Stopdesign on CSS layout options

Doug of Stopdesign discusses fixed vs. liquid layouts in CSS:

"Truth be told, table-based layouts are currently more capable of handling this issue than CSS layouts are. I'm certainly not advocating a move back to tables for layout. But unless dimensions are heavily manipulated by CSS, tables do work well at 'containing' any objects placed within their cells. This, without needing to worry about content from one cell overlapping another, or a cell suddenly getting re-positioned below a cell instead of beside it. With the current abilities of CSS, I can see why some designers have chosen fixed-width layouts."

It’s refreshing to hear him admit the advantage that table-based layouts still have. I would have expected CSS to be in a better state by now. Designers shouldn’t have to choose fixed-width layouts just because it’s easier.

Meanwhile, the <a href=“http://www.w3.org/TR/2003/WD-css3-page-20031218/

“>CSS Paged Media specifications (which I’d never heard of before) are nearing completion. Maybe CSS will fulfill its promise after all.

Manton Reece @manton