Table Layout Driving Me Crazy...

[Teknowbabble]

Hi All...

Ive done several simple web pages, no biggy!

Is there any way to layout a Table with lets say 3 columns and have
the contents of those columns not have to fit the rigid row column
standard of setting up tables.

Basically all I want to do is fill up column one, then column 2, and
then column 3. Each column has its spacing.

Doing rowspan and colspan in tables and then having to line them all
up is a pain of the highest order. Ive done it but trying to get
paragraphs in column 2 to justify (like example below) is impossible.

If you know how, point me in the right direction.

I know cascade style sheets has display:box layout. I couldnt get it
to work.

Any ideas would be helpful.

TIA
Teknowbabble
************************************************** **********************
* * * *
* About * In this column we have * column 3 *
* Website * a discussion about this * *
* * that and the other thing. * blah *
* * Basically what you see * *
* * here is much about nothing * blah blah *
* * and more of the same if * *
* * you wish to know more of * uhhh haaa *
* * nothing then please by all * *
* Topic * means stay tuned. * yaaa yaaa *
* One * * *
* * * *
* * On the other hand there is * sure sure *
* * much to be said about * *
* * nothing especially those * no really *
* * who know of nothing. * *
* * * so on *
* Topic * * *
* Two * * yak yak *
* * * *
* * * *
************************************************** **********************

[Stephen Poley]

On 2 Apr 2004 06:49:14 -0800, te**********@yahoo.com (Teknowbabble)
wrote:

Is there any way to layout a Table with lets say 3 columns and have
the contents of those columns not have to fit the rigid row column
standard of setting up tables. <snip>
************************************************* ***********************
* * * *
* About * In this column we have * column 3 *
* Website * a discussion about this * *
* * that and the other thing. * blah *
* * Basically what you see * *
* * here is much about nothing * blah blah *
* * and more of the same if * *
* * you wish to know more of * uhhh haaa *
* * nothing then please by all * *
* Topic * means stay tuned. * yaaa yaaa *
* One * * *
* * * *
* * On the other hand there is * sure sure *
* * much to be said about * *
* * nothing especially those * no really *
* * who know of nothing. * *
* * * so on *
* Topic * * *
* Two * * yak yak *
* * * *
* * * *
************************************************* ***********************

It's pretty unclear what the problem is. If you really want to have a
table-based layout, isn't this just a single row of three cells?

OTOH if your problem is "not have to fit the rigid row column standard
of setting up tables" then it sounds like you want CSS. A CSS layout
with the side columns floated left and right respectively would (on the
information available) be just as simple.

--
Stephen Poley

http://www.xs4all.nl/~sbpoley/webmatters/

[Neal]

On 2 Apr 2004 06:49:14 -0800, Teknowbabble <te**********@yahoo.com> wrote:

Hi All...

Ive done several simple web pages, no biggy!
Hehehehe...
Is there any way to layout a Table with lets say 3 columns and have
the contents of those columns not have to fit the rigid row column
standard of setting up tables.

Basically all I want to do is fill up column one, then column 2, and
then column 3. Each column has its spacing.
Ok. Where does the column break? Dividing content in thirds? You need to
indicate where that is, the browser doesn't measure your content in that
way. But by your example below, it seems you want something different...
Doing rowspan and colspan in tables and then having to line them all
up is a pain of the highest order. Ive done it but trying to get
paragraphs in column 2 to justify (like example below) is impossible.

If you know how, point me in the right direction.

I would do this.

<div id="content">
Center stuff
</div>
<div id="about">
About column
</div>
<div id="blah">
The blah column - replace the id with what actually describes its content
</div>

(You could put these divs in any order, but the style might have to change
a bit)

And the style would be something like:

#content {
margin: 0 15em;
text-align: justify;
}

#about, #blah {
position: absolute;
width: 14em;
top: 0;
}

#blah {
right: 0;
}

[Barry Pearson]

Teknowbabble wrote:

Hi All...

Ive done several simple web pages, no biggy!

Is there any way to layout a Table with lets say 3 columns and have
the contents of those columns not have to fit the rigid row column
standard of setting up tables.

Basically all I want to do is fill up column one, then column 2, and
then column 3. Each column has its spacing.

Doing rowspan and colspan in tables and then having to line them all
up is a pain of the highest order. Ive done it but trying to get
paragraphs in column 2 to justify (like example below) is impossible.

[snip]

I don't understand from your diagram & description what you are trying to
achieve. What are you trying to "line up"? Why can't you have a 1-row 3-column
table and just treat each column independently of the others?

Or are you trying to have automatic overflow from one column to the next
according to the amount of content? If so, then this is very tricky indeed,
and there is dispute about whether it is a good effect for users.

If you have a number of topics, and each one is to have a row across the 3
columns, then you have a 3 by N tables, without rowspan & colspan.

A better description, or a URL to an example web page, would help.

--
Barry Pearson
http://www.Barry.Pearson.name/photography/
http://www.BirdsAndAnimals.info/
http://www.ChildSupportAnalysis.co.uk/

[Teknowbabble]

te**********@yahoo.com (Teknowbabble) wrote in message news:<c3**************************@posting.google. com>...

Hi All...

Ive done several simple web pages, no biggy!

Is there any way to layout a Table with lets say 3 columns and have
the contents of those columns not have to fit the rigid row column
standard of setting up tables.

Basically all I want to do is fill up column one, then column 2, and
then column 3. Each column has its spacing.

Doing rowspan and colspan in tables and then having to line them all
up is a pain of the highest order. Ive done it but trying to get
paragraphs in column 2 to justify (like example below) is impossible.

If you know how, point me in the right direction.

I know cascade style sheets has display:box layout. I couldnt get it
to work.

Any ideas would be helpful.

TIA
Teknowbabble
************************************************** **********************
* * * *
* About * In this column we have * column 3 *
* Website * a discussion about this * *
* * that and the other thing. * blah *
* * Basically what you see * *
* * here is much about nothing * blah blah *
* * and more of the same if * *
* * you wish to know more of * uhhh haaa *
* * nothing then please by all * *
* Topic * means stay tuned. * yaaa yaaa *
* One * * *
* * * *
* * On the other hand there is * sure sure *
* * much to be said about * *
* * nothing especially those * no really *
* * who know of nothing. * *
* * * so on *
* Topic * * *
* Two * * yak yak *
* * * *
* * * *
************************************************** **********************

Thank You All !!! Appreciate the input.

I ended up using CSS absolute positioning within the <DIV> tag. That seemed
to do the trick! Thanks.

Of course that has opened up its own can of worms, but as far as the end
result Ive been pleasantly surprised. Its a lot less brain intensive than
HTML tables.

Ive had a hard time getting vertical alignment properties to work. Also Ive
even had to use <center></center> tags when inline styling didnt work.
Weird stuff, but I guess CSS is still in the development/refinement stages
so I cant complain. Whatever kludges it takes to get the job done, thats
fine with me.

Thanks again.

Teknowbabble :D