#LyX 1.1 created this file. For more info see http://www.lyx.org/
\lyxformat 2.16
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\usepackage{dcolumn}
\newcolumntype{d}[1]{D{.}{.}{#1}}
\end_preamble
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\layout Title

A Better Decimal-Alignment Solution
\layout Standard

An alternative way to have decimal alignment in tables is through the dcolumn
 package.
 Add the following to the LateX preamble:
\layout LyX-Code


\backslash 
usepackage{dcolumn} 
\layout LyX-Code


\backslash 
newcolumntype{d}[1]{D{.}{.}{#1}}
\layout Standard

To have a column decimally aligned, enter in the 
\family sans 
Special Column Alignment
\family default 
 box of the 
\family sans 
Table extra
\family default 
 form the following:
\layout LyX-Code

d{number of decimals of the data}
\layout Standard

In the following table we entered 
\family typewriter 
d{4}
\family default 
:
\layout Standard
\added_space_top 0.3cm \added_space_bottom 0.3cm \align center \LyXTable
multicol5
5 2 0 0 -1 -1 -1 -1
0 1 0 0
0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0
8 0 0 "" ""
4 1 0 "" "d{4}"
0 8 1 0 0 0 0 "" ""
1 8 0 1 0 0 0 "" ""
0 8 1 0 0 0 0 "" ""
1 4 0 0 0 0 0 "" ""
0 8 1 0 0 0 0 "" ""
0 8 1 0 0 0 0 "" ""
0 8 1 0 0 0 0 "" ""
0 8 1 0 0 0 0 "" ""
0 8 1 0 0 0 0 "" ""
0 8 1 0 0 0 0 "" ""

Expression
\newline 
Value 
\newline 

\begin_inset Formula \( \pi  \)
\end_inset 


\newline 
3.1416
\newline 

\begin_inset Formula \( \pi ^{\pi } \)
\end_inset 


\newline 
36.462
\newline 

\begin_inset Formula \( (\pi ^{\pi })^{\pi } \)
\end_inset 


\newline 
80663.
\newline 

\begin_inset Formula \( \pi ^{\pi ^{\pi }} \)
\end_inset 


\newline 
1.3402e18
\layout Standard

To create extra column space just increase the number of decimals in 
\family typewriter 
d{}
\family default 
.
 Setting the multicolumn attribute for a single cell makes it insensitive
 to the decimal alignment which comes in handy as well.
 A drawback of this method is that math mode is not allowed in a column
 with decimal alignment except if the multicolumn attribute is set.
\layout Standard

This method offers the same flexibility as the 
\family typewriter 
dcolumn
\family default 
 package.
 One could, for example, change the alignment separator, and have different
 alignment separators for different columns by defining multiple column
 types in the preamble.
 The syntax is as follows: 
\layout LyX-Code

D{inputsep}{outputsep}{decimal places}
\layout Standard

The interested reader is directed towards the 
\family typewriter 
dcolumn
\family default 
 package documentation for more details.
\the_end