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Tables for Layout

The cluster debates the merits and drawbacks of using HTML tables for web page layouts, comparing them to modern CSS tools like Flexbox and Grid, with references to historical practices and semantics.

➡️ Stable 0.7x Web Development
2,405
Comments
20
Years Active
5
Top Authors
#6550
Topic ID

Activity Over Time

2007
3
2008
120
2009
229
2010
80
2011
109
2012
98
2013
160
2014
147
2015
113
2016
50
2017
142
2018
92
2019
146
2020
157
2021
148
2022
111
2023
126
2024
204
2025
163
2026
7

Top Contributors

olavk (49) goto11 (32) bazoom42 (21) rimantas (15) TeMPOraL (13)

Keywords

eev.ee IE6 US CSS IMO POV CSS1 OK jsbin.com ALA layout tables table css flexbox grid screen readers html div layouts

Sample Comments

dosinga • Sep 14, 2023 • View on HN

There was a reason people used to do layout with tables...

tragomaskhalos • Nov 3, 2013 • View on HN

Let he who has not used table-based layout cast the first stone ...

jchw • Jul 18, 2024 • View on HN

Flexbox, grid. You're all forgetting the best way to build layouts: ol' reliable, .

forgotmypw17 • Apr 9, 2023 • View on HN

I think tables for layout are severely underrated...

ahoy • Jul 9, 2021 • View on HN

Tables are not a layout tool, and you'll cause more problems than you solve by using them that way.

omegote • Nov 9, 2015 • View on HN

9 years ago, using tables for layout was already considered a bad practice. Yet here we are...

dsego • May 21, 2021 • View on HN

Funny, this very page you're commenting on uses tables for layout.

kseistrup • Mar 14, 2014 • View on HN

Using tables for layout? No thanks.

rimliu • Oct 6, 2020 • View on HN

Anyone who have usee tables for layout (I have) knows that it is nothing like that.

qaz_plm • Mar 15, 2016 • View on HN

So there's hope for using tables again as layouts in HTML?!