Simple question regarding tables

[Central84]

I've decided to make a personal photography portfolio on my computer, and have thought that the best way to do this would be HTML.

My problem:
http://img165.imageshack.us/img165/4453/111yn3.jpg

See the above image? The items in red circles are just copied and pasted from the original in the top-left. What I want to know is how do I actually get them there in HTML? I think it's something to do with tables, but as I'm practically brand new to HTML I'm not sure.

I have a ZIP file below with all the necessary files, just unzip the online folder and edit the 'index.htm' file if you want to do it all yourself for me. Otherwise, you can use it to have a look at the coding I've used (partly taken from a free HTML template website, I admit :P). Thanks very much in advance for help. :)

http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=D3FAED9A380635B0

or alternatively

http://www.uploading.com/files/AJ3A3DGX/Online.zip.html

[felgall]

HTML defines the content of web pages. To define where the parts of that content should appear you need to use stylesheets. Tables should only be used to display actual tabular data.

[sonicpaint]

If you'd like I'll can do a template for you. Yes it can be done with tables.

I downloaded the files but there is only one image. If you like, create a link with all the files that you want on the page and I'll do it up for you.

If you want to learn how to do it for yourself, you'll have to do some more reading on creating tables and cells and how to lay them out before you go ahead and do this page. Reason being is the layout will use nested tables.

Either way, let me know.

sonicpaint

[sonicpaint]

Oh yah!....lol. felgall is right of course too. It can be done with CSS but it's a bit more tricky if your not familiar with HTML let alone CSS.

later,
sonicpaint

[felgall]

Learning page layout with CSS (which is designed to do page layout) should be easier than trying to do it with tables (which is not designed to do page layout).

The first thing to do is to learn HTML so as to correctly mark up your page content symantically. While you are doing that you don't worry about how it displays.

Once you have the content right then learn how to use the stylesheet width, height, margin, padding, float, and clear attributes to control how those elements of your page content should be placed relative to one another. The more complex Stylesheet attributes such as position are only needed to do things that are far more complicated than can be done with tables at all.

[Central84]

If you'd like I'll can do a template for you. Yes it can be done with tables.

I downloaded the files but there is only one image. If you like, create a link with all the files that you want on the page and I'll do it up for you.

If you want to learn how to do it for yourself, you'll have to do some more reading on creating tables and cells and how to lay them out before you go ahead and do this page. Reason being is the layout will use nested tables.

Either way, let me know.

sonicpaint

First, thanks to everyone, but sonicpaint's answer is the only one I really understand (remember I'm a complete n00b with HTML! :P). I've uploaded everything I have so far to YouSendIt below. If you wouldn't mind doing it for me, that'd be great. I could take a look at the code and then figure out what you've done myself.

Just to clear up (I may have not made it so clear in my original post) I want to be able to have two columns of images on each page and probably 5 or 6 rows, all neatly lined up kind of like I showed in the image.

Thank you very much. :)

http://download.yousendit.com/6C1651973404822D

[kiwibrit]

..... Yes it can be done with tables......

but probably should not be for a new page design. Tables may not be good for accessibility reasons. Furthermore, they are not good for consistent layout, and fast download times (because your style sheet gets cached - but the table layout markup has to be downloaded each time). I wound up taking my company site out of tables (data layout excepted) and into CSS. The site was smaller than it is now - even so it was painful. Get it right first time and save yourself from the pain I went through.

[sonicpaint]

Ok guys....lol.
I understand what you guys mean about CSS and yes I am quite aware that tables(in the beginning) was not made for layouts and that it's a bit slower then CSS due to the rendering and re-rending but if you have a look at the majority of pages out there(not including server side code) their done with tables.

I really don't want to get into which is better at this point and understand both sides of the argument.

The fact of the matter is, Central84 started to use a table and asked if it could be done? I answered that question and offered to help out and tried to not confuse him with other possibilities and thoughts on what would be better to use based on my knowledge.

He's just starting out and HTML(correcting me if I'm wrong) is a good starting point.

Anyway, I hope I didn't offend anyone because that wasn't my intention.

I'll have that page ready for you tonight Central84.

later,
sonicpaint

[sonicpaint]

Central84 ,

I've tried to download that file from the link you've posted but was unable to. It hangs for a bit then I get an error saying server can't be found.

Let me know when it's fixed and I'll grab the file.

I have the table done already, I just need the pics and stuff.

later,
sonicpaint

[felgall]

In my experience it takes slightly longer in the first instance to learn the right way to do something in the first place than it does to throw something together that works but is using something for a purpose it is not intended for. This slightly longer learning curve is made up for hundreds of times over afterwards though in the timesavings that can be made later. I guess it is up to individuals to decide whether to spend a few extra days up front to learn things properly or a few months later to redo things properly. The appearance of a web page should be defined using stylesheet commands as otherwise it will look vastly different for people using different browsers in different environments.

[sonicpaint]

In my experience it takes slightly longer in the first instance to learn the right way to do something in the first place than it does to throw something together that works but is using something for a purpose it is not intended for.

No offense, but if using tables for layout is the "wrong way" then you'll have a ton of people that disagree that it's "wrong". As an added note, if it's "wrong" then why are major colleges teaching layout using tables?

Like I mentioned before, I really don't want to get into a debate over what people think is right or wrong. I'm quite aware that their are people on both sides of the fence but to say that using tables is wrong simply because layout wasn't the intention of it's design to begin with, in my opinion, is what "wrong". Things evolve and people(coders/ programmers) use their tools and knowledge to the most of their potential. Yes, there are advantages and disadvantages using one or the other in some applications but it still doesn't mean it's wrong.

later,
sonicpaint

[ray326]

why are major colleges teaching layout using tables?Because they're still stuck in the 20th century. Except for research major universities stay way behind on most of their subject matter, mainly because the content of most of their subject matter hasn't changed in the last hundred or so years.

Web development has moved in the same direction as software development. Separation of concerns is the current paradigm. In software you see it in the model-view-controller separation. In the web you see it as the content-presentation-behavior separation. In both cases the result is less expensive to build and maintain plus it does its job (delivering meaningful content) better in the process.