8745 2010-01-14 15:14:34 +0000 Deprecation of the use of TABLE for Layout 2010-10-04 14:48:41 +0000 1 1 1 Unclassified HTML WG pre-LC1 HTML5 spec (editor: Ian Hickson) unspecified All All RESOLVED WORKSFORME http://www.w3.org/WAI/PF/HTML/wiki/Table/layout_TABLE_deprecation a11y P3 normal --- 1 oedipus ian ian laura.lee.carlson mike Ms2ger oedipus public-html-admin public-html-wg-issue-tracking public-html-bugzilla oldest_to_newest 31039 0 oedipus 2010-01-14 15:14:34 +0000 1. PROPOSED: The use of TABLE for layout be DEPRECATED. 2. RATIONALE: Just as use of BLOCKQUOTE to achieve a stylistic effect was DEPRECATED in favor of stylesheets in HTML 4.01, so, too, should use of TABLE for layout and stylistic purposes be DEPRECATED in favor of stylesheets. 3. Proposal Specifics 3.1.TABLE should be reserved for tabular data, not for layout purposes; use of TABLE for layout is misuse of a structural element for stylistic purposes 3.2.TABLE should be deprecated for "layout" purposes in favor of CSS 3.3.for legacy content, a TABLE used for layout MUST be assigned, either by an author or user agent, role="layout" or role="presentation" for that TABLE. 31048 1 Ms2ger 2010-01-14 15:38:46 +0000 Layout tables have not been deprecated, as using "deprecate" would still allow their usage and just recommend against it. [1] (That is, RFC 2119 "SHOULD".) Rather, they have been strictly forbidden: "Tables must not be used as layout aids. Historically, some Web authors have misused tables in HTML as a way to control their page layout. This usage is non-conforming, ... There are a variety of alternatives to using HTML tables for layout, primarily using CSS positioning and the CSS table model." [2] Unless you are proposing to make this requirement *weaker*, this WORKSFORME. [1] http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/deprecate [2] http://dev.w3.org/html5/spec/Overview.html#the-table-element 31837 2 cooper 2010-02-11 17:26:48 +0000 Per the proposal at http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-html-a11y/2010Jan/0245.html, the HTML A11Y TF does not plan to formally work on this issue at this time. This does not mean the TF has no interest in it, but does not have immediate plans to work on it. The TF may review the issue in the future.