help with tables, please help?

[msmitch]

This is probably a really dumb question, but I just don't know what to do. Using Dreamweaver Mx I'm trying to create a page using tables. I lay out the page with the needed columns and rows. The top of my page consists of a row with three columns. No problem there, but when I go to the next row I can't move the columns. They remain lined up with the ones in the first row. How can I correct this?

[DavidRyan]

Sounds like you have one single table with three columns. Have you tried making another table for the row with a different number of columsn?

[msmitch]

Yes I did try that, or think that is what I did. I created a table for the banner, then created a separte table for the body of my page. But doing so it left a large space from my top banner???

[ManicCW]

Create Main table with (example) two rows and three columns. Then merge columns in second row and insert new table in that row. That should do it.

Btw. I recomend using div tags for layout and tables just for tabular data.

[cmills83]

yeah looks like you need to get into nested tables...headache, learn CSS once you are familiar enough with HTML. Here's what it should look like:

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0">
<tr>
<td><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"><tr><td>Col. 1</td><td>Col 2</td></tr></table>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"><tr><td>Only one col.</td></tr></table>
</td></tr></table>

not the greatest code but should give you an idea otherwise, as stated above your cells in a single table will line up.

[GreenDay2001]

spanning wouls surely help you. if you still have problem try using CSS

[roryt]

Create Main table with (example) two rows and three columns. Then merge columns in second row and insert new table in that row. That should do it.

Btw. I recomend using div tags for layout and tables just for tabular data.

That's how it is done but do try CSS. The only way to set out a page well with tables is by using nested tables so you should really have a go with that.

[Taffd]

I used tables for for the design of my site which includes a lot of tabular data aswell. If you are going to insist on tables for layout, then nested tables will do what you want.
It is however, considered by some, to be very bad form to use tables for layout. I am redsigning using css.
I was confused at first with css. Mostly because css styles can be used on a page but also called from an external style sheet. For me, the important first step was understanding the seperation. Next, the layout is done on the page with div tags, blocks, etc, each being given a name such as 'div header', 'div footer'. The style sheet contains the style info for each of these named layout areas, aswell as styling for tables text, in fact everything on the page.
I suggest setting aside 2 or 3 days and following a tutorial on css. Not just reading it but actually doing it. Include in your research a complete view of css at w3schools. Once you've grasped the idea and realised what you can do with css, it is only necessary to decide exactly what you want on your page. Building the style sheet is then a swift process. Providing you set a style for everything on the page it doesn't really matter what styles you apply initially because they're so easy to change. I'll try and find the link to the tutorial I used and post it later.

[GreenDay2001]

I used tables for for the design of my site which includes a lot of tabular data aswell. If you are going to insist on tables for layout, then nested tables will do what you want.
It is however, considered by some, to be very bad form to use tables for layout. I am redsigning using css.
I was confused at first with css. Mostly because css styles can be used on a page but also called from an external style sheet. For me, the important first step was understanding the seperation. Next, the layout is done on the page with div tags, blocks, etc, each being given a name such as 'div header', 'div footer'. The style sheet contains the style info for each of these named layout areas, aswell as styling for tables text, in fact everything on the page.
I suggest setting aside 2 or 3 days and following a tutorial on css. Not just reading it but actually doing it. Include in your research a complete view of css at w3schools. Once you've grasped the idea and realised what you can do with css, it is only necessary to decide exactly what you want on your page. Building the style sheet is then a swift process. Providing you set a style for everything on the page it doesn't really matter what styles you apply initially because they're so easy to change. I'll try and find the link to the tutorial I used and post it later.

The thread is almost a year old and there is no point to put it at top of forum.