An-Mei supervised a Web development team responsible for converting the company Web site's HTML 4.0 code into XHTML 1.0. She began the project by reviewing the existing Web pages and code with her team.
An-Mei and her team found that most of the existing pages had used HTML tables to structure all content, rather than only the content that lent itself to a tabular format.
An-Mei chose to limit the use of tables whenever possible, reserving them for content that required a structured layout, such as numbers, dates and other items often viewed within spreadsheets or complex lists.
An-Mei directed the team to remove all HTML tables used for page structuring and to replace the structure using the
tag instead. Although this change required a significant investment of time, the team found that the time was well spent. Without the table structuring all pages could be quickly updated and future modifications to the site content were easier. Upper management was pleased that Web site updates were implemented more readily than in the past.
As a class, discuss the ways that HTML tables can improve a Web page.
What types of content benefit from a tabular structure? What types of content do not??
What advantages do you see in using an invisible HTML table to structure an entire Web page? What disadvantages does the table structure pose?
Can you think of examples in which the advantages of using a table page structure would outweigh the disadvantages?
Is such a situation likely to occur in the workplace when you are dealing with a business or organization Web site? Why or why not?
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