Methods and systems provide for imposing structure onto a freeform or irregular table so that a subsequent consuming application may use the table, including presentation of the table and location of the data in the table. A generic grid structure is created having a plurality of uniformly-shaped cells such that if the generic grid is overlaid onto the irregular table, each cell within the irregular table may be located based on its position relative to the uniform cells or grids. The grid structure creates a coordinate system for defining the shape of the irregular table, for defining locations and shapes of cells comprising the irregular table and for addressing the locations of data contained in the irregular table.
A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium includes a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to display a data set as a table including a plurality of cells. Additionally, the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to assign a column width to each cell in a row of the table, independently of other table rows having differing layouts, such that the table is capable of displaying a plurality of different row layouts simultaneously. The computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to display a dynamic header configured to display a row layout of a selected row of the table. Further, the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to increase a readability of the dynamic header with respect to the selected row by various mechanisms.
