Spacer GIFs or other methods?

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Guest

I haven't been using transparent spacer GIFs. So far, sizing table cells has
sufficed. But some people swear by spacers. So, please, someone, tell me the
pros and cons of using spacers.
Thanks for any advice you can give me! -- Mir
 
I use them quite often
--
===
Tom Willett
Microsoft MVP - FrontPage
---
FrontPage Support:
http://www.frontpagemvps.com/
===
| Rarely have I ever used them. I position everything within the cells of
| tables.
|
| --
| Eleanor T. Culling
| Leavenworth, WA
| Enjoy my photography at
| www.eleanorstravels.com
| | >I haven't been using transparent spacer GIFs. So far, sizing table cells
| >has
| > sufficed. But some people swear by spacers. So, please, someone, tell me
| > the
| > pros and cons of using spacers.
| > Thanks for any advice you can give me! -- Mir
|
|
 
Spacer gifs are a bit retro. And Eleanor glibly says that she 'positions
everything in table cells' without explaining what she really means.

The best way to control your tables is not with dimensions at all, but with
CSS. You can set specific cell widths, paddings, and margins quite easily,
and never have to use a spacer gif again.
 
Hi Mir,

Many people use spacer.gifs to "force" adjoining columns or rows not to
exceed certain sizes. When you use table columns and rows and set their
dimensions in pixels..that really is only a suggested minimum ..and not a
maximum. Using spacer gifs can give you tighter control by not allowing some
adjacent cells to expand beyond those sizes.

--
Joe

Microsoft MVP FrontPage

FrontPage and Expressions Users Forums:
http://www.timeforweb.com/frontpage
 
Glibly she says! What else is there to say?? I don't happen to use CSS
positioning.
Don't know what you mean? Or, what do I really mean?
 
Or, what do I really mean?

That's the point! I don't know exactly what you mean when you say that you
position them in table cells. I just meant that it was a bit vague....
 
Joe:
Using spacer gifs can give you tighter control by not allowing some
adjacent cells to expand beyond those sizes.
Click to expand...

Spacer GIF images could never prevent cells from expanding beyond any size
if the content required. Surely you meant "...cells from contracting below
those sizes." or something?
 
It works for me ... there's no mystery. I just put stuff in cells and align
it as necessary.
 
Hi Murray,

It actually works both ways..but the key thing is if there is content within
a cell or not. If you have an empty middle cell that you don't want to
expand beyond a certain point..spacer gifs in cells on both side of it can
do that. (only if it is empty though)

For most uses though you are right in that it's usually used to prevent a
cell from collapsing below a certain point.

--
Joe

Microsoft MVP FrontPage

FrontPage and Expressions Users Forums:
http://www.timeforweb.com/frontpage
 
It actually works both ways

No, it doesn't. A cell in a 500px wide table with two 200px spacer gifs in
cells on either side will still expand to contain a 200px wide image. You
cannot keep a cell from expanding.

But, I see your thinking on this....
 
Actually Murray it does..but by putting a 200 pixel wide image directly
within an empty cell...would no longer make that cell be empty. However
using an image as a cell background (or nesting a table within that cell and
using an image as a table background) the original middle cell won't expand
beyond the constraining dimensions of the spacer gifs in the two adjoining
cells. It doesn't even need to be spacer .gifs either. It can be actual
images within those 2 other cells. Most often I see this used when folks are
doing certain imaging techniques..where "up to" a certain size is OK..but
beyond that it doesn't look right.

--
Joe

Microsoft MVP FrontPage

FrontPage and Expressions Users Forums:
http://www.timeforweb.com/frontpage
 
Sorry, Joe. I'm not trying to be argumentative. It is not a reliable
technique. Consider -

If the page is in a single table and that table contains col-/rowspans, a
single 'out of proportion' cell will ripple through the entire table causing
cells to expand/contract unexpectedly. This is ESPECIALLY true with empty
cells. In fact, an empty cell is definitely not a best practice thing,
since it will neither show a background color, not will it show borders.
Even in well-constructed tables (those without spans), such things can
happen, for example, it's customary to shim a single cell in a row or column
to constrain that row or column to a certain dimension. If any other cell
in that row/column is forced to be taller/wider by its contents, the whole
scheme goes down the drain - particularly when the 'constrained' cell is an
empty one, which can be mangled willy-nilly by the table.

The point is, it just doesn't work. There is nothing you can do with spacer
images to reliably constrain a table to anything other than minimum
dimensions.
 
Thanks to all of you!
Joe, I see your point about adjacent cells.
Wet noodle me, too. I've never used CSS for tables, just for text format. I
have a lot to learn, and I always learn something in this group. -- Mir
 
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