Small and compact tables in Bootsrap

Introduction

Small and compact tables help show data neatly in less space. They make tables easier to read on small screens or when you want a simple look.

When you want to show a list of items without taking much space on the page.

When viewing tables on mobile devices where screen space is limited.

When you want a clean and simple table style without extra padding.

When you need to fit many rows on one screen without scrolling too much.

Syntax

Bootsrap

<table class="table table-sm">
  ... table content ...
</table>

Use the table-sm class with the table class to make the table compact.

This reduces the padding inside table cells, making rows smaller.

Examples

A small table with two rows and three columns using table-sm for compact spacing.

Bootsrap

<table class="table table-sm">
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>#</th>
      <th>Name</th>
      <th>Age</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>1</td>
      <td>Alice</td>
      <td>25</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>2</td>
      <td>Bob</td>
      <td>30</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

A compact table with borders around cells using table-bordered and table-sm.

Bootsrap

<table class="table table-bordered table-sm">
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Product</th>
      <th>Price</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>Pen</td>
      <td>$1</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Notebook</td>
      <td>$3</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

Sample Program

This example shows a small, striped table with less padding using Bootstrap's table-sm class. It is responsive and accessible with proper aria-label and scope attributes.

Bootsrap

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="UTF-8" />
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" />
  <title>Small and Compact Table Example</title>
  <link href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/bootstrap@4.2.1/dist/css/bootstrap.min.css" rel="stylesheet" />
</head>
<body>
  <main class="container my-4">
    <h1>Small and Compact Table</h1>
    <p>This table uses Bootstrap's <code>table-sm</code> class for a compact look.</p>
    <table class="table table-striped table-sm" aria-label="Small compact table example">
      <thead>
        <tr>
          <th scope="col">ID</th>
          <th scope="col">Name</th>
          <th scope="col">City</th>
        </tr>
      </thead>
      <tbody>
        <tr>
          <td>1</td>
          <td>Emma</td>
          <td>New York</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td>2</td>
          <td>Liam</td>
          <td>Chicago</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td>3</td>
          <td>Olivia</td>
          <td>San Francisco</td>
        </tr>
      </tbody>
    </table>
  </main>
</body>
</html>

Important Notes

Always add aria-label or caption for accessibility so screen readers understand the table.

Use table-striped or table-bordered with table-sm to improve readability if needed.

Compact tables are great for mobile views but make sure text is still readable.

Summary

Use table-sm class with Bootstrap tables to make them small and compact.

Compact tables save space and improve readability on small screens.

Combine with other Bootstrap table classes for better style and accessibility.

Practice

1. What does the Bootstrap class table-sm do when added to a table?

easy

A. Makes the table smaller and more compact by reducing padding

B. Changes the table background color to gray

C. Adds borders around each table cell

D. Makes the table text bold and larger

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the purpose of table-sm

   The table-sm class in Bootstrap reduces the padding inside table cells, making the table smaller and more compact.

2. Step 2: Compare with other options

   Other options describe unrelated styles like background color, borders, or text size, which table-sm does not control.

3. Final Answer:

   Makes the table smaller and more compact by reducing padding -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   table-sm = smaller, compact table [OK]

Hint: Remember: 'sm' means small and compact table padding [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing table-sm with color or border classes
• Thinking it changes font size or weight
• Assuming it adds table stripes or hover effects

2. Which is the correct way to apply a small and compact style to a Bootstrap table?

easy

A. <table class='table compact'>

B. <table class='table table-small'>

C. <table class='table small-table'>

D. <table class='table table-sm'>

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify Bootstrap's official class for small tables

   Bootstrap uses table-sm to make tables small and compact, not table-small, small-table, or compact.

2. Step 2: Verify syntax correctness

   The correct syntax includes both table and table-sm classes inside the class attribute.

3. Final Answer:

   <table class='table table-sm'> -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Use table-sm with table class [OK]

Hint: Always pair table-sm with table class [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using incorrect class names like 'table-small' or 'compact'
• Forgetting to include the base 'table' class
• Misspelling the class name as 'table sm'

3. What will be the visual difference when rendering this table with Bootstrap classes?

<table class='table table-sm'>
  <tr><td>Item</td><td>Price</td></tr>
  <tr><td>Apple</td><td>$1</td></tr>
</table>

medium

A. The table cells have less padding, making the table more compact

B. The table text will be italicized

C. The table will have a blue background

D. The table rows will have alternating colors

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the effect of table-sm on table cells

   The table-sm class reduces the padding inside each cell, making the table appear smaller and more compact.

2. Step 2: Check other options for unrelated styles

   Italic text, background color, or striped rows are not caused by table-sm but by other classes like table-striped or custom CSS.

3. Final Answer:

   The table cells have less padding, making the table more compact -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   table-sm = less padding, compact table [OK]

Hint: Less padding means smaller, tighter table cells [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming table-sm changes text style or colors
• Confusing with striped or hover effects
• Expecting background color changes

4. You wrote this code but the table is not compact:

<table class='table small'>
  <tr><td>Name</td><td>Age</td></tr>
  <tr><td>John</td><td>30</td></tr>
</table>

What is the error?

medium

A. The table tag is missing a closing tag

B. The class should be table-sm, not small

C. The table rows need tbody wrapper

D. The table cells should use th instead of td

Solution

1. Step 1: Check the class name for compact tables

   The class small is not a valid Bootstrap class for tables. The correct class to make tables compact is table-sm.

2. Step 2: Verify other code parts

   The table tag is properly closed, tbody is optional, and td is valid for data cells. These are not errors causing lack of compactness.

3. Final Answer:

   The class should be table-sm, not small -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Use table-sm for compact tables [OK]

Hint: Use exact class table-sm, not 'small' [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using 'small' instead of 'table-sm'
• Thinking missing tbody breaks compact style
• Confusing td and th roles

5. You want a table that is small and compact but also has striped rows and hover effect. Which is the correct class combination?

hard

A. table table-small striped hover

B. table-sm table-striped table-hover

C. table table-sm table-striped table-hover

D. table compact striped hover

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify required Bootstrap classes

   Bootstrap requires the base table class plus modifiers like table-sm for small tables, table-striped for striped rows, and table-hover for hover effect.

2. Step 2: Check each option for correctness

   Only table table-sm table-striped table-hover includes all correct classes with proper prefixes. The other options miss the base table class or use invalid class names.

3. Final Answer:

   table table-sm table-striped table-hover -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Combine table with all needed modifiers [OK]

Hint: Always include base table class with modifiers [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Omitting the base table class
• Using invalid class names like 'table-small' or 'compact'
• Forgetting to add hover or striped classes properly