Problem with colortbl and makecell

Question

Here is an simple example.

documentclass{article}
usepackage[table]{xcolor}
usepackage{colortbl}
usepackage{multirow, makecell}

begin{document}
begin{tabular}{c}
  longer text
  cellcolor{teal}
  cellcolor{teal}multirowcell{-2}[0ex][r]{shortshort}
%   cellcolor{teal}multirow{-2}*{short} % is ok but can't break line or set alignment
end{tabular}
end{document}

When the text in the multirowcell is shorter than than the text of the above cell, the cell will not be colored well. multirow is ok, but I want to break line inside the cell and set the alignment.

Cauze the code will be generated by python and the width of the column is impossible to be accessed in program nor be setted to a just suitable value, options such as p, w in array or X in tabularx is not considered.

Bernard · Answer

Makecell may have problems with  coloured cells in tables. As a workaround, I suggest to use Centerstack from stackengine in a plain multirow. Unrelated: loading xcolor with option [table], you don't have to load colortbl since the former does it for you.

documentclass{article}
usepackage[table]{xcolor}
usepackage{multirow, makecell}
usepackage[usestackEOL]{stackengine}

begin{document}

begin{tabular}{c}
  longer text
  cellcolor{teal!75}
  cellcolor{teal!75}multirowcell{-2}[0ex][r]{shorter  short}
% cellcolor{teal}multirow{-2}*{short} % is ok but can't break line or set alignment
end{tabular}
qquad
begin{tabular}{c}
  longer text
  cellcolor{teal!75}
  cellcolor{teal!75}multirow{-2}{*}{Centerstack[r]{shorter  short}}
end{tabular}

end{document}

Zarko · Answer

With use the w{c}{...} column type is simple:

documentclass{article}
usepackage[table]{xcolor}  % it load colortbl
usepackage{makecell}

begin{document}
begin{tabular}{w{c}{5em}}
  longer text       
rowcolor{teal}
makecell{shortshort}
end{tabular}
end{document}

ZhiyuanLck · Answer

Solution by David

use a nested tabular

newcommand{minitab}[2][l]{begin{tabular}{@{}#1@{}}#2end{tabular}}
cellcolor{teal}multirow{-2}*{minitab[r]{shortshort}

F. Pantigny · Answer

The package nicematrix (≥ 4.0) provides tools to color cells, rows and columns in a way compatible with multirow and makecell:
documentclass{article}
usepackage{xcolor}
usepackage{multirow, makecell}
usepackage{nicematrix}

begin{document}

begin{NiceTabular}{c}[code-before = rowcolor{teal!75}{2,3}]
 longer text
 
 multirowcell{-2}[0ex][r]{shorter  short}
end{NiceTabular}
end{document}

You won't have the thin white lines you see in some PDF viewers at some levels of zoom (see for instance Bernard's answer).

Problem with colortbl and makecell

4 Answers

Solution by David

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