| I have been doing extensive research on net | | | | breaks the layout and boxes overlap each other, |
| regarding people's opinion on building website using | | | | making certain parts of the content unreadable. Such |
| CSS div based format over HTML table based | | | | things are easily manageable using tables where as |
| format and have found that there is a lot more | | | | CSS would require multiple "hacks" to produce the |
| improvement in terms of page size, load time and | | | | desired outcome. |
| search engine positioning after switching to CSS div | | | | Redesigning a CSS div based site is much easier and |
| based format. | | | | less time consuming than HTML table based site. This |
| CSS is syntactic, it's fast and lightweight. Compared | | | | is because CSS designs have separate files for |
| to HTML, developing a site in CSS table less format is | | | | content and visual data including web page structure |
| more systematic. The clarity of the code in CSS | | | | whereas table based designs mix layout information |
| makes you feel much in control where as in HTML | | | | with content in the same file. Table based HTML sites |
| table based format we just go on pumping the tables | | | | heavily relay on spacers (transparent gifs) to control |
| into the design leading to more complex and cluttered | | | | blank spaces within the sites, where as this can be |
| html code. CSS is definitely more of an efficient way | | | | easily achieved using margins and padding in CSS |
| to code, as the style sheet is loaded once and | | | | layout. |
| cached, versus loading the table code with every | | | | Although CSS based design appears to be simpler, |
| page. | | | | neat and tidy you need to spend significant amount |
| Depends on how complicated website design is I | | | | of time learning the rules of the CSS. This comes |
| would recommend CSS over HTML. In CSS the basic | | | | through practice only. If you want to make pure CSS |
| principle is to use div tags as containers to hold | | | | div based designs, be prepared to invest time in |
| different elements instead of table cells. Assigning an | | | | learning. No matter how seasoned developer or |
| id or class to those div allows you to add styles and | | | | designer you are, be prepared to hunt down the |
| to position them using an external style sheet instead | | | | bugs relentlessly for endless hours. |
| of over and over again in each td. Many times | | | | Web developers must consider their clients |
| instead of going for 100 percent CSS table less | | | | preference before finalizing the format. If the client is |
| development people use partial CSS div based and | | | | more concerned about standards and wants to be |
| partial HTML table based procedure. For e.g. They use | | | | sure not to use any deprecated strings in their |
| a table for holding things in place and assign ids or | | | | webpage then CSS div based design is the best |
| classes to the tds for styling, which is still better than | | | | option. |
| a purely table based design with inline styles. | | | | Finally we can say let the war continues between |
| As far as code goes, we all know now that CSS | | | | CSS div based and HTML table based design to our |
| generates less code and it is search engine friendly | | | | benefit. In the mean time designers and developers |
| but it has certain limitations and problem, often it is | | | | can add on more knowledge and practice with both |
| because of browser incompatibility. I've seen lots of | | | | tables and CSS and become more versatile to handle |
| website layouts done with CSS, where the content | | | | any situation. |