Why are tables bad?

Discussion in 'HTML & Website Design' started by NickBe, Mar 18, 2008.

  1. #1
    My site is mostly CSS's but the header is contained in it's own table the body in another table and the footer in another. There are also some tables inside the body on most pages. I have seen three posts on here already about tables being bad. Am I misreading or is everybody talking about the standard table as seen in the code below:

    <table width="100" align="center>
    <tr>
    <td>
    content
    </td>
    </tr>
    </table>
    PHP:
    If they are bed whats the alternative? creating a sit on DIV tags?

    Here is a demo of my site, I am updating the design this is the new design not the old one. With this design I have a few tables, I guess I could gio back and make it all DIV's (can't be that hard)....

    ww.forex4noobs.com/education/
     
    NickBe, Mar 18, 2008 IP
  2. dcristo

    dcristo Illustrious Member

    Messages:
    19,776
    Likes Received:
    1,200
    Best Answers:
    7
    Trophy Points:
    470
    Articles:
    7
    #2
    tables are NOT bad, the code is just cleaner with css.
     
    dcristo, Mar 18, 2008 IP
  3. scorpion14

    scorpion14 Peon

    Messages:
    10
    Likes Received:
    0
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #3
    DIV isn't so hard.. go with that..
     
    scorpion14, Mar 18, 2008 IP
  4. NickBe

    NickBe Peon

    Messages:
    12
    Likes Received:
    0
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #4
    What if all the table info is in the css doc?
     
    NickBe, Mar 18, 2008 IP
  5. INTEMPO

    INTEMPO Active Member

    Messages:
    64
    Likes Received:
    0
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    91
    #5
    You used 6 html keys (table, /table, td, /td etc) to show only one word - it's the first reason why I use tables very seldom. The second reason - it easier to modify the site if it contains div and css. When you use tables, you get several blocks that are closely linked to each other in one table. Using div and css you get separate block that can be modified simply and independently.
     
    INTEMPO, Mar 18, 2008 IP
  6. kangaroobin

    kangaroobin Peon

    Messages:
    170
    Likes Received:
    1
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #6
    very well put intempo! tables still come in handy here and there but VERY rarely. its just a fresh breeze of cleanliness and style when you use the div tags and css.
     
    kangaroobin, Mar 18, 2008 IP
  7. SGBoise

    SGBoise Peon

    Messages:
    647
    Likes Received:
    8
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #7
    I'm still old school. I find tables are a lot easier to work with. With css templates you modify a width of an object by a single pixel it will screw up your whole design.
     
    SGBoise, Mar 19, 2008 IP
  8. NickBe

    NickBe Peon

    Messages:
    12
    Likes Received:
    0
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #8
    I will make it with tables since I need to redo the entire site in the next few days. I will learn how to sue DIV + CSS next week and redo it. I bought a blog theme at one point and it was all DIV + CSS so I have some experience with that stuff.
     
    NickBe, Mar 19, 2008 IP
  9. AstarothSolutions

    AstarothSolutions Peon

    Messages:
    2,680
    Likes Received:
    77
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #9
    Tables are not bad at all but they are for showing tabula data and not defining layout... its like using Excel to write an essay rather than Word.

    With a tabular layout get it wrong by one single pixel and it will screw up your whole design. Worse still decide you want to make a section thinner and in css you have a few values to change and your complete site is done, with tables you can have tonns of values to have to modify.
     
    AstarothSolutions, Mar 19, 2008 IP
  10. Marc Fraser

    Marc Fraser Peon

    Messages:
    283
    Likes Received:
    3
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #10

    Couldn't have said it better myself. Also, tables have a longer loading time, which isn't the best from a users perspective.

    Learn HTML and CSS and code using div's for layout - not tables - you'll not regret it! :)
     
    Marc Fraser, Mar 19, 2008 IP