Table layouts

They have: 16 posts

Joined: Jul 2006

Hi Peeps
Would like to build a template to a ecommerce site , know html to a degree but never designed a layout like one I would like to do now.

Basically a table across the top.
colum down left for menu.
Main page in the middle
column down right for advertising stuff im selling elsewhere onthe site
maybe table across the bottom for addition info such as a footer

Any pointers would be great

tried webeditor 2006 last night, was getting there but not sure im in the first direction

The column down the right. WOuld i need a full length one , then put smaller tables inside to place different pictures as links. Suppose to easiest way to explain is the layout of the amazon site.

Don't want some cheesy looking layout so rather put work into this than settle for second best and competitors looking better layout wise

Cheers for any feedback

Rob

They have: 16 posts

Joined: Jul 2006

oh by the way

I have a book on css coming. Is it worth doing with css rather than html tables as i would like to learn css anyway

Ta

Rob

Megan's picture

She has: 11,421 posts

Joined: Jun 1999

CSS is really the most modern way of doing things. If you learn tables you're learning something that's really quickly falling out of favour. None of the top designers use tables anymore, and it's slowly trickling down to everyone else (although I'm sure Busy will be piping up and saying that there's nothing wrong with tables .... some still refuse to accept it).

CSS can be a little frustrating at first but it's worth it in the end. There are lots of code samples out there on the web that you can borrow. Just do a google search for "CSS three column layout" and you'll come up with lots of examples.

I think you'll also be less likely to end up with something cheesy looking if you use CSS but that all depends on how you use it Smiling

They have: 16 posts

Joined: Jul 2006

Thankyou very much for that reply!!

I will definatly look into the css route, i definatly dont want to cheesy look

very much appreciated

rob

teammatt3's picture

He has: 2,102 posts

Joined: Sep 2003

I used to use tables for layout too, but I find maintaining a CSS based layout way easier. Tables can go so confusing sometimes, and if you don't have a WYSIWYG editor it is almost impossible to work with them.

You may want to check out this site, http://www.pmob.co.uk/, it has to be the best CSS example site I have ever come across. The examples are a bit cheesy looking, but you can change the colors to make them look good.

They have: 16 posts

Joined: Jul 2006

cheer for the link to that site, now i wish i could do all that... alot to learn eh

Really appreciate the help

cheers

Rob

DaveyBoy's picture

They have: 453 posts

Joined: Feb 2003

There isn't anything 'wrong' with using them, no matter what people say. It's just an old-fashioned way of doing something and you can still get results you want and usually quicker (in my experience). I'm really sick of reading that it's wrong. Who says? It's probably more cumbersome but at the end of the day I can still get whatever result I want Smiling

Not arguing about it any more, just my 2 pence there.

He has: 490 posts

Joined: May 2005

Daveyboy.

I second that opinion, I think those who don't use tables just don't know how. Besides its just like a lot of other stuff, rules made up by someone who just wants everything their way. Who is in the position to tell someone what is right, or wrong. (GOD). I don't think any of us qualify's for that position. Smiling

Megan's picture

She has: 11,421 posts

Joined: Jun 1999

steve40 wrote: I second that opinion, I think those who don't use tables just don't know how. Besides its just like a lot of other stuff, rules made up by someone who just wants everything their way. Who is in the position to tell someone what is right, or wrong. (GOD). I don't think any of us qualify's for that position. Smiling

Guys, please stop saying stuff like this. It's just going to force someone to respond and start an argument.

People who use CSS did use tables at one point but converted to CSS more recently. We did know how to do it once, we're not dumb. It also is the recommended method by pretty much any authority in the field, no question. It's not really a rule, but more of a guideline, made by the only recognized authorities (the w3c). They are the only aurhorities we have in this business so yes, they are in a position to make recommendations. They're not forcing anyone to do anything.

Busy's picture

He has: 6,151 posts

Joined: May 2001

http://www.ezhtml.net/eztables2.html shows how to do several tabled layouts

DaveyBoy's picture

They have: 453 posts

Joined: Feb 2003

Yeah i'm not saying people don't know how to use them, I just wanna use em without getting grief Laughing out loud

I like going against authority, it didn't work in school but it seems to now lol

He has: 490 posts

Joined: May 2005

Who voted W3C in as any authority, I sure didn't (the same goes for Bill Gates when he said 650k would be enough for me, or anyone else). Well that might be a little strong to say that some people don't know how to use tables, but there will sure be a good crop of newbies who wont. It might benefit them sometime to learn though.

"Quote" I am not your enemy just an adversary. Laughing out loud

If you want to hear my real opinion the "internet is a bunch of crap". But you might not be able to handle that.

Megan's picture

She has: 11,421 posts

Joined: Jun 1999

steve40 wrote: Who voted W3C in as any authority, I sure didn't (the same goes for Bill Gates when he said 650k would be enough for me, or anyone else).

We have to have an aurhority of some kind and that's the best we've got. If we had no standards it would be mass chaos (remember web design in 1997, anyone?). Someone has to create those standards and the W3C is the current recognized authority, like it or not. You can choose to go your own way if you want, I don't care.

I've heard some rumblings from some well known leaders in the field expresing frustration with the W3C lately. Mainly about being too swayed by big corporations and not regular people and not moving quickly enough with certain recommendations.

Ha, just looked up the history of the W3C to try to answer this question and found this on their timeline

W3C wrote:
December 1996
Separating content (I think they mean presentation here...) from structure, CSS Level 1 is published. Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) is a simple mechanism for adding style (e.g. fonts, colors, spacing) to Web documents. CSS Level 2 (1998) included further and more sophisticated features.

December 1996 and we're still arguing about it! That tells you something about the effectiveness of that organization! I don't think they're perfect, by any means, but theyr'e the best we've got right now.

demonhale's picture

He has: 3,278 posts

Joined: May 2005

Use what your comfortable with as I often say, and I choose to use whatever suits my needs on a certain day, be it css or tables. A combination works too... and table persons must admit they use css in conjunction with their tabled designs...

He has: 490 posts

Joined: May 2005

Yep!. Laughing out loud

waffles's picture

They have: 54 posts

Joined: Jun 2006

My only big greif against tables is the fact that they wait until everything is loaded before they display. If you've got a small site it doesn't matter.

waffles Radio Coming to a set of speakers near you September 2006

They have: 16 posts

Joined: Jul 2006

Hi all

Well my posting certainly led to a few wound up people heh

I am just learning CSS, all looks good but i need whatever i click on in the nav menu to load in the middle but leave the menu and the 3rd column alone. Would i need a table in the end in the middle, or how else would i do it?

At the moment Im using a host which uses tags, so their tag would go in the html, but needs a container.

any ideas or guideance?

cheers guys and gals

Rob

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