| CSS and Tables: The hype and the trends | | | | People often find themselves writing fairly |
| The History of tables | | | | complicated CSS to do something that would be |
| Before tables came along, the web was a pretty dull | | | | trivial using tables. Take form styling for an instance. |
| place. Using tables forlayout opened up new vistas of | | | | It's possible to lay out even very tricky forms using |
| possibilities of visually "designing" a page. | | | | tables in just a few minutes. You can achieve similar |
| It could well be argued that table based layout was | | | | results by floating elements with CSS, but it's a lot |
| responsible for the popularityof the web and the field | | | | more involved. If you're a CSS guru it's all part of the |
| of web design. | | | | fun. However if you're a regular mortal, it can be |
| Worse still, over the last few years, table based | | | | incredibly frustrating. |
| layout has come under severe criticism and was | | | | Another such thing is page footers. It's pretty easy |
| widely demonized. Web purists claim that tables were | | | | to do using tables. Whilst doing this using CSS alone, |
| never meant for layout so one shouldn't use them | | | | it would hardly be any wonder why web developers |
| for such. A rapidly progressive hype seems to be in | | | | turn their back on CSS when even simple things are |
| the air all around. | | | | rendered so |
| Reality behind the hype | | | | If you have the knowledge and patience, you can do |
| Despite the fact that pioneers have been talking | | | | most things using CSS that you used to do using |
| about web standards for a long time, the majority of | | | | tables. Sure it may take you longer, but you'll get |
| web sites are still developed using tables and non | | | | there in the end (or die trying). |
| standards compliant code . | | | | CSS benefits. But does it provide you what you |
| History has shown many examples of technologies | | | | need? |
| that started out life with one purpose, only to end up | | | | It's true that switching a large site to a CSS based |
| finding more practical applications as something else. | | | | layout can save a huge amount of bandwidth. |
| And it sounds very apt in case of tables. The web | | | | However, for most sites, this saving would be |
| itself was never intended to be a channel for | | | | insignificant or mostly irrevelent. |
| edutainment, marketing and information but for | | | | People want fast loading pages and many advocates |
| sharing research data. | | | | have suggested that CSS helps accomplish this. For |
| Using tables is a pragmatic approach, if not preferred | | | | most sites, the "design" is spread evenly across the |
| The W3c Web Accessibility Guidelines recognize that | | | | whole site. However with CSS based sites, the |
| designers will continue to use table for layout - and | | | | "design" is usually held in one or more external files. |
| so include information about how they can be | | | | These files can be fairly complicated, and even for a |
| implemented in the most accessible way. Designers | | | | simple site, can get big, or even fast. |
| are not going to immediately stop using tables for | | | | Search engine friendliness: CSS vs Tables |
| layout; mainly owning to the reason that this is the | | | | It's true that the search engines like semantic pages. |
| default behavior of most WYSWYG (what you see | | | | It's also a widely held notion that search engines like |
| is what you get) Web design packages and; CSS for | | | | lean code. Building a site using CSS and web |
| layout is so difficult to implement successfully. | | | | standards can defiantly encourage the development |
| Moreover, Professionals still argue the use of tables | | | | of search engine friendly sites. However it's neither |
| for the layout of pages on the Web, despite the | | | | magic bullet, nor a panacea either. |
| fact that this goes against current standards. They | | | | There are many table based sites that score very |
| argue it to be a pragmatic approach - if not their | | | | highly in the search engines. It's equally possible to |
| preferred options. | | | | build a CSS based site that gets a terrible search |
| Let's explode the myths: CSS vs Tables | | | | engine ranking. The most important thing for high |
| Most web designers don't simply feel the need to | | | | ranking is content and inbound links, not whether a |
| switch over | | | | site uses tables or CSS for layout. |
| The majority of web sites are still developed using | | | | Issues pertaining to accessibility |
| tables and non standards compliant code. Because of | | | | There is quite increasing number of people who try |
| this, user agents will be forced to handle table based | | | | to sell web standards and especially CSS based |
| layouts for many years to come. This effectively | | | | design by playing on client's accessibility fears. |
| negates one of the biggest selling points for web | | | | There isn't anything inherently inaccessible about table |
| standards. That of forward compatibility. That's why, | | | | based design. While it's true that your site needs to |
| most web designers really don't feel there is an | | | | be published to a recognised set of grammars to get |
| overwhelming need to start developing sites using | | | | an AA accessibility rating, tableless design is only a |
| CSS based layouts and standards compliant code. | | | | recommendation, not a requirement for the more |
| CSS development has a much higher barrier to entry | | | | stringent AAA rating. |
| than table based design | | | | The final word |
| While comparing table based design to CSS based | | | | Final Table based design will be around for a long |
| design, the syntax of CSS, for sure, turns out to be | | | | time. However, it is not good enough just to say |
| is pretty easy. Nobody in their right mind would argue | | | | that it is wrong to use them . In certain |
| that you need too be a rocket scientist to learn CSS. | | | | circumstances using tables for layout can make much |
| Nevertheless, some of the concepts can be quite | | | | more sense than CSS. |
| tricky to assimilate. | | | | Web standards and CSS based design are defiantly |
| Continuing in the same spirit it is true that there are | | | | the way forward. However in the rush to advocate |
| so many bugs, even the "experts" find themselves | | | | these "new" techniques, people end up being |
| spending an inordinate amount of time bug fixing. For | | | | hyperbolic and the reality falls short of |
| a novice this must be extremely frustrating. Not | | | | expectationent Company with a well connected |
| knowing if the problem is down to your | | | | development infrastructure in India having a strong |
| misunderstanding of CSS or some obscure browser | | | | offering superior web services and solutions at |
| bug. | | | | competitive costs. |
| Perhaps this is why many people see web standards | | | | Deepak Sharma is a Web Designer at BlueApple, a |
| as "Ivory Tower" and why many web standards | | | | Web Design and Development Company with a well |
| advocates come across as having a sense of | | | | connected development infrastructure in India having |
| superiority and a zealous attitude towards web | | | | a strong offering superior web services and solutions |
| design. | | | | at competitive costs. |
| Some things are just easy-to-do with tables | | | | |