You are here:

  1. Manual
  2. Development
  3. Tables
  4. Relational information

Tables: Tables for relational information

One application of tables on the Web is to present relational information in rows and columns. These are also known as data tables. Examples of information that can be relationally presented are departure and arrival times, planning schedules or summaries of research results.

Use tables to display relational information and do not use them for layout.

Guideline R-pd.11.1

Almost any type of information can be presented in a table in one way or another, but this is not always the best solution. Tables are eminently suitable for a summary model of the information in its various relationships. If such a model is not necessary for the visitor to understand the information, it is often better to place the information in a single context: a list.

Anatomy of a table

Table markup is among the most complex within the HTML 4.01 specification. A table contains many elements and attributes. In addition, it is not easy for a web developer to survey the table form when creating the markup Read more

(Explanation)


Web Guidelines version 1.3, November 2007.