Now that all major browsers support tables, it's hard
not to use them when we want more control over our HTML pages. However, if you have large
pages, it may not be a good idea to place most of your page inside a single table.For
example, consider the following code:
<HTML>
<BODY>
<TABLE WIDTH=80%><TR><TD>
<! begin section A >
<P>Paragraph #1.</P>
<P>Paragraph #2.</P>
<P>Paragraph #3.</P>
<! end section A >
</TD></TR></TABLE>
</BODY>
</HTML>
Most browsers aren't capable of displaying the above page until all of the page is
downloaded on to the local computer. This is because browsers can't predict how the table
might shapeup, so your visitors would have to look at a blank screen until the full page
is loaded.
Now let's look at another version of the same page:
<HTML>
<BODY>
<TABLE WIDTH=80%><TR><TD>
<P>Paragraph #1.</P>
</TD></TR></TABLE>
<TABLE WIDTH=80%><TR><TD>
<P>Paragraph #2.</P>
</TD></TR></TABLE>
<TABLE WIDTH=80%><TR><TD>
<P>Paragraph #3.</P>
</TD></TR></TABLE>
</BODY>
</HTML>
We still use tables, however, unlike in the first example this time we divide and place
our page in smaller tables. This version will be displayed (or rendered) faster than the
first version, because browsers are able to display contents of the each table as it
completes downloading them -- rather than waiting for the full page [inside single table]
to download.
