Table column heights problems.

[invision]

OK folks. I wish to extend the center column but leave the left and right columns at the same height. I want to have the same size columns on the left and right and make the center one as big as the content in them. Im using Dreamweaver.

Here's the site Im working with : http://robdougan.tcslon.com/index2.htm

[gil davis]

You cannot have different column heights in a table.

You can add a row of empty cells and specify the cell you want taller to span that row with "rowspan=". If you have a border around the table, I guess it will look funny.
<table border height=100%>
<tr>
<td height=200>This is the left</td>
<td rowspan=2>This is the center</td>
<td height=200>This is the right</td>
<tr>
</table>
Tested on IE 5.5

Look into using CSS instead of tables for layout. You can become frustrated with the rest of us. ;)

[Dark Dragon]

Well..one way I hear is to use layers..then when all are arranged the way you need it then you convert the layers to tables.....

OR..perhaps manually change the attributes of the single cell...but I never tried that though....:D

[CherryAA]

I'm so excited, can answer this!

In your outside columns, set the background colour to match the page background (or transparent, if you can get it to work). So the columns seem invisible.

Make an image of whatever it is that you want in your outside columns, put the image in the column with a Top valign and a T position of 0 (I've found they slide around if you don't do both). Hey presto, you now have a table that can go as long as you want - but only the centre column will show up.

if you want content in your outer columns, you'll have to put layers on them but that's easy.

Alternatively, why don't you stick a layer on your centre column? They come with a default scroll bar in Dreamweaver; I would have thought that made a tidier solution.

Hope this works. for you. Sorry I don't know the technical terms.

CAA

[toicontien]

The code below is the basic layout for a 3-column page where the columns show up as different heights. It's written in tables, which I assume you're using for right now.

'Course I always encourage people to dump the tables and use <div>s and CSS to lay pages out. But the code below will work for you:

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0" width="100%">
<tr>
<td width="20%" valign="top">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0" width="100%" bgcolor="red">
<tr>
<td width="100%">
<p>Left hand column goes here</p>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</td>
<td width="40%" valign="top">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0" width="100%" bgcolor="green">
<tr>
<td width="100%">
<p>Middle column content</p>
<p>&amp;nbsp;</p>
<p>&amp;nbsp;</p>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</td>
<td width="20%" valign="top">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0" width="100%" bgcolor="blue">
<tr>
<td width="100%">
<p>Right column</p>
<p>&amp;nbsp;</p>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</td>
</tr>
</table>

[invision]

Thanks guys!
My friend suggested to use Dreamweaver and i managed to insert rows on the columns on the left and right. Thus meaning the middle could be made to look bigger than the other ones.

Im going to give <div>s a go, people on here seem to use them a good deal.