Panel/Div/Table Overhead Costs

[randy.buchholz]

I'm trying to standardize a layout methodology for our agency and am looking
for some guidance. Most of the applications are basic store and retrieve
types, and extensively use a DetailsView type of layout. Almost all fields
have validation and formatting, and I have given up on details views since I
have to convert most fields to template fields for layout, and use
findcontrol to access the fields. I understand that HTML tables are
discouraged even though (I believe) the final output uses tables. I use
themes and CSS to do much formatting, but need a way to build table-like
layouts. I am thinking of using many div's or panels to create a "grid" and
CSS to control size, etc.



Will this approach create a lot of rendering overhead in the system? Are
there better ways to do this? Thanks. --RB

 

[Marc]

I'm trying to standardize a layout methodology for our agency and am
looking for some guidance. Most of the applications are basic store and
retrieve types, and extensively use a DetailsView type of layout. Almost
all fields have validation and formatting, and I have given up on details
views since I have to convert most fields to template fields for layout,
and use findcontrol to access the fields. I understand that HTML tables
are discouraged even though (I believe) the final output uses tables. I
use themes and CSS to do much formatting, but need a way to build
table-like layouts. I am thinking of using many div's or panels to create
a "grid" and CSS to control size, etc.

A Panel is just a DIV you can control behind the scenes (such as change it's
size, assign different CSSCLASS values and make invisible)

On the tables issue, if you are displaying tabular data then use a table. If
you are laying out the content of your page then use DIVs (or Panels).

I recommend you read a book on CSS before even starting to code C# or VB.

You may find it an idea to create different aspects of your pages in User
Controls (each within their own internal panel) and then place them onto
your page or master page. This makes a large page easier to manage

Marc

 

[Munna]

Hi,

"Will this approach create a lot of rendering overhead in the system?
"

"yes tables do take longer to render and at times the interface can
feel sluggish because of poor design. "

read the last post in this thread

http://www.velocityreviews.com/forums/t295227-div-vs-table-render-times.html

Best of luck

Munna

 

[randy.buchholz]

Thanks, guys. I do understand CSS and themes and use them extensively. I
have built several ASPX/C# applications some with hundreds of tables and
dozens of pages. All use master pages, multiple content areas, themes and
CSS. I have developed many standards and reusable components for these
areas. I also have standards for data elements, domain objects, and
databases.

The issue here is I am the only one currently using ASPX/C# in an
organization that is COBOL and IBM Java. I am trying to move us to the MS
platform and need to keep things simple at first. The few people that have
any web experience use tables for layout and I know that is not a good
approach.

I use DIV's myself but wanted to see if DIV's or Panels were the better
standard, and understand how the performance differs for these three
approach using tables as a known baseline.

If Panels render to DIV's then I think I will go with DIV's since it will
save one processing step and that is my current approach.