| Why do we (web developers) use tables??? Yes | | | | building a website following this method are proven.1. |
| they make for fantastic designs and organized | | | | Search Engines: I have redesigned many websites |
| websites but they are not for this purpose. A table | | | | eliminating tables and placing all links in unordered lists |
| should be used for TABULAR DATA not design and | | | | and have seen there search engine rankings improve |
| layout. That being said, I have sworn off tables and | | | | drastically.2. Compatibility: Remember that in today's |
| replaced them with the almighty div tag and CSS.In | | | | day and age websites are being viewed on |
| the good old days you had no option but to use | | | | everything from 60 inch plasma TV's to 3 inch cell |
| tables if you wanted to give an impressive | | | | phone screens. If you assign a table a width of 780 it |
| presentation on your website. Along came CSS a | | | | becomes near impossible for visitor using a handheld |
| designer's best friend. There is no web layout that | | | | device to view your website.3. Accessibility: People |
| you can create with a table that can not be | | | | with disabilities have the right to enjoy the web! If |
| duplicated with CSS."But using CSS to design my | | | | your website uses tables a visitor using an audio |
| website is too complicated" I have heard this to | | | | browser is going to have trouble accessing your |
| many times in the span of my career. You can learn | | | | website. Go ahead and try to use your website with |
| how to properly use CSS in less time than it took | | | | and audio browser...I hope this article gets you |
| you to figure out how to nest a table inside of table, | | | | started on your way to becoming a Web Standards |
| inside of table... In future articles I will explain how to | | | | Developer. There are a million reasons to "Do it the |
| properly use CSS, for now we will stick with why | | | | right way" and these were just a few, for more |
| you should use CSS.Content and Design should | | | | information visit the w3.org.John Harris is the CDO |
| always be separated. We have all heard this a million | | | | (Chief Design Officer) and a founding member of |
| times but why do we not listen. The benefits to | | | | Appeal Web Design. |