- From: Charles McCathieNevile <charles@w3.org>
- Date: Wed, 26 Dec 2001 22:05:12 -0500 (EST)
- To: Kynn Bartlett <kynn-edapta@idyllmtn.com>
- cc: Vadim Plessky <lucy-ples@mtu-net.ru>, <w3c-wai-ig@w3.org>
Tables are not just arbitrary tags. Table is the only mechanism in HTML for representing two dimensional information, such as an array in a programming language, or a timetable for a train line. Visually, the obvious thing to do with that is lay it out in two dimensions, so CSS provides a mechanism. Semantically, table is defined in the specification along with the other patrts of tables, whereas div is just a generic container. So it is better to use tables as described, because people can read the specification and understand what a number of people agreed that an element would mean, instead of trying to guess. (If the specification was perfect, and all implementations were too, this would work really well. Instead it works reasonably well). chaals On Tue, 25 Dec 2001, Kynn Bartlett wrote: At 11:27 AM +0000 12/25/01, Vadim Plessky wrote: >| Lemme say that again since it rarely gets said: >| LAYOUT TABLES DO NOT PRESENT ANY MORE OR LESS A BARRIER TO >| ACCESS THAN DOES CSS. >BTW: I don't understand why you try to treat Tables separatly from CSS. >yoy can define >a { display: table } >b { display: table-row } >c { display: table-cell } How many assistive technologies will understand the above, and how many will understand <table> tags? :) But as you say, <table> tags are just arbitrary elements with CSS table styling pre-applied. If using tables for layout is evil, then surely so is the above, which is CSS! You can do just as much evil with CSS as with <table>, and -- see my other message for a discussion as to why generic tags like <div> are less useful than double-use tags like <table>. --Kynn -- Charles McCathieNevile http://www.w3.org/People/Charles phone: +61 409 134 136 W3C Web Accessibility Initiative http://www.w3.org/WAI fax: +1 617 258 5999 Location: 21 Mitchell street FOOTSCRAY Vic 3011, Australia (or W3C INRIA, Route des Lucioles, BP 93, 06902 Sophia Antipolis Cedex, France)
Received on Wednesday, 26 December 2001 22:05:15 UTC