indite the web

Fortunately for me, I started doing Web development at a time when Web standards were moving forward with a vengeance.  XHTML, CSS, and table-less designs are accepted techniques.  However, I’ve still had to deal with my fair share of tables.  My first job out of college, for instance, was with a company that, up until that point, had strictly used tables (and nested tables) for site layout and design.  It took a bit of convincing, but they eventually saw the benefits of tableless/CSS design.  (Fortunately for me, they were already trying to make the transition when I came on board.)

But, I’m still amazed at the number of well-known sites that rely heavily on tables.  Instead of being surprised when a site is using a table, I’m pleasently surprised when they’re not.  Isn’t there something wrong with that picture?  I understand that browser support can be a bit sketchy for CSS at times, but the trade-offs, to me, far outweigh any extra work you may need to do to make a site cross-browser compatible.  Not to mention, tables were never intended to be used for design/layout. 

It’s truly a case of using the right tool for the right job.  Think of it this way.  If you’re sitting down to create, for instance, some sort of digital art, what’s the first tool you open.  Microsoft Excel? Probably not.  More than likely, you’ll choose a tool that’s suited for design, perhaps Photoshop, the GIMP,… even Paint would be a choice!  Now, if you were going to record this week’s payroll information into a table, Excel would be a good choice.  See the difference?  It’s not that the tool in itself is wrong… it’s the misuse of it.  Tables are great… for tabular data.  Not for design and structure.  That’s what CSS is for.  Even tables can be used effectively with CSS.  The benefits will soon become apparent.  From faster page load times to less time spent updating and maintaining pages, you’ll be thankful.