Use CSS in favour of tables? Maybe.

I've been building a couple of websites lately, including this one and I've always used tables for the layout and positioning. I've been using it since the good 'ol days and have been completely happy with it. Now the move is towards table-less designs and CSS boxes.

Let me first give a piece of advice to those thinking of making the switch. Don't! Let me explain why. I have to admit that the whole concept of CSS is a fabulous idea and I am all in favour of using it 100%, but at the present time there are just too many damn hacks to get versions of your CSS to work with IE, Safari, Firefox, Netscape, etc.

I'm an IE user not because it is better than anything out there, just because it works for me. I've found Firefox and Netscape just a little un-refined for my tastes (granted, Netscape is great for testing with it's dual IE and Firefox engine).



So my development goes along until I get a fairly stable site when I decide to test in Netscape. That's where the headaches start. Nothing looks write. After countless of modifications I could never get it to look like my original IE design, and then it's too late because I've made so many changes and modifications that nothing looks the same.

At this point you figure somebody else has had similar problems so you do a search on the Net. Guess what? People have all these fixes and hacks for different versions, you give it a shot. Nothing works 100%.

What is the point of using an IE hack to get it to work with Internet Explorer? Just stick to a mix of tables for your top-level site layout, then use CSS boxes for the sections. All fine and dandy.

Until Microsoft actually adheres to the CSS standards will I forever banish the table tag to the garbage.