Tables in TLMDRichEdit

SPC GeoTEC LLC

Good day!

I have the question about table insertion into RichEdit component, representing by LMD Rich Pack.

I have custom markdown parser (maded by my own) that can parse tables and LMDRichEdit should render and display it.

LMDRTFRichEdit.pas contains `TLMDParaTableStyle` that, I gess, can be used to construct tables. I've tried to select all table-paragraph programatically by using `SelStart` and `SelLength` properties of `TLMDRichEdit` and mark it as `tsTable` in `Paragraph` property, but I doesn't take the right feedback from that.

Depending on origins of LMDRichEdit - RichEdit from WinApi, I've tried to search the solution on MSDN and finded out interesting information from here:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/controls/em-inserttable

The quote:
`
A Microsoft Rich Edit table consists of a sequence of table rows which, in turn, consist of sequences of paragraphs. A table row starts with the special two-character delimiter paragraph U+FFF9 U+000D and ends with the two-character delimiter paragraph U+FFFB U+000D. Each cell is terminated by the cell mark U+0007, which is treated as a hard end-of-paragraph mark just as U+000D (CR) is.
`

So I splited my table-string into pices by rows framed by `&FFF9&000D` forward and `&FFFB&000D` backward and divided cells by `&0007`, then I marked `&FFF9&000D` and `&FFFB&000D` parts, as 'tsTable' cells-strings as 'tsTableRow' (and I tried switch them) but it doesn't work. Yes, it was instruction how to use EM_INSERTTABLE message, but I've tried all ways that I finded.

The question is: How I can force LMDRichEdit component render tables? LMDRTFRichEdit.pas contains such things as paragraph-tables-styles, so I looking for coresponding functionality. I belive that it can render tables but my attempts was unssuccessful.

Can you provide step-by-step solution for this question? I gess if it exists then it is kind of simple.

Example of table in markdown (of cource TLMDRichEdit couldn't convert it to table, it just the example I want to show):
```

| Тип FII | Тип Delphi         | Тип C (обычно)               | Ширина (в байтах) | Тип ПП |
|---------|--------------------|------------------------------|-------------------|--------|
| UInt8   | Byte               | unsigned char, uing8_t       | 1                 | целое  |
| Int8    | ShortInt           | char, int8_t                 | 1                 | целое  |
| UInt16  | Word               | unsigned short, uing16_t     | 2                 | целое  |
| Int16   | SmallInt           | short, int16_t               | 2                 | целое  |
| UInt32  | LongWord, Cardinal | unsigned int, uint32_t       | 4                 | целое  |
| Int32   | LongInt, Integer   | int, int32_t                 | 4                 | целое  |
| UInt64  | UInt64             | unsigned long long, uint64_t | 8                 | целое  |
| Int64   | Int64              | long long, int64_t           | 8                 |        |
| Pointer | Pointer            | void*                        | 4                 | целое  |
| Single  | Single             | float                        | 4                 | число  |
| Double  | Double             | double                       | 8                 | число  |
| PChar   | PChar              | char*                        | 4                 | строка |

```

Example of table I inserted in TLMDRichEdit:
```

Тип FIIТип DelphiТип C (обычно)Ширина (в байтах)Тип ПП


UInt8Byteunsigned char, uing8_t1целое


Int8ShortIntchar, int8_t1целое


UInt16Wordunsigned short, uing16_t2целое


Int16SmallIntshort, int16_t2целое


UInt32LongWord, Cardinalunsigned int, uint32_t4целое


Int32LongInt, Integerint, int32_t4целое


UInt64UInt64unsigned long long, uint64_t8целое


Int64Int64long long, int64_t8


PointerPointervoid*4целое


SingleSinglefloat4число


DoubleDoubledouble8число


PCharPCharchar*4строка
```

The example of code, thats must render the table:
pkTable: begin
  richEdit.SelAttributes.Name := proportionalFont;
  for i := 0 to paragraph.tContent.Count - 1 do begin
    richEdit.SelStart := pos;
    richEdit.SelLength := 2;
    richEdit.Paragraph.TableStyle := tsTable; // FFF9 000D
    Inc({var} pos, 2);
    richEdit.SelStart := pos;
    for j := 0 to paragraph.tContent[i].Count - 1 do begin
      richEdit.SelLength :=
        richEdit.SelLength +
        Length(paragraph.tContent[i][j].text) + 1;
    end;
    richEdit.Paragraph.TableStyle := tsTableRow; // table row with cells
    Inc({var} pos, richEdit.SelLength);
    richEdit.SelStart := pos;
    richEdit.SelLength := 2;
    richEdit.Paragraph.TableStyle := tsTable; // FFFB 000D
    Inc({var} pos, 2);
  end;
end;

SPC GeoTEC LLC

P.S.:
I want to avoid using RTF instead of programaticall method of filling RichEdit.

Eugene Balabuev (LMD)

TableStyle property is provided formally and reflects existing rich edit APIs. We didn't actually tried to create table programmatically.

However, I suspect that the table can be created by sending the EM_INSERTTABLE message:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/controls/em-inserttable

SPC GeoTEC LLC

Thanks for the advice. I was hoping that the functionality I am looking for would be simpler than WinApi like image insertion for `TLMDRichEdit`.

Eugene Balabuev (LMD)

We are planning to rework and update LMDRichEdit controls, so we will keep this case in mind.