Are tables becoming obsolete?

Question

Newbie alert!!!
Why am I seeing errors now? About a month ago when I checked
the test site in all the browsers everything was fine... now I've
got all sorts of errors everywhere.
Such as:
The tag: "table" doesn't have an attribute: "height" in
currently active versions.[XHTML 1.0 transitional]
or
The tag: "th" doesn't have an attribute: "background" in
currently active versions.[XHTML 1.0 transitional]
I talked to a guy today and he said he's never used a "th"
tag.
What am I doing wrong that Dreamweaver would create invalid
code? And why is the code no longer working?
Should I use tables sparingly? Should I mainly use DIV tags?
I have not tried them yet... don't really even know what they are.
(You know I took some time to read about them (DIV tags) but its
really just like I'm reading Greek with a few English words thrown
in there)
Serious question. When you started doing websites did you
like it instantly or did you grow to like it? I'm doing this site
for a friend of mine. I started in Sept. I've done a good deal of
work on it but honestly I've been procrastinating and haven't
really looked at it in a month... so I'm a little surprised that a
lot of what I've done is no longer valid. (For the record my friend
doesn't care when I get the site done but I'm sure he was thinking
maybe a month or two... not FIVE months). I don't want to set the
world on fire and do the greatest websites ever. I just want to be
able to do moderately simple stuff. It would be nice not to hate
every minute of it. So did you guys dislike it at first? Are most
of you self-taught? I've gone through all of the tutorials, took an
online course and have spent many hours at W3Schools. I'm just not
getting it. I've self-taught myself literally everything. I've
never needed this much help with anything.
I've tried to attach the code...
NOTE:
Obviously I don't know HTML or XHTML or CSS inside and out.
I've gone to the W3Schools and I'm trying... I have some
understanding of code etc. I am aware that Dreamweaver is not a
drag and drop program. The reason I got it is to help give my
incapable left brain some help... not really helping much. I've got
a lot to learn. Hopefully a light will come on because its been a
long time with little to show for it.

Answer 1

> DEPRECATED, not 'depreciated'.
And not to be confused with defecated.
Walt
"Murray *ACE*" <[email protected]> wrote
in message
news:[email protected]...
>> depreciated code.
>
> DEPRECATED, not 'depreciated'.
>
> The problem is simply a mismatch between the page's
doctype and the tag
> syntax used. The page has an XHTML doctype when it
should have an
> HTML4.01 Transitional one. Open the page in DW and use
FILE | Convert >
> HTML 4.01 Transitional. And set your PREFERENCES to use
this latter
> doctype on all new pages.
>
> --
> Murray --- ICQ 71997575
> Adobe Community Expert
> (If you *MUST* email me, don't LAUGH when you do so!)
> ==================
>
http://www.projectseven.com/go
- DW FAQs, Tutorials & Resources
>
http://www.dwfaq.com - DW FAQs,
Tutorials & Resources
> ==================
>
>
> "Osgood" <[email protected]> wrote in
message
> news:[email protected]...
>> daycaesar wrote:
>>> Newbie alert!!! Why am I seeing errors now?
About a month ago when I
>>> checked the test site in all the browsers
everything was fine... now
>>> I've got all sorts of errors everywhere.
>>>
>>> Such as:
>>>
>>> The tag: "table" doesn't have an attribute:
"height" in currently
>>> active versions.[XHTML 1.0 transitional]
>>>
>>> or
>>>
>>> The tag: "th" doesn't have an attribute:
"background" in currently
>>> active versions.[XHTML 1.0 transitional]
>>>
>>> I talked to a guy today and he said he's never
used a "th" tag.
>>>
>>> What am I doing wrong that Dreamweaver would
create invalid code? And
>>> why is the code no longer working?
>>
>> Height is not valid html mark-up and neither it
seems is setting a
>> background.
>>
>>> Should I use tables sparingly? Should I mainly
use DIV tags? I have not
>>> tried them yet... don't really even know what
they are. (You know I took
>>> some time to read about them (DIV tags) but its
really just like I'm
>>> reading Greek with a few English words thrown in
there)
>>
>> Tables haven't been a 'fashion' icon now for a few
years. That's not to
>> say don't use them but if you do, keep them simple.
The main issue you
>> have is using either non-valid html code or
depreciated code.
>>
>> You should be using css. So for instance instead of
below:
>>
>> <body background="blkdog_sitebckgrnd.jpg">
>>
>>
>> You have
>>
>> <body>
>>
>> Then attach the background image to it using css.
>>
>> body {
>> background-image: url(blkdog_sitebckgrnd.jpg);
>> }
>>
>> The css (the bit above) obviously goes in a css
stylesheet linked to the
>> page.
>>
>>
>> In terms of your th you should give that a 'class'
name. So instead of
>> below:
>>
>> <th height="401"
background="home_bckgrnd_large.jpg" scope="col">
>>
>> You have:
>>
>>
>> <th class="myClass" scope="col">
>>
>> and the css, which goes in the same attached
stylesheet.
>>
>> .myClass {
>> background-image: url(home_bckgrnd_large.jpg);
>> height: 401px;
>> }
>>
>>
>>
>>> Serious question. When you started doing
websites did you like it
>>> instantly or did you grow to like it? I'm doing
this site for a friend
>>> of mine. I started in Sept. I've done a good
deal of work on it but
>>> honestly I've been procrastinating and haven't
really looked at it in a
>>> month... so I'm a little surprised that a lot of
what I've done is no
>>> longer valid. (For the record my friend doesn't
care when I get the site
>>> done but I'm sure he was thinking maybe a month
or two... not FIVE
>>> months). I don't want to set the world on fire
and do the greatest
>>> websites ever. I just want to be able to do
moderately simple stuff. It
>>> would be nice not to hate every minute of it. So
did you guys dislike it
>>> at first? Are most of you self-taught? I've gone
through all of the
>>> tutorials, took an online course and have spent
many hours at W3Schools.
>>> I'm just not getting it. I've self-taught myself
literally everything.
>>> I've never needed this much help with anything.
>>
>> To do it in any serious capacity it takes a long
long time to learn. Once
>> you know html and css inside out, plus the browser
quirks everything will
>> become less of a frustration. If you don't learn
html and css then you're
>> going to be in for a bumpy ride.
>>
>