HTML and CSS Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 4-2 Table Properties and Values
Property
Description
Values
border-collapse
Specifies whether or not table borders should be collapsed,
i.e., if table cells should have their own border, or share a
common border
separate
collapse
inherit
border-spacing
Specifies the distance between the borders of adjacent cells
not specified
length
inherit
caption-side
Specifies the placement of a table caption
top
bottom
inherit
empty-cells
Specifies whether or not to display borders and background
on empty cells in a table
show
hide
inherit
table-layout
Sets the layout algorithm to be used for a table
auto
fixed
inherit
Plan
Ahead
Identify the purpose of various Web page elements.
Before inserting tables or graphical elements in a Web page, you should plan how you want
to use them to present the content of the page. By effectively utilizing tables and graphics,
you can better organize the most important topics on the Web page. Consider the follow-
ing formatting suggestions:
•
Effectively utilize graphics.
An important part of Web development is the use of
graphics to call attention to a Web page. Generally, companies utilize the same logo
on their Web site as they use on print material associated with the company, such
as business cards and letterheads. Using the same graphical image on all marketing
materials, including the Web site, is a good way to provide a consistent visual image
and brand message to customers. Colorful company logos can also add an attention-
grabbing element to a Web page.
•
Format tables to present Web page content.
Sometimes it is better to have no border
around the table, while other times borders enhance the look of the table, depending on
the content and purpose of the table. For example, when creating a table containing image
links, you may not want a border to break up the images. In other cases, you may want only
separators (e.g., pipe symbols) between the links to visually organize them for the viewer.
In this chapter, you will use both bordered and borderless tables. Another consideration is
where to place the table (left-, right-, or center-aligned).
•
Identify what links are needed
. Each Web page in a multipage Web site should have
a link back to the home page of the Web site. Web developers often use the company
logo to link back to the home page. In this project, the logo is also the central image
of the Web pages. Because of that, a better option might be to provide a link called
Home that visitors can use to return to the home page. Each Web page should include
links to the other pages on the Web site. Putting these links in a table at the top of
each Web page helps visitors navigate easily, and providing the navigation bar across
all Web pages in the Web site is also important for consistency. Again, the purpose of
providing links is to make it easy to navigate the Web site.
