Topic: Aaarghh.. Tables vs. DIV's??

Hi there..

I'm developing this site for a client.. www.sonicsnail.com/msol/index.htm and I'm pleased with the way it looks at 1024x768 updwards.. however if I go to 800x600 there doesn't seem to be enough width for the text.

I used a table to hold the menu, logo, and path on the right hand side, which means that the main body of text can't break into its borders.. and really I'd like it to.. I'm losing too much space on the right by using a table there...

So I read up on CSS layout and put this together - http://www.sonicsnail.com/msol/test.htm - and it looks perfect in IE, but CRAP in NS..

Can anyone suggest a way to do this better??

Many thanks...

Pete.

ss: You'll be glad to hear that your CSS version looks better in Opera than your tables one!!

On the width front - you are using 4 columns which isn't really leaving you much room to play with. I'd also try to specifiy some of those column widths to gain more control over things.

I've just had a nose around both pages and I'm not sure which is which. The first one (index) has a complex series of tables and DIVs. You are absolutely positioning the right menu part and that isn't working well in Opera. The second one (test) has a slightly different mix of tables and DIVs.

My advice would be to make one layout with tables and avoid positioning as it will cause you problems - if it seems a good idea and the client is cool with the idea then try a CSS-only layout. Try simplifying the design and then fiddling with the widths of the various table columns and you should get things working.

Hope that makes sense,

Emps

Here is what I would do, which may make Emps go crazy with the nested tables

Lets say that from the top of your page to just under the "Discovering Potential. . . " is going to be one table.

Then underneath it, you have another set of tables to give the 1px border and then the content.

In the content section you will have:

Nested tables to give the 1px border. And then a table that will hold the main body of contents. From this main body table you can have one <td> tag with a table to flow off of for the main contents and then another <td> tag with a table flowing off of it for the menu with the align set to right.

Does that make sense.

I think it would be best to use percentages so it will expand with the size of the browser size. The "path" image can be done just as you have it now.




Later,
C:\


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