CSS Vs. Tables

[chilipie]

Which do you use to make a site - CSS or tables? Why do you use them? What are the dis/advantages of them?
I thought I'd find out what you all prefer.

I use CSS. Nearly all the time. Why? Well, to quote mindlessLemming from CF (http://www.codingforums.com/), "Tables are for tabular data...and maybe building a little fort." he is right. Tables were meant for tabular data, not for layout purposes. CSS also decreases file sizes enormously, and helps you produce semantic code, and more importantly, separate your presentation from your content.

[Tilly]

CSS is a style tool for XHTML whereas tables are what you use to format your XHTML page. You could also use div rules in CSS in place of tables and give them padding, margins ect. I prefer to use tables in my XHTML and then format them using CSS.

Hope this helps!


Originally posted by chilipie@Dec 3 2004, 10:59 AM
Which do you use to make a site - CSS or tables? Why do you use them? What are the dis/advantages of them?
I thought I'd find out what you all prefer.

I use CSS. Nearly all the time. Why? Well, to quote mindlessLemming from CF (http://www.codingforums.com/), "Tables are for tabular data...and maybe building a little fort." he is right. Tables were meant for tabular data, not for layout purposes. CSS also decreases file sizes enormously, and helps you produce semantic code, and more importantly, separate your presentation from your content.
15087
:rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[starmena3]

I use the tables but thats only because I havent learned CSS yet. I just dont have the time anymore to study :P but I think CSS is better from what I've seen

[Ipsquiggle]

I'd definatley have to give the nod to CSS.

Although there are many many reasons, discussed over and over all over the net why CSS is superior but tables just won't die, my own personal selling point for CSS is accessibility.

I have a floating layout for my site, with fancy dancy background images and all that crap, but when someone looks at it with a screen reader, they see my content, and have access to my navigation via a shortcut normally hidden with styling.

Have you ever heard a screen reader hit a complex table? They are getting better, but Ahahahah.

I think it's cruel to make a person go through that. Also, my page is viewable from small screens (like blackberrys). Tables may be easy, but CSS is acessible. :)

[favikah]

I use tables, but only because I'm such a newbie when it comes to CSS..I know a little bit but not enough. I heard that it is much easier to use CSS and it probably is cause tables can sometimes get confusing...for me anyways :D

[reid315]

css. period. (and all the css1 and css2 specifications that help us along the way.) tables are for n00bs (no offense) but css if for they who are VERY comfortable and experienced with (x)html.

[shwaza]

Originally posted by starmena3@Dec 3 2004, 08:43 PM
I use the tables but thats only because I havent learned CSS yet. I just dont have the time anymore to study :P but I think CSS is better from what I've seen
15121



Lol ill second that i dont know ANY css

[undacuvabruva]

I use tables. I know CSS but don't have much experience with it.
Can anyone show me a good example of a site with CSS?

[688206002]

Originally posted by undacuvabruva@Dec 8 2004, 08:16 AM
I use tables. I know CSS but don't have much experience with it.
Can anyone show me a good example of a site with CSS?
16232


A lot of sites use CSS. Just go to any big site, and check their code. Most of the time you'll see tags like this:

<link rel="StyleSheet" type="text/css" href="xyz.css">

and you can just download the CSS file and view them. Sometimes you'll just find the code between style tags. :)

[shwaza]

i wish i wasnt so lazy and would actually bother to try and learn something :)

[chilipie]

Originally posted by 688206002@Dec 9 2004, 12:13 AM
A lot of sites use CSS. Just go to any big site, and check their code.
16385

Many big sites just use CSS for FAC (fonts and colours). Most big internet companies (Google, Yahoo!, eBay etc.) still have unsemantic, table-based layouts.

[lsyliu]

Hi there,

i've started using css (say the last few months) and i must say i've started to become a big fan.

For examples of amazing css websites i really like Css Zen Garden found at http://www.csszengarden.com/ it has a range of examples of css designed sites in different categories. i've used it for layout inspiration when i get designers block.

I used to use tables all the time, but css has so much more movement to the layout i feel. They are just so flexible.

Are there any css web design editors out there? At the moment i use dreamweaver mx (though nothing beats hand coding), and it's not too bad for css but it might be worth looking into a web editor that has more emphasis on css layout design than tables, especially in design view. I'm just a little too lazy sometimes i guess!

Also, does anyone know of other limitations css has other than cross browser compatibility?

~Lisa~

[Elriowiel]

I personally like to use both when making websites, but I preffer css over tables if I had to pick just one.

[galbus]

css. period. (and all the css1 and css2 specifications that help us along the way.) tables are for n00bs (no offense) but css if for they who are VERY comfortable and experienced with (x)html.

I disagree. What do you think old-school web designers used before CSS was widespread? I learned how to layout sites using tables (not that I would consider myself 'old-school' of course) because designing for portable devices and screen readers was not a major issue, and with a little tweaking you could get your site to look the same on any of the main browsers.

I still mainly use tables, but I have started to insert DIVs and SPANs into my code and control those with CSS. For a long time now I have used external style sheets to control the fonts used in my work, and now I'm on my way to use CSS to control the whole layout. I think it is a much better way to do things personally, but currently I produce work of a higher quality if I stick with what I know. :)

I was under the impression that CSS was for noobs as that seems to be the way things are changing and what is getting taught to web design students. :confused:

[Zalt4n]

I use tables mainly for layout, and then CSS for styling. The reason why I use tables for laying-out most things is that it is more easy to move around and view/edit my work in Dreamweaver MX. If I learnt a little more CSS I might start to if entirely. What exactly are the advantages of CSS over tables?

[chilipie]

What exactly are the advantages of CSS over tables?

http://www.decloak.com/Dev/CSSTables/CSS_Tables_01.aspx
http://www.andybudd.com/archives/2004/05/an_objective_look_at_table_based_vs_css_based_desi gn/index.php
http://www.computing.dundee.ac.uk/projects/dmag/resources/design_articles/cssvtablesforlayout.asp
http://www.simonday.com/help/css_table.htm
http://archivist.incutio.com/viewlist/css-discuss/38949