I’ve created lots of websites in the past using the tried and tested method of creating tables and messing about with spacer images until everything seems to work. Sometimes, this has been a hugely frustrating undertaking – especially trying to get things to work across browsers.

…and then we change something, and it all falls to pieces!!!

Now, I’ve always used CSS to manage the styles across my sites, but literally just for setting things like colours and fonts – not for layout. I’m now looking to build a few sites where I need to be a little more creative and more flexible and it seems like CSS is the way to go.  However, it does feel like I’m moving from complicated tables, to complicated CSS files!

To help me along the way, I’ve come across a fantastic book by Eric Meyer called CSS Website Design which is probably the best technical book that I’ve ever bought! Rather than being full of reams of reference material, it takes the approach of a training course and walks you step by step through the minefield of CSS.  Like I said, I already knew CSS to a certain extent, but even the early chapters of this book have helped me to understand things at a whole new level.  As I progress, it’s taking me deeper into page layout techniques and into areas that I didn’t even know were possible (did you know that you can create CSS that lays a page out differently for printing???)

However, the question remains: Which is best for today’s internet – Tables or CSS? I already know what my answer is to this (and why) but I’m interested to read your insights!

As for the new sites – watch this space….!

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