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Avatar Went Hot: January 18, 2008 - 4:33 pm
Posted By: danzarrella 231 days ago
Topic Type: News Story (Jump to http://www.advmediaproductions.com)
Category: Water Cooler
Sadly, this question still comes up in the web design community … Why use DIVS/CSS when I can use tables? That's like asking: why sleep on a bed when I have a couch?
6 Comments     

Comments

from qwerty 231 days ago #
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While I'm definitely pro-CSS and anti-table when it comes to layout, I don't think the analogy quite holds up. Waking up in the couch reminds you of why you would have been better off in bed, but what is it about having a site in tables that leaves you with a feeling that you should have gone with CSS? I don't think you get that feeling unless and until the time comes to do a redesign.

from clickfire 230 days ago #
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That page uses tables.

from northrock 230 days ago #
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nice catch cllickfire. i didn't even think of looking. gotta laugh!

from DianeV 230 days ago #
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Okay. But bear in mind that it isn't "tables versus CSS" because CSS can be used with tables, just as it can be used with divs or any other HTML container. I think it's just that people sometimes get lazy about how to describe ... what they're describing.

By the way, although I think divs/CSS is the way to go, it has been said (and repeated ad infinitum) that tables were never "intended" for layout purposes. However, I did run across a discussion somewhere (I'll try to dig that up) where someone who was at the actual event where tables were introduced said that layout *was* one of the suggested uses of tables. That kind of shot down that (tired old) argument.

That said, given the increasing numbers of devices used to access the Web, I prefer divs for layout as a more flexible way to go -- and for devices to read websites.

from iBrian 230 days ago #
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The big problem with CSS that CSS evanagelists seem to forget is that different browsers treat CSS differently, creating potentially serious usability problems, while tables remains a safe and easy way to manage the presentation of a webpage.

from nsmseo 230 days ago #
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"and for devices to read websites"

I agree, accessibility is a darn sight harder for someone if the page is infested with nested tables.

To myself its a no-brainer CSS over tables anyday. But I can understand why people still design layouts with tables -- cost of time to understand CSS and its various output displays in certain browsers is just one. There are many more...


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