| Tables used to be the "in" thing when it came to | | | | assert that they make the design process easier and |
| designing web sites. As with many other things | | | | less time consuming. More so, they assert that tables |
| though, new techniques and methods standards are | | | | are more compatible with various web browsers. On |
| bound to emerge with time. When once tables were | | | | the other hand, proponents of tableless formats |
| seen in most web pages, some experts now suggest | | | | assert that tables do not adhere to web standards |
| that tables should be thrown out of the window. In | | | | and web accessibility. Over the years, people have |
| simple words, tableless web design is basically a | | | | been trying to come up with web standards that are |
| method whereby page layout control is achieved | | | | based on logic and that would make it easier for |
| without the use of HTML tables. Instead, text and | | | | everyone involved to access web sites. Text |
| other elements on a page are arranged using CSS | | | | readers, bots, mobile devices, and other elements |
| (Cascading Style Sheets). This language is the | | | | were all taken into consideration. As such, the |
| brainchild of the W3C (World Wide Web Consortium). | | | | tableless format has come into popular use. Why |
| It was designed in such a way as to improve web | | | | should you follow this standard? Here are a few |
| accessibility as well as to make use of HTML for | | | | reasons as to why you should go tableless: |
| semantic purposes rather than presentational | | | | • The current W3C standards dictate the |
| purposes. One thing that has been making the | | | | use of tableless design. • Practically all |
| headlines in the past year or so is the term SEO | | | | browsers in use today support CSS for controlling |
| (Search Engine Optimization) techniques. With search | | | | layouts. As such, your site will be compatible with |
| engines such as Google and Yahoo making big waves | | | | most any browser. • It is easier to make |
| in the information sector, web designers are | | | | global changes to the layout with the use of CSS. |
| scrambling to get on their good side. The one main | | | | That is, if the coding is properly done, of course. |
| goal of a web designer is to get his site on the top | | | | • Web site accessibility for people with |
| pages for search results. How is this achieved? By | | | | special needs is done more easily with the proper |
| making one's site search engine friendly. Search | | | | implementation of content into XHTML documents. In |
| engines make use of various techniques to index all | | | | this case, CSS is used only for the layout and style. |
| existing web sites. Based on these various | | | | • Unnecessary code is eliminated with the |
| techniques, they assign a page rank to the web site. | | | | use of XHTML and CSS, making for a sleeker and |
| The higher the page rank, the more chances it will be | | | | more manageable code. • Tableless formats |
| high up in the search engine results. The higher up the | | | | make it easier for search engines to index a web |
| site is in ranking, the more chances that people will | | | | site. Though tableless formats are being widely used |
| visit the site. That means good news for the web | | | | for page layout control, it does not necessarily mean |
| site. That is where semantics and HTML come in. So | | | | that tables are not being used anymore. They are |
| how about tables? Web designers who favor tables | | | | merely not optimal for presentation purposes. |