In Ulysses, you can easily create tables in the editor and fill them with data. You can also add links, code, markup, and more.

Create a Table

On Mac

To insert a table, you have three options:

• Add the markup tag for tables by typing (tbl).
• Go to Insert in the menu bar and select Table.
• Open the markup panel with the shortcut ⌘9 (command-9) and select “(tbl) Table.”

Once you add the (tbl) tag, Ulysses automatically inserts a default table with three columns, four rows, and placeholder text. Click the table header to access its options. There, you can set the number of columns and rows, and add a caption.

On iPad/iPhone

You have two options for inserting a table:

• Type the markup tag (tbl).
• Tap the Insert button above the keyboard and choose Table.

This will open a context menu that allows you to add a caption and set the number of rows and columns. 

Tap the checkmark, and Ulysses will insert a table with filler text. Since filler text is not exported, any cells containing lorem ipsum will appear empty after export.

To adjust the caption or change the number of rows or columns, tap the table’s header to open the context menu again.

Things You Should Know

The (tbl) tag is part of Markdown XL. For the tag to work, you should be aware of a few things:

• Make sure Markdown XL is selected under Edit › Convert Markup on Mac. On iPad/iPhone, tap the ellipsis in the editor and go to Customize Editor › Markup. 
• Tables are not available in the other built-in markups such as Markdown, Minimark, and Textile’d.
• If you are using a custom markup, assign the tag (tbl) to tables in Ulysses › Settings... › Markup › [Name of Your Custom Markup] on your Mac.
• You can use the (tbl) tag to add tables to Markdown files in the External Folders section.

Insert, Move, and Delete Rows

On Mac

Select a row by clicking a cell and then dragging the mouse pointer beyond the cell’s edge. Then right-click the row to open the context menu and choose the desired action, such as Insert Row.

There are also options to style the row's content. You can, for example, change the text alignment or stretch/adjust the content.

On iPad/iPhone

Double-tap an empty cell and choose Select from the pop-up menu. If the cell contains text, double tap the cell, drag the selection handles beyond the cell’s edge and use the selection box to select the row. This opens a context menu with different actions to choose from. 

Tap the right-pointing arrow to view additional options.

Alternatively, you can add or delete rows via the table settings. To open the table settings, simply tap the table's first line.

Insert, Move, and Delete Columns

On Mac

Select the column by clicking on a cell and then dragging the mouse pointer beyond the edge of the cell. If you now right-click on the column, the context menu opens. Here, you can insert or delete a column or move the selected column to the left/right.

Additionally, there are options to style the content of your column, i.e., change the text alignment or stretch/fit the content.

On iPad/iPhone

To add, delete, or move columns left or right, double-tap an empty cell and choose Select from the pop-up menu. If the cell contains text, double-tap the cell and drag the selection handles beyond the cell’s edge, then use the selection box to select the column. From the context menu, choose the action you want. Tap the right-pointing arrow to see more options.

Alternatively, you can add or delete columns in the table settings. To open the table settings, tap the table’s header.

Add or Remove Captions

To add, change or remove captions, simply click (Mac) or tab (iPad/iPhone) the table's header row.

Import a Table

You can import tables from HTML, Markdown, and DOCX formats in Ulysses. Additionally, you can easily copy and paste tables from software like Pages, Word, or Excel. However, it's worth noting that RTF format is not currently supported for table import.

HTML

1. Copy your HTML table. Select Paste from... › HTML to paste your table into the editor.

Markdown

1. Copy your Markdown table. 
2. Select Paste from... › Markdown to paste your table into the editor.

DOCX

1. Right-click on a DOCX file you'd like to import. 
2. Select Open with... › Ulysses in the context menu.

Tables contained in the DOCX file are imported automatically.

Export a Table

Tables can be exported in almost all formats. However, RTF is currently not supported. We have adapted our built-in export styles for HTML, ePub, and PDF/DOCX.

On Mac, you can customize the appearance of tables in your export document. More on this below.

Style Your Table

By default, your table will have a simple, clean appearance when exported. However, on Mac, you can also customize a table to suit your preferences. Please note that we highlight only the most popular style adjustments here. For all table styling options in Ulysses, see our Style Reference. 

For general styling options, please also see the guide Customize an Export Style.

Add Row Separators

1. Open Settings... in Ulysses and go to Styles.
2. Choose a style from the PDF/DOCX section, e.g., Swiss Knife.
3. Right-click on the stylesheet and Duplicate the style.
4. Open the duplicated stylesheet in an editor of your choice, e.g., TextEdit or TextMate.
5. Find the selector table-cell and add the line row-separator-style. Here is an example:

table-cell {
        padding-bottom: 8pt
        padding-top: 8
        line-height: 16pt
        row-separator-style: solid
        }

6. Save the stylesheet and rename it (optional).
7. Select your customized export style in the export preview.    
    

Add Column Separators 

Find table-cell and add the line column-separator-style:

table-cell {
                padding-bottom: 8pt
                padding-top: 8pt
                line-height: 16pt
                column-separator-style: solid
                }

Currently, the separator style is limited to solid or none. However, you can adjust its color and width. Find out how in the Ulysses Style Reference.
 

Alternate Row Color

Find table-cell and add the line alternate-row-color:  
 

table-cell {
                padding-bottom: 8pt
                padding-top: 8pt
                line-height: 16pt
                alternate-row-color: #D3D3D2
                }

You can set colors using RGB values or Hex color codes. For instance, for light grey, you can use the RGB value rgb(211,211,210) or #D3D3D2.
 

Alternate Column Color

Find table-cell and add the line alternate-column-color:  
 

table-cell {
                padding-bottom: 8pt
                padding-top: 8pt
                line-height: 16pt
                alternate-column-color: rgb(211,211,210)
                }

Change Cell Color

Find table-cell and add the line cell-color:

table-cell {
                padding-bottom: 8pt
                padding-top: 8pt
                line-height: 16pt
                cell-color: rgb(211,211,210)
                }

More Options