For some obscure reason I (and along with hundreds of thousands of CSS enthusiasts) rejected tables for any non-tabular data. Well for the project I’m working on now (no you cannot see it), I need to code 100 unique html pages, each of which corresponds to a unique Photoshop file. Everything seems to run together and I need to create CSS classes here and there just to make everything work.
But fear not, I am now officially using tables, even for non-tabular data. Before this project, my understanding of tabular data was strictly numbers in rows and columns. This project has a lot of form input fields of varying sizes, and after some (re)consideration it seems tables are perfect for the job. And indeed they are. If I bend the rules a bit, I can interpret form fields as dynamic tabular data that users can input and change, which will allow me to use tables with confidence and without shame.
The take home message — monkeys are awesome.
But tables do support input fields of varying sizes… perhaps I don’t understand. You can have each row be a different height, but I certainly think rows and columns should match others; otherwise it just looks awkward.
I’m quite curious.
Rows and columns do match each other. That’s the advantage of using tables for input fields. Tables automatically align everything.
For example, say you have 2 rows. The first row has two horizontal cells containing a form label and a text input field. The second row also has two horizontal fields, but contains a form label and a textarea. Since the textarea’s height is different from the rest, all the others cells (assuming there are more cells) will line up correctly.
It’s great for form inputs because you can easily align horiziontal elements. Without tables, you’d have to use float, and fixed heights and all sorts of other techniques to align labels or inputs. Tables make it a lot easier.
I’m currently relapsing back to tables for a big project that just isn’t allowing me enough time to hack it up and hopefully work in multiple browsers with different css models. Honestly it’s refreshing to have things do just what you expect them too with tables, even if I will get lynched by the css jerks. Viva la resistance.
I still don’t really understand everyone’s problem with tables… fill me in please. I have just never been able to understand divs, perhaps I will learn someday.
DIV = division
TABLE = well, you guessed it- table
Tables really should only display data that needs the format of columns and rows. A div should be used every where else, as a slice/division/piece/block that is separated from the parent block (body or whatever else the tag is enclosed in).
I do not think tables should be used for anything but tabular data (not forms), but hey. We’re designers, and part of the creative process includes bending the rules a little :)
I’m always having problems with divs. So although they are deprecated I use sometimes tables for the layout if everything else fails. Honestly, I cannot really understand why some designer get upset about using tables. The most important thing is how the page looks at the end.
Tables & ‘non-tabular’… They don’t seem to go together when you really think about it.
I understand how powerful using “div” tags is.
However, tables are much easier to layout a page (at least when it comes to visualizing the output)
But maybe that’s just because I’m lazy…lol
I also use tables tp layout any of my websites. Div-Tags are in my opinion much powerfuller, but with tables the layout is the same in every browser.