How to set the table layout algorithm using CSS ?


In order to answer the question: “How to set the table layout algorithm using CSS”, we need to understand what is ‘layout’. A layout in HTML specifies the fundamental organization and visual style of a website. It gives you the ability to build websites with basic HTML tags.

Table Layout

Table layout is one of the least advised HTML layouts due of its complexity. As its name suggests, it is based on the table> element. The table> element allows you to arrange data in rows and columns.

The table> tag is a container tag, since it serves as both an opening and an ending tag, we can use more than one HTML element inside of an element, even though three meta tags are required to arrange data into the table.

The first one uses the tr> tag, which stands for "table row," to add a new row to the table, while the second one uses the th> tag, which stands for "table heading" and stores the heading of the table. The last one is "td," or table data, which obtains the data that must be kept in the table.

Example

Given below is an example of a table tag used in a web page.

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
   <title>HTML Tables</title>
</head>
<body>
   <table border = "1">
      <tr>
         <td>Name</td>
         <td>Age</td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
         <td>Vibha</td>
         <td>30</td>
      </tr>
   </table>
</body>
</html>

What is table-layout property in CSS?

The table layout is one of the many properties in CSS, that is used to add a custom styling to pre-existing tags of HTML document. This property is used to set the algorithm that is helpful while laying the elements of the table tag, such as table heading, table row, and the table data.

It is supported by almost all the web browsers. It is non inheritable property and has discrete animation type. The computed values used are as specified by the browser. The list of all possible values that this property can have is given below −

  • Auto − This is the value that is being used by most of the browsers and makes it so that the table layout is automatic. By providing the table-layout property with auto, makes the cell and columns of the table extendable so that they can accommodate the entire content.

  • Fixed − By this value we provide the table and column a fixed width by setting the first row’s width or by setting the width on table and col elements. All the cells after the first row have no effect on the width of the table.

The full table can be produced using the "fixed" layout method after the first table row has been downloaded and examined. Over the "automatic" layout option, this can speed up rendering, but following cell content might not fit in the available column widths. So the choice is up on the us whether we want the site to load faster or focus on the presentation part of the UI.

Only if the table has a defined width will cell, use the overflow attribute to determine whether to clip any overflowing content; otherwise, they won't allow material to overflow the cells.

Along with these values, we can also provide initial or inherit as values to this property. Initial makes it so that property is set to whatever its default value happens to be, while inherit makes the property to inherit the value of its parent element.

Example

Below is an example of using table-layout property in CSS to set the underlying table layout algorithm. We are using both above-mentioned values that are possible for this property.

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
   <title>table-layout property in CSS</title>
   <style>
      table {
         border-collapse: collapse;
         border: 2px solid rgb(156, 112, 112);
      }
      th,
      td {
         border: 2px solid rgb(130, 99, 99);
      }
      table#tableAuto {
         table-layout: auto;
         width: 300px;
      }
      table#tableFixed {
         table-layout: fixed;
         width: 300px;
      }
      div {
         max-width: 300px;
         padding: 12px;
         border: 2px solid rgb(144, 102, 102);
      }
      h1 {
         color: rgb(111, 164, 111);
      }
   </style>
</head>
<body>
   <center>
      <h1>Examples of table layout property</h1>
      <h2>table-layout property in CSS</h2>
      <div>
         <h3>Property value set to auto</h3>
         <table id="tableAuto">
            <tr>
               <th>Some Name</th>
               <th>Some Age</th>
               <th>Some Roll No</th>
            </tr>
            <tr>
               <td>Some Name 1</td>
               <td>Some Age 1</td>
               <td>Some Roll No 1</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
               <td>Some Name 2</td>
               <td>Some Age 2</td>
               <td>Some Roll no 2</td>
            </tr>
         </table>
      </div>
      <br />
      <div>
         <h3>The property value set to fixed</h3>
         <table id="tableFixed">
            <tr>
               <th>Some Name</th>
               <th>Some Age</th>
               <th>Some Roll no</th>
            </tr>
            <tr>
               <td>Some Name 1</td>
               <td>Some Age 1</td>
               <td>Some Roll no 1</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
               <td>Some Name 2</td>
               <td>Some Age 2</td>
               <td>Some Roll no 2</td>
            </tr>
         </table>
      </div>
   </center>
</body>
</html>

Conclusion

To conclude, Using CSS to set the table layout algorithm is a great way to ensure that your tables look organized and professional. With just a few simple steps, you can easily create an aesthetically pleasing table layout with minimal effort. Additionally, by taking advantage of modern CSS features such as flexbox and grid systems, it's easy to quickly generate responsive designs for any device or screen size. Ultimately, using CSS to set the table layout algorithm is a powerful tool in creating beautiful web pages with ease.

Updated on: 27-Feb-2023

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