CSS or tables?

ernie · Share | #1 (**permalink**) 10-03-2010, 06:52 AM

Hello,

I was wondering what is considered the best way for building a website, css or tables? And what would be the exact advantage of the preferred method? Can it make a difference for the search engines?

**ScriptMan** · #2 (**permalink**) 10-03-2010, 07:21 AM

CSS for formatting and layout. Tables if needed for tabular data. CSS sites load faster than a complex table based layout.

CSS also makes remodeling a site a whole lot easier when you desire to do so.

ernie · #3 (**permalink**) 10-03-2010, 09:42 AM

Thank you. I will look into converting my current tabled layout into a css one.

**ScriptMan** · #4 (**permalink**) 10-03-2010, 11:12 AM

Take the time to learn the right way. Use a separate style sheet, not inline coding. You will be so happy that you made the effort.

BTW, it looks like you are new here; Welcome to the forum.

ernie · #5 (**permalink**) 10-04-2010, 12:27 AM

Thank you.

csm · #6 (**permalink**) 10-04-2010, 06:55 AM

W3Schools is the way to learn everything from scratch

http://w3schools.com/

Rockjone · #7 (**permalink**) 10-08-2010, 11:31 AM

The best way to design you website in HTML is CSS besause it is google friendly

csm · #8 (**permalink**) 10-08-2010, 02:53 PM

I never heard such statement before.

google friendly ... sorry, Bot's do not read CSS.

CSS is for layout, tables for tabular data. Period.

OrangeDevDesign · #9 (**permalink**) 10-10-2010, 06:26 AM

CSS is best for layout. Tables as said above are for data. NEVER, but NEVER use tables for your layout.

dominoes · #10 (**permalink**) 10-18-2010, 07:54 AM

Yep, css is the way to go for most cases.

However, tables have their uses too. I often run across people who are so anti-table that they will rewrite their own table css/div class whenever they need that file, which is a waste IMHO!

csm · #11 (**permalink**) 10-18-2010, 12:40 PM

If I have to display data then I am using table, if not... CSS

Aziz Natour · #12 (**permalink**) 11-04-2010, 02:03 AM

tables? it's 2010 hello!... tables were used decades ago

onlinesecrets1 · #13 (**permalink**) 11-17-2010, 07:10 AM

well i uses css for best results

mankis · #14 (**permalink**) 11-19-2010, 04:26 AM

Sometimes you need to use tables. But tables are not good for layout. It will take less time to learn CSS than to make good layout with tables

johneva · #15 (**permalink**) 11-19-2010, 07:22 AM

Really supprised this question is still comming up even now, I would have expected it to have died off ages ago now. Its a question that will come up again and again for a long long time for some weird reason.

As the other have said CSS for sure and as already mentioned learn how to do all your CSS in an external style sheet, helps with load times alot if done correctly.

Tables are just for displaying tabular data, layout should always be done with CSS.

Using CSS makes life so much easier when you want to make changes to the look of your website aswell, you can have a colour change for each day of the week if thats what floats your boat lol, but yeah defo CSS is a must.

This will actually help in terms of SEO aswell reducing the load times and amount of code in each page if done correctly.

csm · #16 (**permalink**) 11-24-2010, 04:12 AM

I think the reason this question will come again and again are programs like Photoshop and DreamWeaver where you can "slice" your graphics and work with the WYSIWYG editor.

But soon those sites have to think about their actual code because search engines are looking for tableless design...

CSS FTW!

logoonlinepros · #17 (**permalink**) 11-26-2010, 04:28 AM

Now a days every one use CSS and its also good for google spider to crawl your site fast.

ideasOfdreb · #18 (**permalink**) 11-28-2010, 10:10 AM

I guess you know already which is best among the two but to add for your confidence i'll also tell you that CSS is powerful. Tables in site is now deteriorating. We're not saying you can't learn it anymore because table is very EASY to learn. Design and Development wise, CSS rules.

seo-neon · #19 (**permalink**) 11-30-2010, 08:14 PM

Its so rare to see a website made out of tables since CSS has become the standards in styling and layouts for websites. You should use CSS for you site, it's easy to use and easy to learn. Tables are sparingly used on websites, hmmm maybe if you would show a tabular data then its the time to use tables.

thundeyharwall · #20 (**permalink**) 12-03-2010, 04:21 PM

Take the times to learn the right way Use a distinguish style sheet, not inline coincidence You will be so happy that yourself made the effort.