Comments on: On using tables for html layouts http://comments.deasil.com/2007/03/02/on-using-tables-for-html-layouts/ escape colon w q Sat, 22 Nov 2008 11:12:40 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Geekfindr: CSS Layouts | #comments http://comments.deasil.com/2007/03/02/on-using-tables-for-html-layouts/#comment-769 Geekfindr: CSS Layouts | #comments Sun, 01 Apr 2007 13:58:02 +0000 http://comments.deasil.com/2007/03/02/on-using-tables-for-html-layouts/#comment-769 [...] in general I don’t love using CSS for the broad layout of a site. If the site is simple enough it makes sense and can really simplify [...] [...] in general I don’t love using CSS for the broad layout of a site. If the site is simple enough it makes sense and can really simplify [...]

]]> By: felix http://comments.deasil.com/2007/03/02/on-using-tables-for-html-layouts/#comment-85 felix Fri, 02 Mar 2007 22:38:44 +0000 http://comments.deasil.com/2007/03/02/on-using-tables-for-html-layouts/#comment-85 Yes, I really hope that CSS develops into something that really can do all it promises and more importantly I hope the browsers all start adhering to the same standard. To a large degree, I think that is the biggest culprit - if all the browsers supported the same CSS level in the same way, a lot of problems would go away and CSS hacks would not be compounded by stupid browser hacks. Sigh. Sadly, such a world does not look too likely in the foreseeable future. Yes, I really hope that CSS develops into something that really can do all it promises and more importantly I hope the browsers all start adhering to the same standard. To a large degree, I think that is the biggest culprit - if all the browsers supported the same CSS level in the same way, a lot of problems would go away and CSS hacks would not be compounded by stupid browser hacks. Sigh. Sadly, such a world does not look too likely in the foreseeable future.

]]> By: Jason http://comments.deasil.com/2007/03/02/on-using-tables-for-html-layouts/#comment-84 Jason Fri, 02 Mar 2007 21:50:04 +0000 http://comments.deasil.com/2007/03/02/on-using-tables-for-html-layouts/#comment-84 As an avowed CSS nerd, and a standards sympathizer, I say: yup, if you want equal-hight columns, you should use a table. The thing to keep in mind (and this is a major and very correct pillar of the standards movement) is that markup should be as semantic as possible. Using a border to contain content is easily as ridiculous as presenting the content as tabular data. There seems to be this notion out there that avoiding tables is worth any amount of smoke and mirrors. Using a table for layout is, like you suggest, a hack. As with any CSS hack, use as few as possible, and keep them as simple as possible. (And avoid nested tables unless you want equal hight columns inside of other, larger, equal hight columns.) Mostly, this all gets me thinking about layouts that don't depend on equal-height columns. That, and pining for future implementations of CSS... As an avowed CSS nerd, and a standards sympathizer, I say: yup, if you want equal-hight columns, you should use a table.

The thing to keep in mind (and this is a major and very correct pillar of the standards movement) is that markup should be as semantic as possible. Using a border to contain content is easily as ridiculous as presenting the content as tabular data. There seems to be this notion out there that avoiding tables is worth any amount of smoke and mirrors.

Using a table for layout is, like you suggest, a hack. As with any CSS hack, use as few as possible, and keep them as simple as possible. (And avoid nested tables unless you want equal hight columns inside of other, larger, equal hight columns.)

Mostly, this all gets me thinking about layouts that don’t depend on equal-height columns. That, and pining for future implementations of CSS…

]]>