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re: Table Haunts Me

for

From: Laurie Davis-Covin
Date: Jul 31, 2003 1:09PM

You're right, of course. But that's what I was asking. Why was the form
set up like it is.
A programmer, no longer here, set them up that way.
I also agree the form is not accessible.

I was simply trying to discover if there was something I was overlooking
with the colspan="85",
colspan="21", etc. thing.

Thanks for responding-- I do appreciate it.




At 01:03 PM 7/31/2003 -0400, you wrote:
>I think the bigger question is why is this thing setup the way it is?
>colspan="85"?
>Are you trying to incorrectly hardcode the width?
>
>Also, why the use of <strong>? You're trying to make bold text. Ask
>yourself: "Should this be a heading?"
>If it is presentation you're trying to achieve with <strong>, might I
>suggest CSS? <span style="font-weight: bold;">blah</span>
>
>
>Since this is not tabular data, but rather a form, you should remake the
>whole thing.
>Here's a start. Don't forget to label your form elements with their labels.
>Use CSS to play with margin for each of these DIVs
>
><h1 align="center">TITLE</h1>
>
>
><div>TODAY'S DATE<br />
><input class="input" title="Today's Date" value="January 22, 2003"
>name="TODAYS_DATE" type="text" />
></div>
><div>REQUESTED BY (Name) <br />
> <input class="input" title="Enter Requestor's Name Here"
>name="REQUESTED_BY" type="text" />
></div>
><div>DIVISION<br />
> <input class="input" title="Enter Requestor's Division Here"
>name="DIVISION" type="text" />
></div>
><div>EXTENSION <br />
> <input class="input" title="Enter Requestor's Extension Here"
>name="EXTENSION" type="text" />
></div>
><div>EMAIL<br />
> <input class="input" title="Enter Requestor's Email Address Here"
>name="Requestor_Email" type="text" />
></div>
><div>AUTHOR (BOOK) <br />
> <input class="input" title="Enter Author Information Here"
>name="BOOK_AUTHOR" type="text" />
></div>
><div>TITLE (BOOK OR JOURNAL) <br />
> <input class="input" title="Enter Book or Journal Title "
>name="BOOK_TITLE" type="text" />
></div>
><div>PUBLISHER <br />
> <input class="input" title="Enter Article Publisher Here"
>name="ARTICLE_PUBLISHER" type="text" />
></div>
><div>VOLUME<br />
> <input class="input" title="Enter Publisher Here"
>name="PUBLISHER" type="text" />
></div>
><div>YEAR <br />
> <input class="input" title="Enter Year Published In Here"
>name="YEAR" type="text" />
></div>
><div>EDITION <br />
> <input class="input" title="Enter Edition Here" name="EDITION" type="text"
>/>
></div>
><div>PRICE <br />
> <input class="input" title="Enter Price Here" name="PRICE" type="text" />
></div>
><div>
> <input title="Submit Request"
>type="text" value="Submit Request" name="Submit" />
></div>
>
>
>
> >> Every time I see this table I wonder why the colspan is designated
> so much
> >>
> >> larger than what it
> >> actually is.
>
> >> Is there a reason for a table to be coded in this manner? When I
> insert
> >> the actual number of
> >> columns in "colspan", the table looks the same.
>
> >> Am so curious. Any ideas?
>
> >> Here's the code:
>
>
> >> <table title="Suggest a Title" cellspacing="0" width="90%" border="0">
> >> <tbody>
> >> <tr>
> >> <td title="Title" colspan="85">
> >> <h1 align="center">TITLE</h1>
> >> </td>
> >> </tr>
>
> >> <tr>
> >> <td title="Today's Date" colspan="85"><span
> >> class="smaller">&#160;<strong>TODAY'S DATE</strong></span><br />
> >> <input class="input" title="Today's Date" value="January 22, 2003"
> >> name="TODAYS_DATE" /></td>
> >> </tr>
>
> >> <tr>
> >> <td class="smaller" title="Requestor's Name"
> >> colspan="36"><strong>REQUESTED
> >> BY (Name)</strong><br />
> >> <input class="input" title="Enter Requestor's Name Here" size="22"
> >> name="REQUESTED_BY" /></td>
> >> <td class="smaller" title="Division"
> >> colspan="12"><strong>DIVISION</strong><br />
> >> <input class="input" title="Enter Requestor's Division Here" size="10"
> >> name="DIVISION" /></td>
> >> <td class="smaller" title="Extension"
> >> colspan="12"><strong>EXTENSION</strong><br />
> >> <input class="input" title="Enter Requestor's Extension Here"
> size="10"
> >> name="EXTENSION" /></td>
> >> <td class="smaller" title="Email"
> colspan="24"><strong>EMAIL</strong><br
> >> />
> >> <input class="input" title="Enter Requestor's Email Address Here"
> >> size="23"
> >> name="Requestor_Email" /></td>
> >> </tr>
>
> >> <tr>
> >> <td class="smaller" title="Enter Author" colspan="85"><strong>AUTHOR
> >> (BOOK)</strong><br />
> >> <input class="input" title="Enter Author Information Here" size="70"
> >> name="BOOK_AUTHOR" /></td>
> >> </tr>
>
> >> <tr>
> >> <td class="smaller" title="Enter Book or Journal Title"
> >> colspan="85"><strong>TITLE (BOOK OR JOURNAL)</strong><br />
> >> <input class="input" title="Enter Book or Journal Title "
> size="70" >> name="BOOK_TITLE" /></td>
> >> </tr>
>
> >> <tr>
> >> <td class="smaller" title="Publisher"
> >> colspan="85"><strong>PUBLISHER</strong><br />
> >> <input class="input" title="Enter Article Publisher Here"
> size="70" >> name="ARTICLE_PUBLISHER" /></td>
> >> </tr>
>
> >> <tr>
> >> <td class="smaller" title="Publisher"
> >> colspan="42"><strong>VOLUME</strong><br />
> >> <input class="input" title="Enter Publisher Here" size="10"
> >> name="PUBLISHER" /></td>
> >> <td class="smaller" title="Year Published In"
> >> colspan="14"><strong>YEAR</strong><br />
> >> <input class="input" title="Enter Year Published In Here"
> size="10" >> name="YEAR" /></td>
> >> <td class="smaller" title="Edition"
> >> colspan="14"><strong>EDITION</strong><br />
> >> <input class="input" title="Enter Edition Here" size="10"
> name="EDITION"
> >> /></td>
> >> <td class="smaller" title="Price"
> colspan="14"><strong>PRICE</strong><br
> >> />
> >> <input class="input" title="Enter Price Here" size="10" name="PRICE"
> >> /></td>
> >> </tr>
>
> >> <tr>
> >> <td title="SubmitButton" colspan="85"><input title="Submit
> Request" >> type="submit" value="Submit Request" name="Submit" /> </td>
> >> </tr>
> >> </table>
>
>
>
>
> >> Laurie Davis-Covin, Web Specialist/Writer
> >> National Institute of Standards and Technology
> >> 100 Bureau Drive
> >> Admin. Building, Room E 220
> >> Gaithersburg, MD 20899
> >> Ph: 301-975-8027
>
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> >> visit http://www.webaim.org/discussion/
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>
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>
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Laurie Davis-Covin, Writer/Editor
National Institute of Standards and Technology
100 Bureau Drive
Admin. Building, Room E 220
Gaithersburg, MD 20899
Ph: 301-975-8027





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