diff --git a/R/row_spec.R b/R/row_spec.R
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+#' Specify the look of the selected row
+#'
+#' @description This function allows users to select a row and then specify
+#' its look. Right now it supports the following two properties: bold text and
+#' italic text.
+#'
+#' @param kable_input Output of `knitr::kable()` with `format` specified
+#' @param row A numeric value indicating which row to be selected
+#' @param bold A T/F value to control whether the text of the selected row
+#' need to be bolded.
+#' @param italic A T/F value to control whether the text of the selected row
+#' need to be emphasized.
+#'
+#' @examples x <- knitr::kable(head(mtcars), "html")
+#' row_spec(x, 1, bold = TRUE, italic = TRUE)
+#'
+#' @export
+row_spec <- function(kable_input, row,
+                     bold = FALSE, italic = FALSE) {
+  if (!is.numeric(row)) {
+    stop("row must be a numeric value")
+  }
+  kable_format <- attr(kable_input, "format")
+  if (!kable_format %in% c("html", "latex")) {
+    message("Currently generic markdown table using pandoc is not supported.")
+    return(kable_input)
+  }
+  if (kable_format == "html") {
+    return(row_spec_html(kable_input, row, bold, italic))
+  }
+  if (kable_format == "latex") {
+    message("The LaTeX version of row_spec has not yet been implemented. ")
+    return(kable_input)
+  }
+}
+
+row_spec_html <- function(kable_input, row, bold, italic) {
+  kable_attrs <- attributes(kable_input)
+  kable_xml <- read_xml(as.character(kable_input), options = "COMPACT")
+  kable_tbody <- xml_tpart(kable_xml, "tbody")
+
+  group_header_rows <- attr(kable_input, "group_header_rows")
+  if (!is.null(group_header_rows)) {
+    row <- positions_corrector(row, group_header_rows,
+                               length(xml_children(kable_tbody)))
+  }
+
+  target_row <- xml_child(kable_tbody, row)
+
+  for (i in 1:length(xml_children(target_row))) {
+    target_cell <- xml_child(target_row, i)
+    if (bold) {
+      xml_attr(target_cell, "style") <- paste0(xml_attr(target_cell, "style"),
+                                               "font-weight: bold;")
+    }
+    if (italic) {
+      xml_attr(target_cell, "style") <- paste0(xml_attr(target_cell, "style"),
+                                               "font-style: italic;")
+    }
+  }
+  out <- structure(as.character(kable_xml), format = "html",
+                   class = "knitr_kable")
+  attributes(out) <- kable_attrs
+  return(out)
+}
+
+# row_spec_latex <- function(kable_input, row, bold, italic) {
+#   table_info <- magic_mirror(kable_input)
+#   align_collapse <- ifelse(table_info$booktabs, "", "\\|")
+#   kable_align_old <- paste(table_info$align_vector, collapse = align_collapse)
+#
+#   if (bold | italic) {
+#     usepackage_latex("array")
+#     latex_array_options <- c("\\\\bfseries", "\\\\em")[c(bold, italic)]
+#     latex_array_options <- paste0(
+#       "\\>\\{", paste(latex_array_options, collapse = ""), "\\}"
+#     )
+#     table_info$align_vector[row] <- paste0(latex_array_options,
+#                                               table_info$align_vector[row])
+#   }
+#
+#   kable_align_new <- paste(table_info$align_vector, collapse = align_collapse)
+#
+#   out <- sub(kable_align_old, kable_align_new, as.character(kable_input),
+#              perl = T)
+#   out <- structure(out, format = "latex", class = "knitr_kable")
+#   attr(out, "original_kable_meta") <- table_info
+#   return(out)
+# }