table problem in IE and Opera

[ZeBozette]

I'm fairly new to all of this. Am trying to setup a template using CSS. So far things look okay in Firefox and Netscape but not IE or Opera.

I have a table that has FIRST column at 23% width. There are 13 rows in that column being used for links to pages.
To the right of that column are 5 columns, each 14% width, only one row is used for a horizontal bar of links. Below that is the body of the page

In IE 6 the 5 14%-wide columns with the one row are way too tall (as tall as 12 of the rows to the left)

In Opera those 5 columns aren't spaced evenly... maybe because they don't have the same amount of text in each column?

Can someone tell me what I need to change? A page based on the template is

http://www.torrtech.com/Pages/4.htm

Of course if you see any other problems/errors that I should fix I'd be happy to hear about those, too.

Thanks
Boze

 

[audiopro]

Am trying to setup a template using CSS.

If this is early in the design process I would suggest you start again. I grew up with table designs and they have served me well over the years.
I have discovered there is a much better way of doing it and that is pure CSS. I used to think that CSS was hard to work with but once you have learnt the rules (and a few things to avoid) it is fairly straight forward.

Get rid of the tables altogether and use divs to define the areas.
As a comparison to the code you have where there are endless font, td and other html statements that could be reduced to 5 single lines of code using CSS and a style sheet.

Keith

http://www.studiosoft.co.uk

 

[Bozette]

Thanks Keith

The reading I've done while trying to solve this brings me to the same conclusion you give. Being a newbie I'm sure it will take me quite awhile to get everything switched to pure CSS... (I barely know HTML). Is there a way to put a bandaid on the exiting page so it can be used in the interim? My boss will want to see something for the time I've spent cleaning up the original site (

http://www.torrtech.com)

to get to the current page. If it's at all possible to have something usable for the time being rather than telling him I have to spend even MORE time it would be a lifesaver.

Thanks again for the reply and help
Boze

 

[audiopro]

What's the relationship with the boss?
Does he know you are learning?

CSS is a very steep learning curve, mainly down to pressure. Once the boss ses you making it look good, he wants it finished. If you are doing it because you are interested be nice but explain to him that the process takes some time and he will have a working website when it is finished.

Do yourself a favour - get to know CSS by reading about and coding with it. Once you have the concepts the learning becomes fun because you discover simple ways of doing what 10 years ago, were complicated tasks.
Designers who have grown up with tables find it hard to break away but web pages are starting to become 3 dimensional and tables alone cannot cope.
Tables are still useful , even with CSS. Many people think they are old hat and useless but they do an excellent job of aligning items if needed. An example would be a spread sheet, to use CSS would be madness but tables solve the problem.



Keith

http://www.studiosoft.co.uk

 

[Bozette]

The boss is fine and yes, he knows I'm learning. Working on the company website is a side-project.. not my main job. Still, he's a boss and wants to see something for my time. I'll explain the steep learning curve. Just thought I'd check to see if a temporary fix was possible. The new CSS links with the hover are so much nicer than the gifs we use now for navigation. Wanted to use them now if possible.
Thanks again for your time and help. I'm off to checkout some CSS tutorials.
Boze