does it make sense that header-less tables are written as grid by typst-writer instead of table ?

[terefang]

today pandoc emits standard tables in typst as:

#figure(
  align(center)[#table(
    columns: (....),
    align: (....),
    table.header(....),
    table.hline(),
    [....],
  )]
  , kind: table
  )

and header-less tables as:

#figure(
  align(center)[#table(
    columns: (....),
    align: (....),
    [....],
    [....],
  )]
  , kind: table
  )

it may make sense to write header-less tables as typst grids instead:

#grid(
    columns: (....),
    align: (....),
    [....],
    [....],
)

[jgm]

Can you explain why this would make sense?

[terefang]

it is really not possible to setup formatting rules for different types of tables for typst output simply by template.

i have the following use cases:

headered tables

header-less tables

to remove the table.hline i need to redefine it to a no-op in the template, but that causes side-effects with other typst modules in use.

i solution that i have thought of would be my own table/grid renderer in a lua-filter with styles triggered by fenced-divs, but that would mean to reinvent 95% of the code already present in pandoc.

maybe my approach is the wrong way.

but i do see the need to have some more flexibility in table generation without resorting to lua and/or fenced divs.

or is fenced-divs plus lua-filter the recommended way to handle it?

[jgm]

Can't you use a special fenced div and have the Lua filter insert a typst command that just changes tables in that restricted environment?

{
code changing table rendering...

the table
}

[terefang]

looks like i need further testing of my code ...

[terefang]

so i have done some testing and have read up on typst-writer output parameters.

i also have read up the relevant code-sections of pandoc.

it really looks like you did a wonderful job and made a reasonable design choice implementing as it is now.

my needs are too specific to be handled inside pandoc, and i have decided that lua-filters are the best way for me going forward.

the read up of the code-sections also verified that i am handling the table objects correctly in my code.

[terefang]

thanks again for giving us such a wonderful tool !