How to Work with Tables in .NET

Aspose.Slides FOSS for .NET supports creating tables on slides with configurable column widths and row heights. This guide shows how to add a table, populate it with data, and apply basic text formatting to cells.

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Install the Package

dotnet add package Aspose.Slides.Foss

Step 2: Create or Open a Presentation

using Aspose.Slides.Foss;
using Aspose.Slides.Foss.Export;

using var prs = new Presentation();
var slide = prs.Slides[0];
// ... add table ...
prs.Save("table.pptx", SaveFormat.Pptx);

Step 3: Define Column Widths and Row Heights

Tables require explicit column widths and row heights in points (1 point = 1/72 inch). A standard slide is 720 points wide and 540 points tall.

var colWidths = new double[] { 200.0, 150.0, 150.0 };   // 3 columns
var rowHeights = new double[] { 45.0, 40.0, 40.0 };     // 3 rows

Step 4: Add the Table

slide.Shapes.AddTable(x, y, columnWidths, rowHeights) creates the table at position (x, y):

using Aspose.Slides.Foss;
using Aspose.Slides.Foss.Export;

using var prs = new Presentation();
var slide = prs.Slides[0];

var colWidths = new double[] { 200.0, 150.0, 150.0 };
var rowHeights = new double[] { 45.0, 40.0, 40.0 };
var table = slide.Shapes.AddTable(50, 100, colWidths, rowHeights);

prs.Save("table.pptx", SaveFormat.Pptx);

Step 5: Set Cell Text

Access cells via table.Rows[rowIndex][colIndex] and assign text through .TextFrame.Text:

using Aspose.Slides.Foss;
using Aspose.Slides.Foss.Export;

using var prs = new Presentation();
var slide = prs.Slides[0];

var colWidths = new double[] { 200.0, 150.0, 150.0 };
var rowHeights = new double[] { 45.0, 40.0, 40.0 };
var table = slide.Shapes.AddTable(50, 100, colWidths, rowHeights);

// Header row (row 0)
string[] headers = { "Product", "Units Sold", "Revenue" };
for (int col = 0; col < headers.Length; col++)
    table.Rows[0][col].TextFrame.Text = headers[col];

// Data rows
string[][] data = {
    new[] { "Widget A", "1,200", "$24,000" },
    new[] { "Widget B", "850", "$17,000" },
};
for (int rowIdx = 0; rowIdx < data.Length; rowIdx++)
    for (int col = 0; col < data[rowIdx].Length; col++)
        table.Rows[rowIdx + 1][col].TextFrame.Text = data[rowIdx][col];

prs.Save("sales-table.pptx", SaveFormat.Pptx);

Step 6: Format Header Cell Text

Apply bold formatting to header cells using PortionFormat:

using Aspose.Slides.Foss;
using Aspose.Slides.Foss.Drawing;

for (int col = 0; col < headers.Length; col++)
{
    var cell = table.Rows[0][col];
    var portions = cell.TextFrame.Paragraphs[0].Portions;
    if (portions.Count > 0)
    {
        var fmt = portions[0].PortionFormat;
        fmt.FontBold = NullableBool.True;
        fmt.FillFormat.FillType = FillType.Solid;
        fmt.FillFormat.SolidFillColor.Color = Color.FromArgb(255, 255, 255, 255);
    }
}

Complete Working Example

using Aspose.Slides.Foss;
using Aspose.Slides.Foss.Drawing;
using Aspose.Slides.Foss.Export;

string[][] dataRows = {
    new[] { "North", "$1.2M", "+8%" },
    new[] { "South", "$0.9M", "+4%" },
    new[] { "East",  "$1.5M", "+12%" },
    new[] { "West",  "$0.7M", "+2%" },
};
string[] headers = { "Region", "Revenue", "Growth" };

using var prs = new Presentation();
var slide = prs.Slides[0];

var colWidths = new double[] { 180.0, 140.0, 120.0 };
var rowHeights = new double[dataRows.Length + 1];
rowHeights[0] = 45.0;
for (int i = 1; i < rowHeights.Length; i++) rowHeights[i] = 38.0;

var table = slide.Shapes.AddTable(60, 80, colWidths, rowHeights);

// Header row
for (int col = 0; col < headers.Length; col++)
{
    var cell = table.Rows[0][col];
    cell.TextFrame.Text = headers[col];
    if (cell.TextFrame.Paragraphs[0].Portions.Count > 0)
    {
        var fmt = cell.TextFrame.Paragraphs[0].Portions[0].PortionFormat;
        fmt.FontBold = NullableBool.True;
    }
}

// Data rows
for (int rowIdx = 0; rowIdx < dataRows.Length; rowIdx++)
    for (int col = 0; col < dataRows[rowIdx].Length; col++)
        table.Rows[rowIdx + 1][col].TextFrame.Text = dataRows[rowIdx][col];

prs.Save("regional-revenue.pptx", SaveFormat.Pptx);
Console.WriteLine("Saved regional-revenue.pptx");

Common Issues and Fixes

IndexOutOfRangeException when accessing table.Rows[row][col]

Row and column indices are zero-based. If you defined rowHeights with 3 elements, valid row indices are 0, 1, 2.

Cell text does not appear in the saved file

Always assign through .TextFrame.Text, not through .Text directly on the cell object:

// Correct
table.Rows[0][0].TextFrame.Text = "Header";

// Wrong: will not compile or silent failure
// table.Rows[0][0].Text = "Header";

Table position is off the slide

Check that x + sum(colWidths) <= 720 and y + sum(rowHeights) <= 540 for a standard slide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I merge table cells?

Cell merging is not supported in this edition.

Can I apply a table-wide background color?

Apply fill formatting to each individual cell:

using Aspose.Slides.Foss;
using Aspose.Slides.Foss.Drawing;

for (int row = 0; row < table.Rows.Count; row++)
    for (int col = 0; col < table.Rows[row].Count; col++)
    {
        var cell = table.Rows[row][col];
        cell.CellFormat.FillFormat.FillType = FillType.Solid;
        cell.CellFormat.FillFormat.SolidFillColor.Color = Color.FromArgb(255, 240, 248, 255);
    }

Can I set cell border styles?

Cell border properties are accessible through cell.CellFormat.BorderLeft, BorderTop, BorderRight, and BorderBottom properties. Refer to the API reference for the full list of border format attributes.