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Web Page Layout Debate: Tables vs. CSS

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mouser:
The AppScout website is a nice daily blog that doesn't get mentioned enough on DC.  Today there was a nice entry about some recent competing thoughts on using css vs using tables for laying out web pages.  I've had enough experiences cursing out css to consider myself in the camp that is not convinced that css is the holy grail..

This is all a lead-in to the pissing match in-progress between two groups of web developers. It pits tables against CSS (cascading style sheets). The prevailing wisdom has been tables are bad for you--bad for the environment. Using table is like smoking cigarettes... in a nursery school. CSS is touted as a much more elegant and controllable method (even though it isn't) of design. In 2009 only a schlemiel would use tables...
And then he proceeds to compile a laundry list of the largest most unbreakable sites around--and they're all using tables! Ron Garret adds a little fuel to the fire with point-by-point examples worthy of a closing argument on Law & Order (though on an otherwise awful looking page) showing CSS break where tables thrive.

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http://www.appscout.com/2009/02/a_battle_rages_over_tables_ver.php#more





The blog entry is pretty brief and points to the following essays arguing for using tables or css:

* http://iamelgringo.blogspot.com/2009/02/tables-vs-css-css-trolls-begone.html
* http://www.newmediacampaigns.com/page/why-css-should-be-used-for-layout

nudone:
css 3 tables will be taking over - eventually. that should help resolve a lot of css hate.

housetier:
I have an advantage over mouser: I do not care if a page works in IE. Therefore I can use css as much as I want for layout :)

justice:
I was under the impression that the css way won a long time back due to accessibility reasons. CSS is not a holy grail but neither is tables. I just prefer simpler pages.

40hz:
IMHO, the advantages of using CSS are somewhat exaggerated. I don't think it has an overwhelming advantage from a design perspective.

From what I've seen, you can just as easily do bad page design with CSS as you can with tables.

I think search engine optimization is the only real argument that can be made for preferring CSS over table layouts.

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