Tableless

[BillyRayPreachersSon]

If I want to talk about creating an HTML page without tables, can I use the word 'tableless' to describe it? Is 'tableless' a real word? I ask, as many online dictionaries I've looked in do not list it.

It makes sense to me, as there are numerous similar words (homeless, groundless, lifeless, etc)... but I wanted to double-check before using it.

Thanks,
Dan



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[CajunCenturion]

I don't think it's a word, and to be honest, even if it did show up in a dictionary or two, I would not use it. I think the prevailing impression is that it is not a word, so I wouldn't use it.

Even though the meaning is quite clear, I wouldn't want the person reading the document to lose focus on the subject by wondering if it is a word and in turn risk an unfavorable opinion of the author.

--------------
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[BillyRayPreachersSon]

I suspected as much. Would hyphenating it be acceptable instead, do you think?: table-less

Dan



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[r937]

you know what i would use instead of tableless?

without tables



(you're right about the other words, though; there would appear to be no reason why tableless could not take its place among the ranks of peerless, homeless, carless, internetless, ...)

r937.com | rudy.ca

 

[manarth]

Google says:
[ul]
[li]tableless: Results 1 - 10 of about 1,580,000 for tableless.[/li]
[li]table less: Did you mean: tableless[/li]
[li]table-less: Did you mean: tableless[/li][/ul]
1.5 million entries?

Given the context, the word tableless is quite simply the most succinct and comprehensible choice.

I believe it's fair to say that 'tableless' has been adopted by the web design community, and it's only a matter of time before it's formally recognised with a dictionary entry.

Oh, and I've used it in (successful) web project proposals to technical and non-technical audiences.

---
Marcus
better questions get better answers - faq581-3339
accessible web design - zioncore.com

 

[r937]

fowler says the hyphen should only be used to split up three l's, e.g. smell-less, skill-less



r937.com | rudy.ca

 

[SkipVought]

Since a table can often be formatted to look like rows and columns of boxes, then maybe a "tableless" page could be described as...

sans boxes

...but don't take it for granite _dust.

Skip,

_{[red]Be Advised![/red]
The band of elderly oriental musicians, known as Ground Cover, is, in reality...
Asian Jasmine!}

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

Table-free?

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

non-tabulated ?

 

[PaulTEG]

using divs ?

Spend an hour a week on CPAN, helps cure all known programming ailments ;-)

 

[GwydionM]

I agree that table-free sounds better.

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An old man who lives in the UK

 

[r937]

oh mommy, look at that home-free bum on the corner

my brother's stag party is at a top-free bar

it was daunt-free pioneers who opened up the west

the soldiers advanced with ruth-free ferocity



r937.com | rudy.ca

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

This is a toll-free road

I wonder what a trouble-free life would be like

This water is chemical-free

No country is religion-free

Anyone out there who is foot-loose & fancy-free?

 

[fumei]

Do not the expressions "free" and "less" implies values? Do they not imply that the "other Thing" is enslaved and hugely bloated?

Is that correct? Does the fact that there are no tables MEAN something?

What is wrong with speaking plainly? "The HTML on this page does not use tables."

If there are value judgements to be made, they can be made immediately after, if appropriate. "Having no tables means...." Whatever.

The FACT is that the HTML has no tables. Unless one is trying to state that tables are "bad" - or any other value attribute, then...the fact is, the HTML does not use tables.

Gerry

 

[AngelB]

If you describe a page as tableless, is it in a state of tablelessness?

Gez



Let's think the unthinkable, let's do the undoable, let's prepare to grapple with the ineffable itself, and see if we may not eff it after all

 

[manarth]

Unless one is trying to state that tables are "bad"

Yup, that about sums it up. Tables are bad.

---
Marcus
better questions get better answers - faq581-3339
accessible web design - zioncore.com

 

[LFI]

For what it's worth, I'm for the "table-free" option.

"Check out my new web page! It's cross-browser friendly and table-free!"

Dave


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
O Time, Strength, Cash, and Patience!

 

[grande]

Table-free (with or without hyphen) is probably your best bet.

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Just call me Captain Awesome.