Please note this paper is about page layout, not displaying tabular data. That topic deserves its own paper.
When choosing a page layout technique for an application there are considerations to consider. I have listed some of them below in no particular order.
- Performance
- Browser Support
- Post launch support / ROI / Flexibility
- Accessibility
- Readability / Developer Migration
I hope to provide some subjective insight into each consideration area.
Performance
I am not going to go into detail about why an application needs to perform well.
Browser Support
If your page is going to be displayed in multiple environments including in non-desktop or non-windows environments your layout technique should be a consideration.
Post launch support / ROI / Flexibility
If you ever need to change the location of page elements layout technique should be considered before starting development.
For example, if an image needs to be moved 10px to the top/left/right/bottom on a single page or multiple pages your choice in layout technique might provide support or hinder the operation.
Accessibility
The final rendered page for a user that requires certain features enabled will not look anything like the developer coded it. Layout technique should be a consideration if you have to consider font-size: 48px;
Readability / Developer Migration
Page layout technique will have no effect on code readability. There will be a perceived effect if a developer is not fluent in a specific page layout technique
My Conclusion and I could be completely wrong…
Tables are good for displaying small amounts of static tabular data. Before CSS; with a simple “hack” (border = 0) they where the only tool available for managing complex page layout. Tables are not dead and they are not going anywhere for a long time. The draft of HTML 5 has a whole section on tabular data.
General further reading
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