In dictionary page, I think replacing the top two tables
(for title and monad/dyad) with DIVs makes it worse in
a number of ways
* (mainly) DIVs do not convey the spacial layout
* layout is hard to maintain
* older browser compatibilty
Historically, DIVs were imposed with justification
that layout can be customized in CSS. However, compared
to tables, they destroy the structural layout. When it
meant to be two-dimensional and specific: monad always
left, dyad right -- there is no need to rearrange.
In such case not only does the table suffice, it gives
visual cues in the markup where things are supposed to be
on the page. You always know that TRs is are rows
and TDs go horizontally and vertically aligned.
Another point, when you really need DIVs to fill out
spaces in and around table cells, then without tables
you just get all DIVs, which are hard to distinguish.
Compare, here I can easily visualize a 2x2 table:
<div id=Header>
<table><tr>
<td> <div>One</div> <div>1</div> </td>
<td> <div>Two</div> <div>2</div> </td>
</tr><tr>
<td> <div>Three</div> <div>3</div> </td>
<td> <div>Four</div> <div>4</div> </td>
</tr></table>
...
</div>
Here it's even hard to track levels of nesting:
<div id=Header>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>One</div>
<div>1</div>
</div>
<div>
<div>Two</div>
<div>2</div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<div>One</div>
<div>1</div>
</div>
<div>
<div>Two</div>
<div>2</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
...
</div>
> From: "Sherlock, Ric" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>
> ---Sherlock, Ric wrote:
> > --- Roger Hui wrote:
> > > A "fairly simple" page is not a good place to start.
> > > You have to start with a really complex page to
> > > show that the proposed changes are capable of
> > > handling the complexity.
> >
> > That was why in my original proposal I also included d200.htm
> > as an example of how the markup and CSS could be changed to
> > cope with a more complex page. If you agree that it produces
> > a layout similar enough to the current one to be acceptable,
> > then I am happy to try and put together a list of
> > instructions similar to the one below for a more complex page.
>
> To make it easier to see the visual appearance of the example pages, I've
> hosted
> them temporarily at the following URL:
>
> http://www.massey.ac.nz/~rsherloc/jdict/egpage0.html (intro.htm)
> http://www.massey.ac.nz/~rsherloc/jdict/egpage1.html (intro01.htm)
> http://www.massey.ac.nz/~rsherloc/jdict/egpage2.html (d200.htm)
>
> Suggestions for improving the structural markup of the pages as well as the
> CSS
> are welcome.
>
> Slightly off-topic:
> I'm very impressed with Firebug (a Firefox addon) for investigating the
> structure of an HTML page and how CSS applies to its elements.
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