Robert Cummings wrote: > On Fri, 2009-05-15 at 14:59 -0400, PJ wrote: > >> tedd wrote: >> >>> At 1:25 PM -0400 5/15/09, PJ wrote: >>> >>>> I know of no better place to ask. This may not be strictly a PHP issue, >>>> but... >>>> I am busting my hump trying to format rather large input pages with CSS >>>> and trying to avoid tables; but it looks to me like I am wasting my time >>>> as positioning with CSS seems an impossibly tortuous exercise. I've >>>> managed to do some pages with CSS, but I feel like I am shooting myself >>>> in the foot or somewhere... >>>> Perhaps I am too demanding. I know that with tables, the formatting is >>>> ridiculously fast. >>>> Any thoughts, observations or recommendations? >>>> >>> PJ: >>> >>> You have a choice: >>> >>> 1. Learn css and do it right; >>> >>> 2. Use tables. >>> >>> If you are in a time pinch, number 2 will suffice enough to get it >>> past a client (besides, what do they know anyway). But number 1 is >>> really the best way to go. Never use tables to hold a layout together. >>> >>> I know, I have clients who *require* me to use tables for their layout >>> and I must bite my lip and comply. But, more and more clients are >>> listening to reason as they discover it really is better way to go. >>> >>> Cheers, >>> >>> tedd >>> >>> >> Thanks Tedd et al., for your input. >> I see that may limited experience was sufficient to understand what you >> are all saying: CSS is fine for graphical layouts even with some of the >> image limitations, but input/form and more than 1 column formatting is >> hell in CSS. So While I was awaiting your input, I set up my tables, had >> lunch and whistled Dixie. 8-) >> Oh, yes... the client was going up the wall with the time I was wasting >> with CSS... the client being myself. ;-) >> > > There's a time for purism (such as in debate or mental exercise) and > there's a time for pragmatism (such as when you're about to be fired for > taking too long ;) > > Cheers, > Rob. > Yeah, I was about to fire myself. It's rather difficult to explain the contortions one has to go through to get what one wants with CSS. Sometimes you have to make so many exceptions (or variations on a theme) that the css file would become humungous. For instance, to align some 17 input rows to be aligned on the right for the prompt text and the input fields on the left with an "imaginary" line beween them... and then add separation lines between section of the inputs... You can force that in a small environment, but when you're getting into a complex (only in the backend) page; the output is rather simple but demanding. Tables got it done in no time at all; CSS you could play for a week and then... :-P -- Hervé Kempf: "Pour sauver la planète, sortez du capitalisme." ------------------------------------------------------------- Phil Jourdan --- pj@xxxxxxxxxxxxx http://www.ptahhotep.com http://www.chiccantine.com/andypantry.php -- PHP General Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php
