Topic: Table-less layout
Is there a plan to later ditch tables and go with CSS layout? It's a good idea and I'm well aware how much of a pain it will be. Just curious.
Thanks!
Re: Table-less layout
Well, using anything but tables to display tabular data such as the contents of index.php, viewforum.php and search.php wouldn't make sense semantically.
"Programming is like sex: one mistake and you have to support it for the rest of your life."
Re: Table-less layout
Actually it would make sense but only if you displayed it in a non-tabular way. For instance a table containing names and addresses could be displayed as a table but it could also be displayed as an address label. Either would be valid. In each case the question is not just whether we are dealing with tabular data but whether a tabular layout is the best way of presenting the data. In the case of index.php and viewforum.php I happend to think it is. What is not valid is displaying tabular data in a tabular format and then faking the tabular format with a bunch of divs or lists.
Once you move away from the idea of a tabular presentation of the data doing a tableless design is childs play. I could knock out tableless versions of index and viewforum in a matter of a few minutes.
Take a look at the index page of the forum at accessify. Thats a tabless phpbb which is semantically correct because it isn't a tabular layout. The only catch is it would look like crud with smaller text on a wide display 
http://www.accessifyforum.com/
Re: Table-less layout
Well, and there are browsers being used, that do not support CSS.
For example the "Index » PunBB discussions » Table-less layout" at the top looks like this in w3m:
* Index
* » PunBB discussions
* » Table-less layoutOh, fun... mark this stuff in Mozilla, right-click -> Copy, and the right click in an input field like the one you type your message in -> paste: It looks nearly like in w3m 
Re: Table-less layout
If browsers cant handle css then the whole page degrades nicely. Which is where the sematic layout helps as everything falls where it should.
Eddie
Re: Table-less layout
Right.
And having one millions <div>s doesn't help those browsers at all. Stuff just lies unsorted around. Very stupid.
So having stuff semanticly right is important!
Re: Table-less layout
<h3>Forum name</h3
<p>This is a test forum blah blah</p>
<ul><li>Topics: 10</li><li>Posts: 33</li><li><a href="">Last post</a></li></ul>
There you are, a semantically correct tableless index page which will look fine in a text only browser and can be styled to look like anything you fancy (apart that is from a table). Whats the problem. Nest it in a div or two for styling and its still semantically correct.
Re: Table-less layout
I have an idea for a layout that isn't very table-like. When it's up I'll show you. But I know you are right... as it stands, the way it is currently is semantically correct.
Re: Table-less layout
We await BwongarBoard with eager anticipation - yes I did visit your website
12 2005-01-11 04:39 (edited by Bwongar.com 2005-01-11 04:40)
Re: Table-less layout
HAHAHAHA. Thanks. But it is not intended as a replacement for PunBB. It's mostly to be a custom forum freely downloadable