While this information is not always sexy (look
no further than the previous example of stock dividends), the information design has
to be of the highest pedigree to ensure data is accurately and completely represented.
The first step in creating perfect HTML tables is writing the best possible markup.
There are tags for column and row headers, special groups of cells, table footers, content
summaries, and more. (For a great run-down of table-related markup, see Paul
Haine??™s book HTML Mastery: Semantics, Standards, and Styling, also from friends
of ED.3)
Once the HTML is mastered, you can start to use JavaScript and DOM scripting to
accomplish advanced visual effects not possible with off-the-shelf HTML and CSS.
Used discriminately, these scripts can enhance the visual display of tables as well as
increase the clarity of the information. Following are a few examples of scripts other
developers have made available to the web community.
The table ruler
The table ruler is a small, unobtrusive script that helps navigate data. The idea is that
readers might have a difficult time visually aligning tabular data in a lengthy table,
which is exacerbated when numerous columns widen the object.
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