Re: [CSS3-tables] proposal for table-row-start display value

On Fri, Feb 20, 2009 at 11:13 AM, Giovanni Campagna
<scampa.giovanni@gmail.com> wrote:
> Mmm... why should you turn everything into tables?

Displaying a definition list as a table is actually really useful.
For a live example, I've produced an automatic text->image replacer
for jQuery that uses this.  Page is http://www.xanthir.com/pir/.  Note
the list of configuration options partway down the page.  Displaying
them as a table like that is ideal because it presents the data in a
compact, easily skimmable way.  I think having the left-hand area
dedicated to presenting the names of the options makes it easier to
grasp the data.

Originally I produced this as a <dl>, because that seemed the most
appropriate construct.  I've since had to change it to a <ul> with
<h3>s and <span>s, specifically so I can get the presentation I want
(an actual <table> may be appropriate here, but shrug).  Now, this is
honestly necessary only because html has never had a <di> element, but
we work with what we have.

> If what you need is a table-like layout (but not a real table, with
> captions, row-groups, columns and column-groups), what you probably
> need is Template Layout:
> Very simply:
> dl {
> display-model: "a b";
> }
> dt {
> position: a; /* or slot(a); or move-to: a; or float: slot(a); if you
> rember that discussion about css3-gcpm */
> }
> dd {
> position: b;
> }
>
> This works for definition lists, dialogues, the header - list example
> you provided, and avoids additional table processing rules and display
> values, allowing also additional exstensibility (why if you deemed the
> content more important than the header and wanted the latter after the
> former in non-styled content?)

Doesn't work as intended.  Specifically, all the <dt>s will pile into
one column, while all the <dd>s pile into another, with no regard for
what is associated with what.  The point of the table display type is
that you can maintain these associations visually.

~TJ

Received on Friday, 20 February 2009 17:33:09 UTC