By setting digits = 2, we can limit the number of decimal places to two for consistency across the table.

Enhancing the Table with kableExtra

For more advanced table formatting options, we can make use of the kableExtra package. This package provides additional features to make the table even more visually appealing.

Installing and Loading kableExtra

To begin, we need to install the kableExtra package if not already installed. Once installed, we load the package using the library(kableExtra) function.

Styling the Table

Within the kableExtra package, there is a function called kable_styling that offers various options to style the table. One such option is bootstrap_options, which allows us to create banded tables by setting it to 'striped'.

Adjusting the Table Width

By default, the table spans the full width of the document. However, this might not always be desirable. Within the kableExtra package, we can use the kable_styling function to set the full_width option to FALSE and adjust the table's width accordingly.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we have learned how to make tables in R Markdown documents look visually appealing. By leveraging the kable function's options and the additional features provided by the kableExtra package, we can format and enhance our tables to better convey our data's insights.

FAQ

Q: Can I apply these table formatting techniques to any table in a markdown document?

A: Yes, the techniques discussed in this tutorial can be applied to any table or data frame you wish to display in a markdown document.

Q: Are there more advanced features available in the kableExtra package?

A: Yes, the kableExtra package offers a range of advanced features such as custom styling, adding footnotes, and merging cells. You can explore the package documentation for more details.

Q: Can I use these table formatting techniques with other programming languages like Python?

A: The techniques described here are specific to R Markdown and the R language. However, similar concepts and packages may exist for other programming languages. Consult the relevant documentation for more information.

Q: Can I export the formatted table to different file formats?

A: Yes, R Markdown allows you to export your document to various file formats, such as PDF, HTML, and Word. The formatting changes made to the table will be reflected in the exported document.