Dreamweaver Tables won't work!!!
Hi,
I am running DW3 on a G4 under mac OS 9.2. My problems concern tables which I have never been able to create in DW3. If I create a new table I get a blank table with the number of rows and columns I specified - so far so good. However, if I try to drag and resize any parts of it or merge any cells then the table goes haywire! one or more cells become enormous and the others just become so small that I cannot access them. for example if I have a 3 x 3 table and try to resize the lower row by dragging or typing in a value then the lower 3 will become about a pixel high, the middle row will become the size I typed in and the top rwo will become about 2 pixels high.
this happens if I do anything to the table such as insert and image, type or even just change the background colour of a cell.
this is driving me mad!! does anyone know how to stop this or solve the problem?
thanx
spooky
I am running DW3 on a G4 under mac OS 9.2. My problems concern tables which I have never been able to create in DW3. If I create a new table I get a blank table with the number of rows and columns I specified - so far so good. However, if I try to drag and resize any parts of it or merge any cells then the table goes haywire! one or more cells become enormous and the others just become so small that I cannot access them. for example if I have a 3 x 3 table and try to resize the lower row by dragging or typing in a value then the lower 3 will become about a pixel high, the middle row will become the size I typed in and the top rwo will become about 2 pixels high.
this happens if I do anything to the table such as insert and image, type or even just change the background colour of a cell.
this is driving me mad!! does anyone know how to stop this or solve the problem?
thanx
spooky
Comments
Could you post the code (or a link to the page) of the table you create and the table once it's gone haywire?
Also, is this something new? Or have tables always been mean to you?
I've always had these problems with DW3 to the extent that I have NEVER been able to create a table with them. below I have pasted some simple code from an example I have just knocked up:
First I created a blank table and resized some cells whilst merging the top row of cells then merging the bottom quad of 4 cells:
<html>
<head>
<title>Untitled Document</title>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
</head>
<body bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<table width="75%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" height="445">
<tr>
<td height="70" colspan="3"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td> </td>
<td> </td>
<td> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td> </td>
<td colspan="2" rowspan="2"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td> </td>
</tr>
</table>
</body>
</html>
then I inserted 2 pictures, 1 in the top row and one in the bottom right, in other words into the two merged areas. everything was fine until I clicked outside the table then suddenly all the still empty cells jumped sizes and became unuseable:
<html>
<head>
<title>Untitled Document</title>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
</head>
<body bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<table width="75%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" height="445">
<tr>
<td height="70" colspan="3"><img src="top.jpg" width="423" height="94"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td> </td>
<td> </td>
<td> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td> </td>
<td colspan="2" rowspan="2"><img src="middle.jpg" width="327" height="226"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td> </td>
</tr>
</table>
</body>
</html>
If I do this again I will get the same bizarre table behaviour but a different squashing/stretching of cells!
Its kinda scary to know that your'e having similar probs in MX!! I was wondering (and I know this might be the dumbest question ever) but what are tabs? I have heard the word mentioned but don't quite understand what it means?
perhaps you could enlighten me ?
thanx
spooky
<strong>Hi torifile,
Its kinda scary to know that your'e having similar probs in MX!! I was wondering (and I know this might be the dumbest question ever) but what are tabs? I have heard the word mentioned but don't quite understand what it means?
perhaps you could enlighten me ?
thanx
spooky</strong><hr></blockquote>
I think you're confusing my use of the word 'tabbing' with the whole long-winded discussion of tabs in browsers. I was just referring to pressing the tab key to go between cells in DW. The tabs in browsers debate is a whole different animal that I won't go into (but you can read about it <a href="http://forums.appleinsider.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=3&t=002464"; target="_blank">here</a>).
<img src="embarrassed.gif" border="0">
I don't know any way around it except what torfile mentioned. Also, it keeps me from forgetting to assign a width and height to every cell (which if you don't do, you should
Maybe MX v2 will fix this. But somehow I doubt it knowing Macromedia
But in the meantime, try this: I enter a placeholder number in each cell, so it won't shrink to 1-pixel wide, and the table borders are still draggable. Also, the numbers let me know which cell is which.
For instance, in a 3x3 table, I'll enter a different number in each cell, 1 through 9.
I have no idea why DW does that. Best of luck.
Remember that Dreamweaver automatically puts a non-breaking space ( 
<strong>Dreamweaver tables are tricky and I always have to enter the dimensions numerically instead of just dragging. But I still find this easier than coding by hand.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Waiting for someone to mention entering the sizes in the fields. This is how I do it. I've never used their dragging feature.
When you want to set up a table, create one on paper. With the measurements written out. Or just create a mental picture or start with a table layout in DW with the full width set.
Another glitch with tables in DW is when you do some changes to a table (removing content from a cell for example) it won't refresh...I have to re-enter the width of the whole table and hit return for a refresh...argh.
<strong>Having read everyone's response here it seems clear that the problem has persisted from DW 3 right thru to MX. the really sad thing is that macromedia don't seem interested in doing anything about it. this is so frustrating as most of the web books I've bought recommend doing things in tables for maximum compatibility!</strong><hr></blockquote>
This should in no way affect your decision in how you lay out your page. This is simply a feature (bug) of the software - not in the underlying way an HTML page will render or should be written.
Tables are still the norm for laying out pages - but if you are looking at standards it isn't accepted form. CSS is the way the standards bodies would like you to lay things out (paving the way for HTML on devices of all shapes and sizes). Considering the incredible diversity of browsers out there, and the support CSS enjoys across those browsers, it is still safest in my mind to use tables if you are concerned with the way a page looks.
2. Stick some dummy text or a clear.gif in the top columns. Make sure that the .gif is at least 10X10 or something that's easy to grab with your cursor.
3. Resize away. Those small cells won't shrink to nothingness (they'll be at least 10 pixels wide). You can always delete those clear.gifs later on when you have more data/images in the table
4. If a cell shrinks, click in the one to the left of it and hit the tab key. It'll move you over to a difficult to select cell. At least you can stick an "artificial" number in the width tag to make it usuable.
I usually makes cells with fixed numbers, leaving the largest one set to 100% if I want the table to fill a space.
Don't be afraid to stick a clear.gif at the bottom or top of a cell to keep it from resizing too small. I don't always do this but as others have mentioned, DW isn't always great when dealing with tables.
Notice in your tables Spooky that their are Height tags for the table and a cell. I try to stay away from those 99% of the time. Let the content in the cell determine the Height! If you remove the content, you can end up with too much space because the Height tag is still there! DW does that all the time and it drives me nuts.
Good luck,
Chas