Why Web Developers Should Avoid Using Tables In Their Layouts

Take a moment to browse the internet and delve into the source code of a few of your favourite websites – do you notice that table-based layouts tend to be the most popular? As a web developer, think about the layouts that you have worked with in the past and the ones that you are currently in the process of coding – are they table-based, too? Maybe it’s time to take a break from these tables, and here are 6 reasons why they should be avoided at all costs:

• Better rankings
  By using another type of layout (such as CSS), you are actually creating a better code to content ratio. On top of this, the content can be more easily organised, ensuring that it sits towards the top of the page. Your SEO team will love you for making the change.
• Accessibility
  Web developers who use another type of layout will find that their websites are able to degrade gracefully. This means that it can be viewed on a variety of platforms, browsers and devices (such as a smart phone) without experiencing problems.
• Saves bandwidth
  As other types of layouts are far less bulky than table-based ones, you will notice an immediate difference in your bandwidth savings if you have high amounts of traffic. This could also help to save you some money on web hosting.
• Visual consistency
  Another advantage of using CSS layouts over table-based ones is that all of your pages can share a single stylesheet. Not only does this ensure consistency across the website, it actually creates for less work for the web developers.
• Quicker loading
  Loading an HTML file for a CSS-based layout, for example, is far simpler than attempting to load an HTML file for a table-based one. This means that CSS layouts have a smaller file size and, as they are cached, they will be able to be loaded even faster.
• Easier redesign
  One thing that web developers are constantly asked about is whether changes to their code (and the design can be made). By avoiding table-based layouts, you will be able to ensure that changes can be made effortlessly, simply by adjusting the stylesheet.

With all of the reasons against the use of table-based layouts, however, why are they still the most popular type used by web developers today? There are a number of answers to this question – firstly, developers are already familiar with table-based layouts; secondly, most popular software creates table-based layouts by default; and, thirdly, it’s extremely easy to achieve cross browser compatibility with this type. That is not to say, however, that table-based should always be used.