Converting tables

[lostinspace]

Hello,
My sites were created primarily with tables as layout. :-(

I have two page designs which I used frequently and hopefully somebody can
provide some insight as to whether its best to remain with tables in CSS or
use an alternative.

The first page:
http://www.mi-harness.com/hof/0a0.html
Is part of a frames section, with 17 such pages A-Z. It is my desire to have
the thumbnails in line with the corresponding text and also to leave space
for additional thumbnails as this project progresses.

The second page:
http://www.mi-harness.com/SBreds/Reference.htm
Of nested tables with sub-category headings, I've used frequently. These
second types of pages are primarily links with little content.

Thanks in advance

[Brian]

lostinspace wrote:

My sites were created primarily with tables as layout. :-(

I have two page designs which I used frequently and hopefully somebody can
provide some insight as to whether its best to remain with tables in CSS or
use an alternative.

You're in ciwas. Most of us would suggest using tables only for
tabular data, their raison d'être, and using css for presentation,
including layout.

If the table layout you have is at all complicated, then scrap it and
start over. Mark up your conent sensibly, using html 4.01/strict.
Take a look at the default presentation in a couple of browsers.
Decide what you like, and what you would like to change, and start on
the css.

--
Brian
follow the directions in my address to email me

[Philipp Lenssen]

lostinspace wrote:

My sites were created primarily with tables as layout. :-(

I have two page designs which I used frequently and hopefully
somebody can provide some insight as to whether its best to remain
with tables in CSS or use an alternative.

The first page:
http://www.mi-harness.com/hof/0a0.html
Why would you want to get rid of the table? It seems like a good use if
I understand it right. In the left cell, there is a description, in the
right the accompanying image.
As a rule-of-thumb: if you can find imaginary headings for your columns
and rows that fit all content in your cells, it's not the frowned-upon
"table-layout". Table-layout is when there is no connection between two
cells of a row or column, so that the positioning is arbirtrary if you
take away design choices like alignment.
Is part of a frames section, with 17 such pages A-Z. It is my desire
to have the thumbnails in line with the corresponding text and also
to leave space for additional thumbnails as this project progresses.

The second page:
http://www.mi-harness.com/SBreds/Reference.htm
Of nested tables with sub-category headings, I've used frequently.
These second types of pages are primarily links with little content.

Yes, that's an example of table-misuse.
Grouping the links into <h1>---<h2>---<h3> preceded <ul> categories
seems to make more sense. You can wrap navigation and content into
separate <div>s, one class "navigation", the other class "content".
--
Google Blogoscoped
http://blog.outer-court.com

[lostinspace]

From: "Philipp Lenssen" <>
Newsgroups: comp.infosystems.www.authoring.stylesheets
Sent: Friday, November 14, 2003 11:33 AM
Subject: Re: Converting tables

lostinspace wrote:

My sites were created primarily with tables as layout. :-(

I have two page designs which I used frequently and hopefully
somebody can provide some insight as to whether its best to remain
with tables in CSS or use an alternative.

The first page:
http://www.mi-harness.com/hof/0a0.html

Why would you want to get rid of the table? It seems like a good use if
I understand it right. In the left cell, there is a description, in the
right the accompanying image.
As a rule-of-thumb: if you can find imaginary headings for your columns
and rows that fit all content in your cells, it's not the frowned-upon
"table-layout". Table-layout is when there is no connection between two
cells of a row or column, so that the positioning is arbirtrary if you
take away design choices like alignment.

Is part of a frames section, with 17 such pages A-Z. It is my desire
to have the thumbnails in line with the corresponding text and also
to leave space for additional thumbnails as this project progresses.

The second page:
http://www.mi-harness.com/SBreds/Reference.htm
Of nested tables with sub-category headings, I've used frequently.
These second types of pages are primarily links with little content.

Yes, that's an example of table-misuse.
Grouping the links into <h1>---<h2>---<h3> preceded <ul> categories
seems to make more sense. You can wrap navigation and content into
separate <div>s, one class "navigation", the other class "content".
--
Google Blogoscoped
http://blog.outer-court.com

Many thanks Philipp/George