Dreamweaver - Table positioning & Layouts

Author

Table positioning & Layouts

Softpages

2006-02-26, 6:14 pm

Hi
I have recently done web pages for my own use utilising layers and
frames/simple tables
My next project will use tables (after talking to people on here).

However having just read the article on Div tags :
http://www.projectseven.com/tutorials/css/css%5Ftd/

I am considering using this method (CSS). Mainly to expand my experience as
im sure what I want to do, I could do using tables.
Using div tags I am alittle worried that I might bite off a bit of a monster,
especially if you have lots of table cells requiring positioning. My questions
:

1. Do I have to apply a div tag to every cell (td) or only those i wish to
style ?
2. if I dont apply any positioning properties to the tag (only width/height)
will positioning wise it act like a normal table ?
That way on my project I can stick to styling only this time round.
3. The positioning attributes (absolute, fixed,relative,static) seems a bit
daunting.. however do I only apply this to the cells i want specifically
positioned and leave rest as is.

Ta
Carlo

Osgood

2006-02-26, 6:14 pm

Softpages wrote:

> Hi
> I have recently done web pages for my own use utilising layers and
> frames/simple tables
> My next project will use tables (after talking to people on here).
>
> However having just read the article on Div tags :
> http://www.projectseven.com/tutorials/css/css%5Ftd/
>
> I am considering using this method (CSS). Mainly to expand my experience as
> im sure what I want to do, I could do using tables.
> Using div tags I am alittle worried that I might bite off a bit of a monster,
> especially if you have lots of table cells requiring positioning. My questions
> :
>
> 1. Do I have to apply a div tag to every cell (td) or only those i wish to
> style ?

No <div> tags have nothing to do with <table>s or <td>s.

<td>s are <td>s and <div>s are <div>s.

Yes you can insert a 'static' <div> into a <td>..... <td><div>Some
text</div></td>..... but what's the point when you can just style the
<td> itself?

Static by the way is an unpositioned <div>. You cannot insert an
absolutely positioned <div> directly into a table cell and make it work
correctly cross-browser unless it is first inserted into a relatively
positioned <div>

> 2. if I dont apply any positioning properties to the tag (only width/height)
> will positioning wise it act like a normal table ?

No. Lets establish that you are not inserting <div>s into table cells
because on the whole its a pointless exercise.

<div>s are independent elements and are initially a lot more complex to
work with than tables. The good news is once you know how to use them
correctly they are a lot simpler and easier to maintain than tables.

> 3. The positioning attributes (absolute, fixed,relative,static) seems a bit
> daunting.. however do I only apply this to the cells i want specifically
> positioned and leave rest as is.

Cells? If your using <divs> then forget about tables and vice versa.
They are NOT one of a kind, they are very different.

My advice is this. Until you are 100% confident that you know how to use
<divs> then don't. There is nothing wrong with using tables to construct
your site.

If you are serious about moving over to <divs> as a mainstream method of
construction then I would practice in any spare time you may have. I do
not recomend 'learning on the job'

Murray *TMM*

2006-02-26, 6:14 pm

If you are serious about this at all, you will stop to learn some HTML
before trying anything else. Without a decent foundation in HTML,
everything will seem like smoke and mirrors.

--
Murray --- ICQ 71997575
Team Macromedia Volunteer for Dreamweaver
(If you *MUST* email me, don't LAUGH when you do so!)
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"Osgood" <notavailable@atthisaddress.com> wrote in message
news:dts7cb$1c3$1@forums.macromedia.com...
> Softpages wrote:
>
>
> No <div> tags have nothing to do with <table>s or <td>s.
>
> <td>s are <td>s and <div>s are <div>s.
>
> Yes you can insert a 'static' <div> into a <td>..... <td><div>Some
> text</div></td>..... but what's the point when you can just style the <td>
> itself?
>
> Static by the way is an unpositioned <div>. You cannot insert an
> absolutely positioned <div> directly into a table cell and make it work
> correctly cross-browser unless it is first inserted into a relatively
> positioned <div>
>
>
> No. Lets establish that you are not inserting <div>s into table cells
> because on the whole its a pointless exercise.
>
> <div>s are independent elements and are initially a lot more complex to
> work with than tables. The good news is once you know how to use them
> correctly they are a lot simpler and easier to maintain than tables.
>
>
>
>
> Cells? If your using <divs> then forget about tables and vice versa. They
> are NOT one of a kind, they are very different.
>
> My advice is this. Until you are 100% confident that you know how to use
> <divs> then don't. There is nothing wrong with using tables to construct
> your site.
>
> If you are serious about moving over to <divs> as a mainstream method of
> construction then I would practice in any spare time you may have. I do
> not recomend 'learning on the job'
>
>
>
>
>