### 27.5.2 Understanding how the RowGroup property works

When you designate a header cell as a RowGroup cell, the effect of that property depends on which of the following you specify also:

scope | (via AccessMethod=Scope or via ScopeRowGroup=Yes)
id/headers | (via AccessMethod=IDheaders or via RowGroupIDs=Yes)

Using the scope method automatically specifies HeadFootBodyTags=Yes; the RowGroup cell starts a new <tbody> element; and the RowGroup cell’s information applies to all cells in that element.

HeadFootBodyTags=Yes is a necessary condition for scope="rowgroup", but not for id/headers="groupN"; for the latter, the HeadFootBodyTags value does not affect which cells are marked id/headers="groupN".

RowGroupIDs=Yes is a necessary condition for id/headers="groupN", but not for scope="rowgroup"; for the latter, the RowGroupIDs value does not affect which cells are subsumed under scope="rowgroup".

Table 27-4 summarizes the effects of the RowGroup property when combined with these settings.

Table 27-4 RowGroup property effects

* Set via CellScope marker or [HTMLParaStyles]fmt=Scope, [StyleCellScope]fmt=rowgroup
Setting | HeadFootBodyTags | Yes | No
RowGroupIDs | Yes | No | Yes | No
scope="rowgroup" * | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | No
Effect | starts new <tbody> | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No
id/headers="groupN" | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No
scope attribute applied | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No

If HeadFootBodyTags=Yes, each RowGroup cell starts a new <tbody> element. If the RowGroup cell also contains a CellScope marker (or the [HTMLParaStyles]/[StyleCellScope] equivalent) that sets the scope="rowgroup" attribute, the RowGroup property works in concert with the scope attribute to apply the RowGroup header to all cells in its <tbody> section. The scope attribute is in effect only within the same <tbody> section as the RowGroup cell. See §27.2 Using the scope method to identify table cells.

If RowGroupIDs=Yes, each RowGroup cell is given an id consisting of the RowGroupHead name followed by a sequential number. This id is used as a headers attribute in all cells to the right of the RowGroup cell and all cells below that row (see Figure 27-1), until the next cell down that contains a RowGroup paragraph. See §27.3.3 Grouping header cells for identification.

| 27.5.1 Understanding how the ColGroup property works |  | 28 Working with macros |