Now-a-days, what is the latest trend by the developers to make pages using <Tables> or <div> and what is the right way to do it?
DIVs are used over TABLEs - not because they are a trend but because they are the superior method. Learn CSS/XHTML to produce TABLE-less layouts.
TABLEs have a place definitely. I went through a phase where I didn't use TABLEs at all, when really displaying tabular has no second best method. I see this a lot nowadays, don't be anti-TABLEs. Rather be pro-DIVs
Of course tables serve tabular data But if you're webdeveloping a regular site you don't need tables, that's the fact.
I used to make web sites with tables, and I was good at it - but let me tell you; when I learned XHTML and CSS a few years ago was when the world of web development really opened up to me. Table-less layouts are faster to make, easier to make, easier to understand, harder to break and more compatible across browsers. Using <div>s instead of <table>s with CSS is most definately the way to go. <table>s, however, still have their place. I still use <tables> for data output, as <div>s don't have a (clean) way of adjusting height/width to match others in the same column/row to look right for most data output.
You'd be surprised how often tables are called for and how often they AREN'T used because the developer has TABLEphobia.
Define data though... If you were displaying blog entries you would use <h1> and <p> - is a blog entry not data?
Err... try anything that has at least 2 columns and at least 2 rows... A list should be defined using OL or UL.
Ah, they do if you use the CSS display property: #element { display: table; } and table-row, table-cell... they just don't work in IE at the moment (IE8 I think will) : ( I don't usually consider it a table with only two columns (depends)-- I'll use a definition list or some other list for that. Beyond that, though, tables fer sure. But not just plain <table><tr><td>blah</td></tr></table> but real tables with thead th tbody scope="col" scope="row" (or "headers") etc. I think that's important too... is someone who is doing a table wants to do it the right way, then tables need to be properly learned as well. It sure took me a while to get it down, and I still struggle with some things now and then.
Tabular data requires tables; that's the proper usage for tables. The problem is that designers (including myself a few years ago) were using it to design website frames. Being anti-table is pointless; learning when and where to properly use a table is the key.
basically there is a purpose for css and a purpose for table layout all depending on the task you are faced with, i agree when faced with the task of styling a webpage css is most def the way to go but if you are faced with the task of html emails etc tables have to used as lots of very weird and wonderful things can happen otherwise. Im a css man through and through but my jobs presents me with the historical factors of tables also which is nice