Comments on: Don’t use “Divs for layout” please

By: Mark Stewart

Mark Stewart — Tue, 12 May 2009 01:56:07 +0000

HTML is content driven! A DIV only page is rather drab from a code perspective, we all somewhat agree. Let’s get more specific – with specificity! Thing with CSS and ALL the proprietary browser crapolla out there is they make it easy for beginners to cower into DIV-only design. Nothing works the way it should in a textbook. Make it dirt simple and simplify it until it eventually goes from flickering mouse-over to … where’d that page go? Synchronize tables and lists, ladle factory resets into contemporaneous packages – and you’ve got a learning curve happening!

By: nirak.net - Musings of an LIS Student » Breaking the cycle - Libraries and their websites.

Wed, 25 Jul 2007 04:47:37 +0000

[...] code is just messy. It’s a fairly universal rule in (good) web design nowadays to style the HTML elements that are already there whenever possible, [...]

By: Anders M.J.

Anders M.J. — Sat, 07 Apr 2007 18:49:28 +0000

@fan-tiger
I don’t agree with you on using the style function (I presume you mean using the HTML style attribute). It’s almost the same as using the font tag: you must edit multiple lines if you want to change something.

I’d make a class instead and call it with the span tag.

By: Emil Stenström

Emil Stenström — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 21:18:08 +0000

@Dan Edwards: I completely agree and you put it in a much better way than I do. It’s a fine line.

By: Dan Edwards

Dan Edwards — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 19:52:44 +0000

Hmm, tricky call this one, as its a fine line. Whilst I remain neutral on the use of tables, I still believe that divs are the way forward.

What MUST be educated to new CSS ers is that it is all to easy to fall into ‘divitis’ and this is what causes the problems. (divs within divs are almost as bad as nested tables).

DO encourage the use of DIVs – DON’T fall into ‘divitis’

By: fan-tiger

fan-tiger — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 11:20:19 +0000

I agree with combining html with css as a powerful layout manner. But please: don´t combine just divs with css. You get much more effects if You remember the style option.I also agree in the meaning of "There´s lots of elements out there". Although You noticed to open mind for the comunication, at Your own page You still prefer the using of div, instead using frames or tables. Is there any specific reason for Your code choice?

By: Emil Stenström

Emil Stenström — Sun, 26 Nov 2006 13:42:33 +0000

@Jeff: CSS is very different from using tables. Perhaps you could read an article I wrote about it? Guide to CSS and standards explains the thinking behind it; it's not just another technology, it's another way of thinking about websites.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Sun, 26 Nov 2006 00:14:24 +0000

I’ve tried using DIVs for layouts and seem to have more problems with it than its worth. Why are DIVs considered so much superior… especially when dealing with cms templates for example where dynamic content can really mess up alignment etc?

By: lillbra » Blog Archive » Att tänka på när du knappar html

lillbra » Blog Archive » Att tänka på när du knappar html — Fri, 06 Oct 2006 08:34:19 +0000

[...] Att tabellayout är dåligt har de flesta front-end utvecklare insett och istället har man gått över till att använda div-taggar. Men att bygga upp en sida av en massa div:ar inte heller är rätt väg att gå. Emil Stenström påminner oss om att en duktig kodapa bör använda en mycket större flora av html-element: Because the idea of HTML is to convey structure. What structure does your content have? […] Find the tags that best fit your particular purpose. There’s lots of elements out there. Any good front-end web developer should know (almost) all of them. Now, could we please stop using the phrase “Divs for layout”? Friendly Bit Don’t use “Div’s for layout” please (2006-09-11) [...]

By: Emil Stenström

Emil Stenström — Sun, 24 Sep 2006 01:49:55 +0000

@Elliot Swan: I really hope so, thanks for your comment.

@Jasper, Dustin: Thanks! The intention of this site is to try to tell people what I know. Glad to hear some of it is getting through :)

By: Dustin

Dustin — Sat, 23 Sep 2006 16:04:34 +0000

Very good advice. I remember having a php textbook in a class, and it specifically taught you how to cut up tables to display your site properly. I’ve been looking for a better way to do that ever since, and CSS is clearly it. Thanks for helping me not make such a classic beginner mistake!

By: Jasper

Jasper — Sat, 23 Sep 2006 02:08:33 +0000

Very well said mate. Been reading your site for half an hour already… :)

By: Elliot Swan

Elliot Swan — Tue, 19 Sep 2006 04:59:38 +0000

Yeah, I always cringe when I hear somebody say that.

I find that sometimes newly converted developers will actually code as though they are using tables, but they just use div tags instead of tr/td tags.

Eventually they’ll get it.

By: Johan

Johan — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 01:58:14 +0000

divs are DIVIDERS to provide sections to our HTML markup. These sections group certain elements in that div which is the container for these elements.

Though extra wrapper DIVS are used to make layouts work as intended.

By: Ben Millard

Ben Millard — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 18:19:48 +0000

A non-CSS styling system would need decades to get devised, designed, agreed upon and implemented into mainstream browsers. :)CSS3 selectors should go some way towards reducing the amount of

s and classes present in our markup. There's lots of other CSS developments which will make semantic HTML documents easier to style more efficiently, too.But we'll need some

s and classes in there for several years, until CSS3 selectors gain mainstream support in the browsers most people are using. But there's so many structural elements that you don't need many even now.