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Re: tables for layout

for

From: slq2b
Date: Jun 11, 2001 1:58PM

Sharyn,
The WAI's Web Content Accessibility Guideline 5.3 states:

5.3 Do not use tables for layout unless the table makes sense when linearized.
Otherwise, if the table does not make sense, provide an alternative equivalent
(which may be a linearized version). [Priority 2]
Note: Once user agents support style sheet positioning, tables should not be
used for layout.
User agents (Screen readers, browsers, etc.) vary in how they handle style
sheets, but most handle tables used for layout well enough that confusion is
minimized. Using tables used for is an acceptable practice.
Adding a summary to the table tag may be helpful. The home page to the w3c has
the following summary to their layout table tag:
summary="Layout table: The first cell contains a navigation bar of W3C
technologies, the second contains news, and the third another navigation bar
of W3C pages."
Shane Anderson
Software Developer
Web Accessibility in Mind - http://www.WebAIM.org

>===== Original Message From WebAIM accessibility forum
< <EMAIL REMOVED> > ====>Hello all,
>
>I just subscribed so please forgive me if this has been discussed
>before. I tried searching the archive but it seems to be down.
>
>All of the information out there says "avoid using tables for layout"
>yet I see that even the webaim.org home page does exactly that. I've
>tried using css positioning which worked great until I looked at it in
>netscape (next time I'll check browser compatibility charts *before* I
>do all that work!). I'm trying to replicate a current look & feel so
>getting rid of columns isn't an option. Please please enlighten me.
>Thanks!
>
>Sharyn