How to add auto line break and maximum column width to table - php

Question

How can I add different maximum width to my table columns? I'd also like to have an auto line break when I write something into the columns. Here's my code:
echo "<table border='1' cellpadding='10'>";
echo "<tr> <th>ID</th> <th>Kategorie</th> <th>Titel</th> <th>Betroffene Seiten</th> <th>Beschreibung</th><th>prioritaet</th><th>Status</th><th>Eingereicht von</th><th>Umsetzung mit Release</th><th>Dev. Kommentar</th><th>Entwickler</th><th></th> <th></th></tr>";
// loop through results of database query, displaying them in the table
while($row = mysql_fetch_array( $result )) {
// echo out the contents of each row into a table
echo "<tr>" ;
echo '<td>' . $row['id'] . '</td>';
echo '<td>' . $row['kategorie'] . '</td>';
echo '<td>' . $row['titel'] . '</td>';
echo '<td>' . $row['betroffen'] . '</td>';
echo '<td>' . $row['beschreibung'] . '</td>';
echo '<td>' . $row['prioritaet'] . '</td>';
echo '<td>' . $row['status'] . '</td>';
echo '<td>' . $row['eingereicht'] . '</td>';
echo '<td>' . $row['umsetzung'] . '</td>';
echo '<td>' . $row['kommentar'] . '</td>';
echo '<td>' . $row['entwickler'] . '</td>';
echo '<td>bearbeiten</td>';
echo '<td>löschen</td>';
echo "</tr>";
}
// close table>
echo "</table>";

Answer 1

you can set a width to your td in pixels or %. setting in one td will set it for the column.
echo '<td style="width:40px">' . $row['id'] . '</td>';
I didn't understood you intenstion by:
"when I write something into the columns."
you can use the \n to get new lines in your php code. just add it to your code where appropriate.
you can see here
you can also use <br /> in your HTML to get the same line break.

Answer 2

You can do as following to break line in column and keep max width,
echo "<table border='1' cellpadding='10'>";
echo "<tr> <th>ID</th> <th>Kategorie</th> <th>Titel</th> <th>Betroffene Seiten</th> <th>Beschreibung</th><th>prioritaet</th><th>Status</th><th>Eingereicht von</th><th>Umsetzung mit Release</th><th>Dev. Kommentar</th><th>Entwickler</th><th></th> <th></th></tr>";
// loop through results of database query, displaying them in the table
while($row = mysql_fetch_array( $result )) {
// echo out the contents of each row into a table
echo "<tr>" ;
echo '<td width="'.strlen($row['id'])+5.'">' . wordwrap($row['id'], 20, "<br />\n") . '</td>';
echo '<td width="'.strlen($row['id'])+5.'">' . wordwrap($row['kategorie'], 20, "<br />\n") . '</td>';
echo '<td width="'.strlen($row['id'])+5.'">' . wordwrap($row['titel'], 20, "<br />\n") . '</td>';
echo '<td width="'.strlen($row['id'])+5.'">' . wordwrap($row['betroffen'], 20, "<br />\n") . '</td>';
echo '<td width="'.strlen($row['id'])+5.'">' . wordwrap($row['beschreibung'], 20, "<br />\n") . '</td>';
echo '<td width="'.strlen($row['id'])+5.'">' . wordwrap($row['prioritaet'], 20, "<br />\n") . '</td>';
echo '<td width="'.strlen($row['id'])+5.'">' . wordwrap($row['status'], 20, "<br />\n") . '</td>';
echo '<td width="'.strlen($row['id'])+5.'">' . wordwrap($row['eingereicht'], 20, "<br />\n") . '</td>';
echo '<td width="'.strlen($row['id'])+5.'">' . wordwrap($row['umsetzung'], 20, "<br />\n") . '</td>';
echo '<td width="'.strlen($row['id'])+5.'">' . wordwrap($row['kommentar'], 20, "<br />\n") . '</td>';
echo '<td width="'.strlen($row['id'])+5.'">' . wordwrap($row['entwickler'], 20, "<br />\n") . '</td>';
echo '<td>bearbeiten</td>';
echo '<td>löschen</td>';
echo "</tr>";
}
// close table>
echo "</table>";
using strlen function set max width to td and using wordwrap break column value to new line