css or tables?

[Allan D]

I would like to create a website with 2 or 3 columns. What is the general
opinion here on the best way to go about that? I have read about using
tables as well as putting the layout settings in a css file. What would
people recommend is the best way to do a website with columns?

Thanks
Allan

 

[William Tasso]

I would like to create a website with 2 or 3 columns. What is the
general opinion here on the best way to go about that? I have read
about using tables as well as putting the layout settings in a css
file. What would people recommend is the best way to do a website
with columns?

For CSS based layouts: two columns is more robust than three.

For best advice show a URL that you would like to emulate.

 

[Eric Bohlman]

I would like to create a website with 2 or 3 columns. What is the general
opinion here on the best way to go about that? I have read about using
tables as well as putting the layout settings in a css file. What would
people recommend is the best way to do a website with columns?

It all depends on *why* you're thinking in terms of columns. If each
column represents a different "property" of the same "item," then you've
got what's logically a table (even if there's only a single item) and you
should mark it up as such. A quick test is to ask yourself if you could
think of meaningful headers for the columns.

If, OTOH, you just want the columns to create a certain look, then you
don't have a logical table and you'd be best off implementing the look
using CSS.

 

[Allan D]

For best advice show a URL that you would like to emulate.
Thanks for the fast replies William & Eric,
www.acsgarden.com is an example of the sort of site layout I would be using.
The main reason I posted the question here was that I had almost decided to
use css, then noticed they had used tables in their design. Does this answer
your question as well Eric, I'm not exactly sure what you were asking me.
(Sorry... I'm very new at this)
Thanks,
Allan

 

[Beauregard T. Shagnasty]

Quoth the raven named Allan D:

I would like to create a website with 2 or 3 columns. What is the general
opinion here on the best way to go about that? I have read about using
tables as well as putting the layout settings in a css file. What would
people recommend is the best way to do a website with columns?

You can probably find something here. Most of these templates are
quite nice. The CSS layouts are also a lot easier to maintain than
those with tables.

http://nemesis1.f2o.org/templates.php

Also, think SSI for your menus.

 

[Leslie]

I would like to create a website with 2 or 3 columns. What is the general
opinion here on the best way to go about that? I have read about using
tables as well as putting the layout settings in a css file. What would
people recommend is the best way to do a website with columns?

Thanks
Allan

As a long time user of tables for layout and a newbie to CSS I would
highly recommend you use CSS. Your designs will be a lot more
flexible. It didn't take me too long to get the basics of CSS and
there are lots of tutorials out there to help you along the way.

I found this site very helpful in creating pages with columns:
http://glish.com/css/home.asp

Good luck!

Leslie
"I refuse to have a battle of wits with an unarmed person."

 

[Eric Bohlman]

Thanks for the fast replies William & Eric,
www.acsgarden.com is an example of the sort of site layout I would be
using. The main reason I posted the question here was that I had
almost decided to use css, then noticed they had used tables in their
design. Does this answer your question as well Eric, I'm not exactly
sure what you were asking me. (Sorry... I'm very new at this)

That particular effect is best achieved with CSS rather than tables,
because the contents of the three columns are logically independent of each
other. It should be quite easy to achieve with three floated DIVs; an
added benefit is that if the page is being viewed in a window too small to
accommodate all three columns, one or both "boxes" will drop below the
first rather than running off the side.

As for why they used tables, lots of designers learned tables for layout
back in the days before CSS became widely available, and didn't bother
learning CSS because they couldn't understand its benefits.

 

[Allan D]

Thank you all very much for the fast and informative responses. Seems css is
the way to go. Now comes the hard part right?!

Cheers,
Allan

 

[Leif K-Brooks]

www.acsgarden.com is an example of the sort of site layout I would be using.

Use CSS, definitley. That layout can be made very easily with CSS.

The main reason I posted the question here was that I had almost decided to
use css, then noticed they had used tables in their design.

Unfortunatley, many pages today don't do things right. That's no reason
to do the same.

Does this answer your question as well Eric, I'm not exactly sure what you were asking me.

He was asking if what you were doing was tabular data, which is what
tables are for. A nice example of tabular data is in David Dorward's
article about nested tables (and tables for layout in general) at
http://dorward.me.uk/www/nested/.

 

[Nico Schuyt]

Allan D wrote

That particular effect is best achieved with CSS rather than tables,
because the contents of the three columns are logically independent
of each other. It should be quite easy to achieve with three floated
DIVs;

LOL. As I look at the problems I encounter in applying CSS for layout and
compare it with the good old frames and tables, I must conclude live was
much easier in the past

an added benefit is that if the page is being viewed in a
window too small to accommodate all three columns, one or both
"boxes" will drop below the first rather than running off the side.

Ehh, I'm not sure that's an advantage. It can make it very difficult to read
the site.
Nico

 

[Steve R.]

Eric Bohlman wrote in message ...

That particular effect is best achieved with CSS rather than tables,

There seem to be a HUGE number of problems with people using CSS in preference to tables on these
HTML newsgroups, both in presenting the markup correctly and people being able to view it on their
browsers. On many of the newsgroups practically every third question relates in some way to CSS
problems :~(

There's nothing to beat good old-fashioned tried and tested tables :~)

Steve.

 

[William Tasso]

Thank you all very much for the fast and informative responses. Seems
css is the way to go. Now comes the hard part right?!

sort of ;o)

do yourself a favour - a big favour. go for a two-column layout until you
dream in CSS

 

[Leif K-Brooks]

There seem to be a HUGE number of problems with people using CSS in preference to tables on these
HTML newsgroups, both in presenting the markup correctly and people being able to view it on their
browsers. On many of the newsgroups practically every third question relates in some way to CSS
problems :~(

And what do the the other two questions relate to?

There's nothing to beat good old-fashioned tried and tested tables :~)

For tabular data, you're definitley right. CSS works fine for everything
else.

 

[Allan D]

do yourself a favour - a big favour. go for a two-column layout until you
dream in CSS

I hope that never happens! But I will take your advice... two column should
do what I need it to.

Thanks,
Allan

 

[Otuatail]

What you are doing is good. The only problem with tables. you can fix the
columbs, but if the browser is displayed on diferent PC's using 800x600
or 1024x768 you might want to make the table flexible.
2. if the table contains an image, the columb will not go less than the size
of the image. Have a think about the resoulution of the PC's using it.

Des.