DIV's vs. Tables or CSS vs. Being Stupid

Question

I know that tables are for tabular data, but it's so tempting to use them for layout. I can handle DIV's to get a three column layout, but when you got 4 nested DIV's, it get tricky.

Is there a tutorial/reference out there to persuade me to use DIV's for layout?

I want to use DIV's, but I refuse to spend an hour to position my DIV/SPAN where I want it.

@GaryF: Blueprint CSS has to be the CSS's best kept secret.

Great tool - Blueprint Grid CSS Generator.

Answer 1

There's the Yahoo Grid CSS which can do all sorts of things.

But remember: CSS IS NOT A RELIGION. If you save hours by using tables instead of css, do so.

One of the corner cases I could never make my mind up about is forms. I'd love to do it in css, but it's just so much more complicated than tables.

You could even argue that forms are tables, in that they have headers (labels) and data (input fields).

Answer 2

In the UK and in US there is a legal requirement for favouring CSS layouts over Tables. Both Section 508 (US) and the Disability Discrimination Act (UK) cover accessibility standards for users with limited vision.

In the UK the legislation extends so far as to actually make it illegal to commercially produce a site that impedes the ability of a partially sighted user in the same way that it is now illegal to have a shop with a step to enter it and no way for a wheelchair user to get in - admittedly there have been no prosecutions over website accessibility yet. However I would always go with CSS as it means that your site design is so much easier to maintain in the longer term.

Investing time in learning CSS (I used W3C schools and .Net Magazine http://www.netmag.co.uk) will pay off.