Chapter 9
Chapter 9![[INDEX]](icon_bki.gif){kind=icon}
Chapter
9 -
Tables
If you are not interested in using HTML tables, you can skip the next three chapters.
In this chapter, we'll cover building "tables" in web pages. HTML Tables are an important tool for displaying tabular data (with rows and columns). We real people will usually find such a use of tables to be relatively simple and straightforward.
Tables can also enable some really spiffy graphics features in a web page, like sidebars, toolbars, and colored partitions. In these applications, tables can be considerably more complex than the features we've discussed so far, but not beyond the diligent student. We'll leave graphic tables for a subsequent chapter.
We will present tables starting with the simplest applications and advancing to the more complex. You may elect to abandon the lessons at any point that the level of complexity exceeds either the desired level of personal effort, or the projected level of application in the web page. The simpler applications are important to those who might be presenting simple tabular data. The more complex applications are essential to those who want to "fancy-up" their web page with such things as colored or bordered partitions, or indexed sidebars.
If you already know how to create simple text-based tables, including creating captions, and designating headers and alignment, and you are familiar with the browser-compatibility issues, you can skip this chapter.
Before beginning this chapter, you should be familiar with the HTML skeleton file (we won't explicitly show it here), placing and formatting text, adjusting font size and color, using background colors and images, using inline, off-page, and clickable images, and using lists. Review the Introduction, and the previous chapters if any of those things sound a little funny to you.
To observe the demonstration portions of each lesson, you'll need to have an advanced browser that supports tables. Most recent versions of Netscape and MS Internet Explorer qualify, as do others. If you have a different, or older browser, check your software's documentation.
Upon completing the lessons, we'll offer a short quiz whereby you can access your skills. If you have some prior HTML experience, you may want to begin with the quiz, to find out if you might "skip the chapter". To finish the chapter, we'll present a practice exercise, to make sure everything is crystal-clear. An example solution to the exercise will be made available via link, in case you're having trouble getting your web page to work (or for those who don't believe in practicing). The solution (yours or ours), can be used as a starting template in building your own oh-so-fine web page.
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