A vocabulary and associated APIs for HTML and XHTML
table elementcaption element,
   followed by zero or more colgroup elements, followed
   optionally by a thead element, followed optionally by
   a tfoot element, followed by either zero or more
   tbody elements or one or more tr
   elements, followed optionally by a tfoot element (but
   there can only be one tfoot element child in
   total), optionally intermixed with one or more script-supporting elements.borderinterface HTMLTableElement : HTMLElement {
           attribute HTMLTableCaptionElement? caption;
  HTMLElement createCaption();
  void deleteCaption();
           attribute HTMLTableSectionElement? tHead;
  HTMLElement createTHead();
  void deleteTHead();
           attribute HTMLTableSectionElement? tFoot;
  HTMLElement createTFoot();
  void deleteTFoot();
  readonly attribute HTMLCollection tBodies;
  HTMLElement createTBody();
  readonly attribute HTMLCollection rows;
  HTMLElement insertRow(optional long index = -1);
  void deleteRow(long index);
           attribute DOMString border;
};
   The table element represents data with
  more than one dimension, in the form of a table.
The table element takes part in
  the table model. Tables have rows, columns, and
  cells given by their descendants. The rows and columns form a grid;
  a table's cells must completely cover that grid without overlap.
Precise rules for determining whether this conformance requirement is met are described in the description of the table model.
Authors are encouraged to provide information describing how to interpret complex tables. Guidance on how to provide such information is given below.
If a table element has a (non-conforming) summary attribute, and the user
  agent has not classified the table as a layout table, the user agent
  may report the contents of that attribute to the user.
Tables should not be used as layout aids. Historically, many Web authors have tables in HTML as a way to control their page layout making it difficult to extract tabular data from such documents. In particular, users of accessibility tools, like screen readers, are likely to find it very difficult to navigate pages with tables used for layout. If a table is to be used for layout it must be marked with the attribute role="presentation" for a user agent to properly represent the table to an assistive technology and to properly convey the intent of the author to tools that wish to extract tabular data from the document.
There are a variety of alternatives to using HTML tables for layout, primarily using CSS positioning and the CSS table model. [CSS]
The border
  attribute may be specified on a table element to
  explicitly indicate that the table element is not being
  used for layout purposes. If specified, the attribute's value must
  either be the empty string or the value "1".
  The attribute is used by certain user agents as an indication that
  borders should be drawn around cells of the table.
Tables can be complicated to understand and navigate. To help users with this, user agents should clearly delineate cells in a table from each other, unless the user agent has classified the table as a layout table.
Authors and implementors are encouraged to consider using some of the table design techniques described below to make tables easier to navigate for users.
User agents, especially those that do table analysis on arbitrary content, are encouraged to find heuristics to determine which tables actually contain data and which are merely being used for layout. This specification does not define a precise heuristic, but the following are suggested as possible indicators:
| Feature | Indication | 
|---|---|
| The use of the roleattribute with the valuepresentation | Probably a layout table | 
| The use of the borderattribute with the non-conforming value 0 | Probably a layout table | 
| The use of the non-conforming cellspacingandcellpaddingattributes with the value 0 | Probably a layout table | 
| The use of caption,thead, orthelements | Probably a non-layout table | 
| The use of the headersandscopeattributes | Probably a non-layout table | 
| The use of the borderattribute with a value other than 0 | Probably a non-layout table | 
| Explicit visible borders set using CSS | Probably a non-layout table | 
| The use of the summaryattribute | Not a good indicator (both layout and non-layout tables have historically been given this attribute) | 
It is quite possible that the above suggestions are wrong. Implementors are urged to provide feedback elaborating on their experiences with trying to create a layout table detection heuristic.
caption [ = value ]Returns the table's caption element.
Can be set, to replace the caption element. If the
    new value is not a caption element, throws a
    HierarchyRequestError exception.
createCaption()Ensures the table has a caption element, and returns it.
deleteCaption()Ensures the table does not have a caption element.
tHead [ = value ]Returns the table's thead element.
Can be set, to replace the thead element. If the
    new value is not a thead element, throws a
    HierarchyRequestError exception.
createTHead()Ensures the table has a thead element, and returns it.
deleteTHead()Ensures the table does not have a thead element.
tFoot [ = value ]Returns the table's tfoot element.
Can be set, to replace the tfoot element. If the
    new value is not a tfoot element, throws a
    HierarchyRequestError exception.
createTFoot()Ensures the table has a tfoot element, and returns it.
deleteTFoot()Ensures the table does not have a tfoot element.
tBodiesReturns an HTMLCollection of the tbody elements of the table.
createTBody()Creates a tbody element, inserts it into the table, and returns it.
rowsReturns an HTMLCollection of the tr elements of the table.
insertRow( [ index ] )Creates a tr element, along with a tbody if required, inserts them into the table at the position given by the argument, and returns the tr.
The position is relative to the rows in the table. The index −1, which is the default if the argument is omitted, is equivalent to inserting at the end of the table.
If the given position is less than −1 or greater than the number of rows, throws an IndexSizeError exception.
deleteRow(index)Removes the tr element with the given position in the table.
The position is relative to the rows in the table. The index −1 is equivalent to deleting the last row of the table.
If the given position is less than −1 or greater than the index of the last row, or if there are no rows, throws an IndexSizeError exception.
The caption IDL
  attribute must return, on getting, the first caption
  element child of the table element, if any, or null
  otherwise. On setting, if the new value is a caption
  element, the first caption element child of the
  table element, if any, must be removed, and the new
  value must be inserted as the first node of the table
  element. If the new value is not a caption element,
  then a HierarchyRequestError DOM exception must be
  thrown instead.
The createCaption()
  method must return the first caption element child of
  the table element, if any; otherwise a new
  caption element must be created, inserted as the first
  node of the table element, and then returned.
The deleteCaption()
  method must remove the first caption element child of
  the table element, if any.
The tHead IDL
  attribute must return, on getting, the first thead
  element child of the table element, if any, or null
  otherwise. On setting, if the new value is a thead
  element, the first thead element child of the
  table element, if any, must be removed, and the new
  value must be inserted immediately before the first element in the
  table element that is neither a caption
  element nor a colgroup element, if any, or at the end
  of the table if there are no such elements. If the new value is not
  a thead element, then a
  HierarchyRequestError DOM exception must be thrown
  instead.
The createTHead()
  method must return the first thead element child of the
  table element, if any; otherwise a new
  thead element must be created and inserted immediately
  before the first element in the table element that is
  neither a caption element nor a colgroup
  element, if any, or at the end of the table if there are no such
  elements, and then that new element must be returned.
The deleteTHead()
  method must remove the first thead element child of the
  table element, if any.
The tFoot IDL
  attribute must return, on getting, the first tfoot
  element child of the table element, if any, or null
  otherwise. On setting, if the new value is a tfoot
  element, the first tfoot element child of the
  table element, if any, must be removed, and the new
  value must be inserted immediately before the first element in the
  table element that is neither a caption
  element, a colgroup element, nor a thead
  element, if any, or at the end of the table if there are no such
  elements. If the new value is not a tfoot element, then
  a HierarchyRequestError DOM exception must be thrown
  instead.
The createTFoot()
  method must return the first tfoot element child of the
  table element, if any; otherwise a new
  tfoot element must be created and inserted immediately
  before the first element in the table element that is
  neither a caption element, a colgroup
  element, nor a thead element, if any, or at the end of
  the table if there are no such elements, and then that new element
  must be returned.
The deleteTFoot()
  method must remove the first tfoot element child of the
  table element, if any.
The tBodies
  attribute must return an HTMLCollection rooted at the
  table node, whose filter matches only
  tbody elements that are children of the
  table element.
The createTBody()
  method must create a new tbody element, insert it
  immediately after the last tbody element child in the
  table element, if any, or at the end of the
  table element if the table element has no
  tbody element children, and then must return the new
  tbody element.
The rows attribute
  must return an HTMLCollection rooted at the
  table node, whose filter matches only tr
  elements that are either children of the table element,
  or children of thead, tbody, or
  tfoot elements that are themselves children of the
  table element. The elements in the collection must be
  ordered such that those elements whose parent is a
  thead are included first, in tree order, followed by
  those elements whose parent is either a table or
  tbody element, again in tree order, followed finally by
  those elements whose parent is a tfoot element, still
  in tree order.
The behavior of the insertRow(index) method depends on the state of
  the table. When it is called, the method must act as required by the
  first item in the following list of conditions that describes the
  state of the table and the index argument:
rows
   collection:IndexSizeError
   exception.rows collection has
   zero elements in it, and the table has no
   tbody elements in it:tbody element, then
   create a tr element, then append the tr
   element to the tbody element, then append the
   tbody element to the table element, and
   finally return the tr element.rows collection has
   zero elements in it:tr element, append it to
   the last tbody element in the table, and return the
   tr element.rows collection:tr element, and append it
   to the parent of the last tr element in the rows collection. Then, the newly
   created tr element must be returned.tr element, insert it
   immediately before the indexth tr
   element in the rows collection,
   in the same parent, and finally must return the newly created
   tr element.When the deleteRow(index) method is called, the user agent
  must run the following steps:
If index is equal to −1, then
   index must be set to the number of items in the
   rows collection, minus
   one.
Now, if index is less than zero, or
   greater than or equal to the number of elements in the rows collection, the method must
   instead throw an IndexSizeError exception, and these
   steps must be aborted.
Otherwise, the method must remove the indexth element in the rows collection from its parent.
The border IDL
  attribute must reflect the content attribute of the
  same name.
Here is an example of a table being used to mark up a Sudoku puzzle. Observe the lack of headers, which are not necessary in such a table.
<section>
 <style scoped>
  table { border-collapse: collapse; border: solid thick; }
  colgroup, tbody { border: solid medium; }
  td { border: solid thin; height: 1.4em; width: 1.4em; text-align: center; padding: 0; }
 </style>
 <h1>Today's Sudoku</h1>
 <table>
  <colgroup><col><col><col>
  <colgroup><col><col><col>
  <colgroup><col><col><col>
  <tbody>
   <tr> <td> 1 <td>   <td> 3 <td> 6 <td>   <td> 4 <td> 7 <td>   <td> 9
   <tr> <td>   <td> 2 <td>   <td>   <td> 9 <td>   <td>   <td> 1 <td>
   <tr> <td> 7 <td>   <td>   <td>   <td>   <td>   <td>   <td>   <td> 6
  <tbody>
   <tr> <td> 2 <td>   <td> 4 <td>   <td> 3 <td>   <td> 9 <td>   <td> 8
   <tr> <td>   <td>   <td>   <td>   <td>   <td>   <td>   <td>   <td>
   <tr> <td> 5 <td>   <td>   <td> 9 <td>   <td> 7 <td>   <td>   <td> 1
  <tbody>
   <tr> <td> 6 <td>   <td>   <td>   <td> 5 <td>   <td>   <td>   <td> 2
   <tr> <td>   <td>   <td>   <td>   <td> 7 <td>   <td>   <td>   <td>
   <tr> <td> 9 <td>   <td>   <td> 8 <td>   <td> 2 <td>   <td>   <td> 5
 </table>
</section>
  For tables that consist of more than just a grid of cells with headers in the first row and headers in the first column, and for any table in general where the reader might have difficulty understanding the content, authors should include explanatory information introducing the table. This information is useful for all users, but is especially useful for users who cannot see the table, e.g. users of screen readers.
Such explanatory information should introduce the purpose of the table, outline its basic cell structure, highlight any trends or patterns, and generally teach the user how to use the table.
For instance, the following table:
| Negative | Characteristic | Positive | 
|---|---|---|
| Sad | Mood | Happy | 
| Failing | Grade | Passing | 
...might benefit from a description explaining the way the table is laid out, something like "Characteristics are given in the second column, with the negative side in the left column and the positive side in the right column".
There are a variety of ways to include this information, such as:
<p id="summary">In the following table, characteristics are given in the second column, with the negative side in the left column and the positive side in the right column.</p> <table aria-describedby="summary"> <caption>Characteristics with positive and negative sides</caption> <thead> <tr> <th id="n"> Negative <th> Characteristic <th> Positive <tbody> <tr> <td headers="n r1"> Sad <th id="r1"> Mood <td> Happy <tr> <td headers="n r2"> Failing <th id="r2"> Grade <td> Passing </table>
In the example above the 
   
   aria-describedby attribute is used to explicitly associate the information 
   with the table for assistive technology users.
caption<table> <caption> <strong>Characteristics with positive and negative sides.</strong> <p>Characteristics are given in the second column, with the negative side in the left column and the positive side in the right column.</p> </caption> <thead> <tr> <th id="n"> Negative <th> Characteristic <th> Positive <tbody> <tr> <td headers="n r1"> Sad <th id="r1"> Mood <td> Happy <tr> <td headers="n r2"> Failing <th id="r2"> Grade <td> Passing </table>
caption, in a details element<table> <caption> <strong>Characteristics with positive and negative sides.</strong> <details> <summary>Help</summary> <p>Characteristics are given in the second column, with the negative side in the left column and the positive side in the right column.</p> </details> </caption> <thead> <tr> <th id="n"> Negative <th> Characteristic <th> Positive <tbody> <tr> <td headers="n r1"> Sad <th id="r1"> Mood <td> Happy <tr> <td headers="n r2"> Failing <th id="r2"> Grade <td> Passing </table>
figure<figure>
 <figcaption>Characteristics with positive and negative sides</figcaption>
 <p>Characteristics are given in the second column, with the
 negative side in the left column and the positive side in the right
 column.</p>
 <table>
  <thead>
   <tr>
    <th id="n"> Negative
    <th> Characteristic
    <th> Positive
  <tbody>
   <tr>
    <td headers="n r1"> Sad
    <th id="r1"> Mood
    <td> Happy
   <tr>
    <td headers="n r2"> Failing
    <th id="r2"> Grade
    <td> Passing
 </table>
</figure>figure's figcaption<figure>
 <figcaption>
  <strong>Characteristics with positive and negative sides</strong>
  <p>Characteristics are given in the second column, with the
  negative side in the left column and the positive side in the right
  column.</p>
 </figcaption>
 <table>
  <thead>
   <tr>
    <th id="n"> Negative
    <th> Characteristic
    <th> Positive
  <tbody>
   <tr>
    <td headers="n r1"> Sad
    <th id="r1"> Mood
    <td> Happy
   <tr>
    <td headers="n r2"> Failing
    <th id="r2"> Grade
    <td> Passing
 </table>
</figure>Authors may also use other techniques, or combinations of the above techniques, as appropriate.
The best option, of course, rather than writing a description explaining the way the table is laid out, is to adjust the table such that no explanation is needed.
In the case of the table used in the examples above, a simple
   rearrangement of the table so that the headers are on the top and
   left sides removes the need for an explanation as well as removing
   the need for the use of headers attributes:
<table> <caption>Characteristics with positive and negative sides</caption> <thead> <tr> <th> Characteristic <th> Negative <th> Positive <tbody> <tr> <th> Mood <td> Sad <td> Happy <tr> <th> Grade <td> Failing <td> Passing </table>
Good table design is key to making tables more readable and usable.
In visual media, providing column and row borders and alternating row backgrounds can be very effective to make complicated tables more readable.
For tables with large volumes of numeric content, using monospaced fonts can help users see patterns, especially in situations where a user agent does not render the borders. (Unfortunately, for historical reasons, not rendering borders on tables is a common default.)
In speech media, table cells can be distinguished by reporting the corresponding headers before reading the cell's contents, and by allowing users to navigate the table in a grid fashion, rather than serializing the entire contents of the table in source order.
Authors are encouraged to use CSS to achieve these effects.
User agents are encouraged to render tables using these techniques whenever the page does not use CSS and the table is not classified as a layout table.
caption elementtable element.table elements.interface HTMLTableCaptionElement : HTMLElement {};
   The caption element represents the title of the table
  that is its parent, if it has a parent and that is a table element.
The caption element takes part in the table model.
When a table element is the only content in a figure element other
  than the figcaption, the caption element should be omitted in favor of
  the figcaption.
A caption can introduce context for a table, making it significantly easier to understand.
Consider, for instance, the following table:
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 
| 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 
| 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 
| 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 
| 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 
In the abstract, this table is not clear. However, with a caption giving the table's number (for reference in the main prose) and explaining its use, it makes more sense:
<caption> <p>Table 1. <p>This table shows the total score obtained from rolling two six-sided dice. The first row represents the value of the first die, the first column the value of the second die. The total is given in the cell that corresponds to the values of the two dice. </caption>
This provides the user with more context:
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 
| 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 
| 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 
| 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 
| 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 
colgroup elementtable element, after any
   caption elements and before any thead,
   tbody, tfoot, and tr
   elements.span attribute is present: Empty.span attribute is absent: Zero or more col elements.spaninterface HTMLTableColElement : HTMLElement {
           attribute unsigned long span;
};
   The colgroup element represents a group of one or more columns in the table that
  is its parent, if it has a parent and that is a table
  element.
If the colgroup element contains no col
  elements, then the element may have a span content attribute
  specified, whose value must be a valid non-negative
  integer greater than zero.
The colgroup element and its span attribute take part in the
  table model.
The span IDL
  attribute must reflect the content attribute of the
  same name. The value must be limited to only non-negative
  numbers greater than zero.
col elementcolgroup element that doesn't have
   a span attribute.spanHTMLTableColElement, same as for
    colgroup elements. This interface defines one member,
    span.
If a col element has a parent and that is a
  colgroup element that itself has a parent that is a
  table element, then the col element
  represents one or more columns in the column group represented by that
  colgroup.
The element may have a span content attribute
  specified, whose value must be a valid non-negative
  integer greater than zero.
The col element and its span attribute take part in the
  table model.
The span IDL
  attribute must reflect the content attribute of the
  same name. The value must be limited to only non-negative
  numbers greater than zero.
tbody elementtable element, after any
   caption, colgroup, and
   thead elements, but only if there are no
   tr elements that are children of the
   table element.tr and script-supporting elementsinterface HTMLTableSectionElement : HTMLElement {
  readonly attribute HTMLCollection rows;
  HTMLElement insertRow(optional long index = -1);
  void deleteRow(long index);
};
    The HTMLTableSectionElement interface is also
    used for thead and tfoot elements.
The tbody element represents a block of rows that consist of a body of data for
  the parent table element, if the tbody
  element has a parent and it is a table.
The tbody element takes part in the table
  model.
rowsReturns an HTMLCollection of the tr elements of the table section.
insertRow( [ index ] )Creates a tr element, inserts it into the table section at the position given by the argument, and returns the tr.
The position is relative to the rows in the table section. The index −1, which is the default if the argument is omitted, is equivalent to inserting at the end of the table section.
If the given position is less than −1 or greater than the number of rows, throws an IndexSizeError exception.
deleteRow(index)Removes the tr element with the given position in the table section.
The position is relative to the rows in the table section. The index −1 is equivalent to deleting the last row of the table section.
If the given position is less than −1 or greater than the index of the last row, or if there are no rows, throws an IndexSizeError exception.
The rows attribute
  must return an HTMLCollection rooted at the element,
  whose filter matches only tr elements that are children
  of the element.
The insertRow(index) method must, when invoked on an
  element table section, act as follows:
If index is less than −1 or greater than the
  number of elements in the rows
  collection, the method must throw an IndexSizeError
  exception.
If index is −1 or
  equal to the number of items in the rows collection, the method must
  create a tr element, append it to the element table section, and return the newly created
  tr element.
Otherwise, the method must create a tr element,
  insert it as a child of the table section
  element, immediately before the indexth
  tr element in the rows collection, and finally must
  return the newly created tr element.
The deleteRow(index) method must remove the indexth element in the rows collection from its parent. If
  index is less than zero or greater than or equal
  to the number of elements in the rows collection, the method must
  instead throw an IndexSizeError exception.
thead elementtable element, after any
   caption, and colgroup
   elements and before any tbody, tfoot, and
   tr elements, but only if there are no other
   thead elements that are children of the
   table element.tr and script-supporting elementsHTMLTableSectionElement, as defined for
   tbody elements.The thead element represents the block of rows that consist of the column labels
  (headers) for the parent table element, if the
  thead element has a parent and it is a
  table.
The thead element takes part in the table
  model.
This example shows a thead element being used.
   Notice the use of both th and td elements
   in the thead element: the first row is the headers,
   and the second row is an explanation of how to fill in the
   table.
<table> <caption> School auction sign-up sheet </caption> <thead> <tr> <th><label for=e1>Name</label> <th><label for=e2>Product</label> <th><label for=e3>Picture</label> <th><label for=e4>Price</label> <tr> <td>Your name here <td>What are you selling? <td>Link to a picture <td>Your reserve price <tbody> <tr> <td>Ms Danus <td>Doughnuts <td><img src="http://example.com/mydoughnuts.png" title="Doughnuts from Ms Danus"> <td>$45 <tr> <td><input id=e1 type=text name=who required form=f> <td><input id=e2 type=text name=what required form=f> <td><input id=e3 type=url name=pic form=f> <td><input id=e4 type=number step=0.01 min=0 value=0 required form=f> </table> <form id=f action="/auction.cgi"> <input type=button name=add value="Submit"> </form>
tfoot elementtable element, after any
   caption, colgroup, and thead
   elements and before any tbody and tr
   elements, but only if there are no other tfoot
   elements that are children of the table element.table element, after any
   caption, colgroup, thead,
   tbody, and tr elements, but only if there
   are no other tfoot elements that are children of the
   table element.tr and script-supporting elementsHTMLTableSectionElement, as defined for
   tbody elements.The tfoot element represents the block of rows that consist of the column summaries
  (footers) for the parent table element, if the
  tfoot element has a parent and it is a
  table.
The tfoot element takes part in the table
  model.
tr elementthead element.tbody element.tfoot element.table element, after any
   caption, colgroup, and thead
   elements, but only if there are no tbody elements that
   are children of the table element.td, th, and script-supporting elementsinterface HTMLTableRowElement : HTMLElement {
  readonly attribute long rowIndex;
  readonly attribute long sectionRowIndex;
  readonly attribute HTMLCollection cells;
  HTMLElement insertCell(optional long index = -1);
  void deleteCell(long index);
};
   The tr element represents a row of
  cells in a table.
The tr element takes part in the table model.
rowIndexReturns the position of the row in the table's rows
    list.
Returns −1 if the element isn't in a table.
sectionRowIndexReturns the position of the row in the table section's rows list.
Returns −1 if the element isn't in a table section.
cellsReturns an HTMLCollection of the td and th elements of
    the row.
insertCell( [ index ] )Creates a td element, inserts it into the table row at the position given by the
    argument, and returns the td.
The position is relative to the cells in the row. The index −1, which is the default if the argument is omitted, is equivalent to inserting at the end of the row.
If the given position is less than −1 or greater than the number of cells, throws an
    IndexSizeError exception.
deleteCell(index)Removes the td or th element with the given position in the
    row.
The position is relative to the cells in the row. The index −1 is equivalent to deleting the last cell of the row.
If the given position is less than −1 or greater than the index of the last cell, or
    if there are no cells, throws an IndexSizeError exception.
The rowIndex attribute must, if the element has
  a parent table element, or a parent tbody, thead, or
  tfoot element and a grandparent table element, return the index
  of the tr element in that table element's rows collection. If there is no such table element,
  then the attribute must return −1.
The sectionRowIndex attribute must, if
  the element has a parent table, tbody, thead, or
  tfoot element, return the index of the tr element in the parent
  element's rows collection (for tables, that's the HTMLTableElement.rows collection; for table sections, that's the
  HTMLTableRowElement.rows collection). If there is no such
  parent element, then the attribute must return −1.
The cells attribute must return an
  HTMLCollection rooted at the tr element, whose filter matches only
  td and th elements that are children of the tr element.
The insertCell(index)
  method must act as follows:
If index is less than −1 or greater than the number of elements in
  the cells collection, the method must throw an
  IndexSizeError exception.
If index is equal to −1 or equal to the number of items in cells collection, the method must create a td element,
  append it to the tr element, and return the newly created td
  element.
Otherwise, the method must create a td element, insert it as a child of the
  tr element, immediately before the indexth td or
  th element in the cells collection, and finally
  must return the newly created td element.
The deleteCell(index)
  method must remove the indexth element in the cells collection from its parent. If index is less
  than zero or greater than or equal to the number of elements in the cells collection, the method must instead throw an
  IndexSizeError exception.
td elementtr element.colspanrowspanheadersinterface HTMLTableDataCellElement : HTMLTableCellElement {};
   The td element represents a data cell in a table.
The td element and its colspan, rowspan, and headers
  attributes take part in the table model.
User agents, especially in non-visual environments or where displaying the table as a 2D grid
  is impractical, may give the user context for the cell when rendering the contents of a cell; for
  instance, giving its position in the table model, or listing the cell's header cells
  (as determined by the algorithm for assigning header cells). When a cell's header
  cells are being listed, user agents may use the value of abbr
  attributes on those header cells, if any, instead of the contents of the header cells
  themselves.
th elementth element is a sorting interface th element: Interactive content.tr element.header, footer, sectioning content, or heading content descendants, and if the th element is a sorting interface th element, no interactive content descendants.colspanrowspanheadersscopeabbrinterface HTMLTableHeaderCellElement : HTMLTableCellElement {
           attribute DOMString scope;
           attribute DOMString abbr;
  void sort();
};
   The th element represents a header cell in a table.
The th element may have a scope
  content attribute specified. The scope attribute is an
  enumerated attribute with five states, four of which have explicit keywords:
row keyword, which maps to the
   row statecol keyword, which maps to the
   column staterowgroup keyword, which maps to
   the row group stateth element's scope attribute must
   not be in the row group state if the element is not
   anchored in a row group.colgroup keyword, which maps to
   the column group stateth element's scope attribute must
   not be in the column group state if the element is
   not anchored in a column group.The scope attribute's missing value default is the
  auto state.
The th element may have an abbr
  content attribute specified. Its value must be an alternative label for the header cell, to be
  used when referencing the cell in other contexts (e.g. when describing the header cells that apply
  to a data cell). It is typically an abbreviated form of the full header cell, but can also be an
  expansion, or merely a different phrasing.
The th element and its colspan, rowspan, headers, and
  scope attributes take part in the table model.
The scope IDL attribute must reflect
  the content attribute of the same name, limited to only known values.
The abbr IDL attribute must reflect the
  content attributes of the same name.
The following example shows how the scope attribute's rowgroup value affects which data cells a header cell
   applies to.
Here is a markup fragment showing a table:
The tbody elements in this example identify the range of the row groups.
<table> <caption>Measurement of legs and tails in Cats and English speakers</caption> <thead> <tr> <th> ID <th> Measurement <th> Average <th> Maximum <tbody> <tr> <td> <th scope=rowgroup> Cats <td> <td> <tr> <td> 93 <th scope=row> Legs <td> 3.5 <td> 4 <tr> <td> 10 <th scope=row> Tails <td> 1 <td> 1 </tbody> <tbody> <tr> <td> <th scope=rowgroup> English speakers <td> <td> <tr> <td> 32 <th scope=row> Legs <td> 2.67 <td> 4 <tr> <td> 35 <th scope=row> Tails <td> 0.33 <td> 1 </tbody> </table>
This would result in the following table:
| ID | Measurement | Average | Maximum | 
|---|---|---|---|
| Cats | |||
| 93 | Legs | 3.5 | 4 | 
| 10 | Tails | 1 | 1 | 
| English speakers | |||
| 32 | Legs | 2.67 | 4 | 
| 35 | Tails | 0.33 | 1 | 
The header cells in row 1 ('ID', 'Measurement', 'Average' and 'Maximum') each apply only to the cells in their column.
The header cells with a scope=rowgroup 
   ('Cats' and 'English speakers') apply to all the cells in their row group other 
   than the cells (to their left) in column 1:
The header 'Cats' (row 2, column 2) applies to the headers 'Legs' (row 3, column 2) and 'Tails' (row 4, column 2) and to the data cells in rows 2, 3 and 4 of the 'Average' and 'Maximum' columns.
The header 'English speakers' (row 5, column 2) applies to the headers 'Legs' (row 6, column 2) and 'Tails' (row 7, column 2) and to the data cells in rows 5, 6 and 7 of the 'Average' and 'Maximum' columns.
Each of the 'Legs' and 'Tails' header cells has a scope=row and therefore apply to the data cells (to the right) 
   in their row, from the 'Average' and 'Maximum' columns.
   

td and th elementsThe td and th elements may have a colspan content attribute specified, whose value must
  be a valid non-negative integer greater than zero.
The td and th elements may also have a rowspan content attribute specified, whose value must
  be a valid non-negative integer. For this attribute, the value zero means that the
  cell is to span all the remaining rows in the row group.
These attributes give the number of columns and rows respectively that the cell is to span. These attributes must not be used to overlap cells, as described in the description of the table model.
The td and th element may have a headers content attribute specified. The headers attribute, if specified, must contain a string consisting
  of an unordered set of unique space-separated tokens that are
  case-sensitive, each of which must have the value of an ID of a th element taking part in the same table as the td or th element (as defined by the table model).
A th element with ID id is
  said to be directly targeted by all td and th elements in the
  same table that have headers attributes whose values include as one of their tokens
  the ID id. A th element A is said to be targeted by a th or td element
  B if either A is directly targeted by B or if there exists an element C that is itself
  targeted by the element B and A is directly
  targeted by C.
A th element must not be targeted by itself.
The colspan, rowspan, and headers
  attributes take part in the table model.
The td and th elements implement interfaces that inherit from the
  HTMLTableCellElement interface:
interface HTMLTableCellElement : HTMLElement {
           attribute unsigned long colSpan;
           attribute unsigned long rowSpan;
  [PutForwards=value] readonly attribute DOMSettableTokenList headers;
  readonly attribute long cellIndex;
};
  cellIndexReturns the position of the cell in the row's cells list.
    This does not necessarily correspond to the x-position of the cell in the
    table, since earlier cells might cover multiple rows or columns.
Returns −1 if the element isn't in a row.
The colSpan IDL attribute must
  reflect the colspan content attribute. Its
  default value is 1.
The rowSpan IDL attribute must
  reflect the rowspan content attribute. Its
  default value is 1.
The headers IDL attribute must
  reflect the content attribute of the same name.
The cellIndex IDL attribute must, if the
  element has a parent tr element, return the index of the cell's element in the parent
  element's cells collection. If there is no such parent element,
  then the attribute must return −1.
The various table elements and their content attributes together define the table model.
A table consists of cells aligned on a two-dimensional grid of
  slots with coordinates (x, y). The grid is finite, and is either empty or has one or more slots. If the grid
  has one or more slots, then the x coordinates are always in the range 0 ≤ x < xwidth, and the y coordinates are always in the
  range 0 ≤ y < yheight. If one or both of xwidth and yheight are zero, then the
  table is empty (has no slots). Tables correspond to table elements.
A cell is a set of slots anchored at a slot (cellx, celly), and with
  a particular width and height such that the cell covers
  all the slots with coordinates (x, y) where cellx ≤ x < cellx+width and celly ≤ y < celly+height. Cells can either be data cells
  or header cells. Data cells correspond to td elements, and header cells
  correspond to th elements. Cells of both types can have zero or more associated
  header cells.
It is possible, in certain error cases, for two cells to occupy the same slot.
A row is a complete set of slots from x=0 to x=xwidth-1, for a particular value of y. Rows usually
  correspond to tr elements, though a row group
  can have some implied rows at the end in some cases involving
  cells spanning multiple rows.
A column is a complete set of slots from y=0 to y=yheight-1, for a particular value of x. Columns can
  correspond to col elements. In the absence of col elements, columns are
  implied.
A row group is a set of rows anchored at a slot (0, groupy) with a particular height such that the row group
  covers all the slots with coordinates (x, y) where 0 ≤ x < xwidth and groupy ≤ y < groupy+height. Row groups correspond to
  tbody, thead, and tfoot elements. Not every row is
  necessarily in a row group.
A column group is a set of columns anchored at a slot (groupx, 0) with a particular width such that the column group
  covers all the slots with coordinates (x, y) where groupx ≤ x < groupx+width and 0 ≤ y < yheight. Column
  groups correspond to colgroup elements. Not every column is necessarily in a column
  group.
Row groups cannot overlap each other. Similarly, column groups cannot overlap each other.
A cell cannot cover slots that are from two or more row groups. It is, however, possible for a cell to be in multiple column groups. All the slots that form part of one cell are part of zero or one row groups and zero or more column groups.
In addition to cells, columns, rows, row groups, and column
  groups, tables can have a caption element
  associated with them. This gives the table a heading, or legend.
A table model error is an error with the data represented by table
  elements and their descendants. Documents must not have table model errors.
To determine which elements correspond to which slots in a table associated with a table element, to determine the
  dimensions of the table (xwidth and yheight), and to determine if there are any table model errors, user agents must use the following algorithm:
Let xwidth be zero.
Let yheight be zero.
Let pending tfoot elements be a list of tfoot
    elements, initially empty.
Let the table be the table represented
    by the table element. The xwidth and yheight variables give the table's
    dimensions. The table is initially empty.
If the table element has no children elements, then return the
    table (which will be empty), and abort these steps.
Associate the first caption element child of the table element with
    the table. If there are no such children, then it has no associated
    caption element.
Let the current element be the first element child of the
    table element.
If a step in this algorithm ever requires the current element to be advanced to the next child of the table when
    there is no such next child, then the user agent must jump to the step labeled end, near
    the end of this algorithm.
While the current element is not one of the following elements, advance the current element to the next
    child of the table:
If the current element is a colgroup, follow these
    substeps:
Column groups: Process the current element according to the appropriate case below:
col element childrenFollow these steps:
Let xstart have the value of xwidth.
Let the current column be the first col element child
          of the colgroup element.
Columns: If the current column col element has
          a span attribute, then parse its value using the
          rules for parsing non-negative integers.
If the result of parsing the value is not an error or zero, then let span be that value.
Otherwise, if the col element has no span attribute, or if trying to parse the attribute's value
          resulted in an error or zero, then let span be 1.
Increase xwidth by span.
Let the last span columns in
          the table correspond to the current column
          col element.
If current column is not the last col element child of
          the colgroup element, then let the current column be the
          next col element child of the colgroup element, and return to
          the step labeled columns.
Let all the last columns in the
          table from x=xstart to
          x=xwidth-1 form a new column group, anchored at the slot (xstart, 0), with width xwidth-xstart, corresponding to the colgroup element.
col element childrenIf the colgroup element has a span
          attribute, then parse its value using the rules for parsing non-negative
          integers.
If the result of parsing the value is not an error or zero, then let span be that value.
Otherwise, if the colgroup element has no span attribute, or if trying to parse the attribute's
          value resulted in an error or zero, then let span be 1.
Increase xwidth by span.
Let the last span columns in
          the table form a new column
          group, anchored at the slot (xwidth-span, 0), with width span, corresponding to the colgroup element.
While the current element is not one of the following elements, advance the current element to the
      next child of the table:
If the current element is a colgroup element, jump to the
      step labeled column groups above.
Let ycurrent be zero.
Let the list of downward-growing cells be an empty list.
Rows: While the current element is not one of the following
    elements, advance the current
    element to the next child of the table:
If the current element is a tr, then run the algorithm
    for processing rows, advance the current element to the next child of the table, and return to the
    step labeled rows.
Run the algorithm for ending a row group.
If the current element is a tfoot, then add that element to
    the list of pending tfoot elements, advance the current element to the next
    child of the table, and return to the step labeled rows.
The current element is either a thead or a
    tbody.
Run the algorithm for processing row groups.
Return to the step labeled rows.
End: For each tfoot element in the list of pending
    tfoot elements, in tree order, run the algorithm for processing row
    groups.
If there exists a row or column in the table containing only slots that do not have a cell anchored to them, then this is a table model error.
Return the table.
The algorithm for processing row groups, which is invoked by the set of steps above
  for processing thead, tbody, and tfoot elements, is:
Let ystart have the value of yheight.
For each tr element that is a child of the element being processed, in tree
    order, run the algorithm for processing rows.
If yheight > ystart, then let all the last rows in the table from y=ystart to y=yheight-1 form a new row group, anchored at the slot with coordinate (0, ystart), with height yheight-ystart, corresponding to the element being processed.
Run the algorithm for ending a row group.
The algorithm for ending a row group, which is invoked by the set of steps above when starting and ending a block of rows, is:
While ycurrent is less than yheight, follow these steps:
Increase ycurrent by 1.
Empty the list of downward-growing cells.
The algorithm for processing rows, which is invoked by the set of steps above for
  processing tr elements, is:
If yheight is equal to ycurrent, then increase yheight by 1. (ycurrent is never greater than yheight.)
Let xcurrent be 0.
If the tr element being processed has no td or th
    element children, then increase ycurrent by 1, abort
    this set of steps, and return to the algorithm above.
Let current cell be the first td or th element child
    in the tr element being processed.
Cells: While xcurrent is less than xwidth and the slot with coordinate (xcurrent, ycurrent) already has a cell assigned to it, increase xcurrent by 1.
If xcurrent is equal to xwidth, increase xwidth by 1. (xcurrent is never greater than xwidth.)
If the current cell has a colspan
    attribute, then parse that attribute's
    value, and let colspan be the result.
If parsing that value failed, or returned zero, or if the attribute is absent, then let colspan be 1, instead.
If the current cell has a rowspan
    attribute, then parse that attribute's
    value, and let rowspan be the result.
If parsing that value failed or if the attribute is absent, then let rowspan be 1, instead.
If rowspan is zero and the table element's
    Document is not set to quirks mode, then let cell grows
    downward be true, and set rowspan to 1. Otherwise, let cell grows downward be false.
If xwidth < xcurrent+colspan, then let xwidth be xcurrent+colspan.
If yheight < ycurrent+rowspan, then let yheight be ycurrent+rowspan.
Let the slots with coordinates (x, y) such that xcurrent ≤ x < xcurrent+colspan and ycurrent ≤ y < ycurrent+rowspan be covered by a new cell c, anchored at (xcurrent, ycurrent), which has width colspan and height rowspan, corresponding to the current cell element.
If the current cell element is a th element, let this new
    cell c be a header cell; otherwise, let it be a data cell.
To establish which header cells apply to the current cell element, use the algorithm for assigning header cells described in the next section.
If any of the slots involved already had a cell covering them, then this is a table model error. Those slots now have two cells overlapping.
If cell grows downward is true, then add the tuple {c, xcurrent, colspan} to the list of downward-growing cells.
Increase xcurrent by colspan.
If current cell is the last td or th element child in
    the tr element being processed, then increase ycurrent by 1, abort this set of steps, and return to the algorithm
    above.
Let current cell be the next td or th element child
    in the tr element being processed.
Return to the step labeled cells.
When the algorithms above require the user agent to run the algorithm for growing downward-growing cells, the user agent must, for each {cell, cellx, width} tuple in the list of downward-growing cells, if any, extend the cell cell so that it also covers the slots with coordinates (x, ycurrent), where cellx ≤ x < cellx+width.
Each cell can be assigned zero or more header cells. The algorithm for assigning header cells to a cell principal cell is as follows.
Let header list be an empty list of cells.
Let (principalx, principaly) be the coordinate of the slot to which the principal cell is anchored.
headers attribute specifiedTake the value of the principal cell's headers attribute and split it on spaces, letting id list be the list of tokens
        obtained.
For each token in the id list, if the
        first element in the Document with an ID equal to
        the token is a cell in the same table, and that cell is not the
        principal cell, then add that cell to header list.
headers attribute specifiedLet principalwidth be the width of the principal cell.
Let principalheight be the height of the principal cell.
For each value of y from principaly to principaly+principalheight-1, run the internal algorithm for scanning and assigning header cells, with the principal cell, the header list, the initial coordinate (principalx,y), and the increments Δx=−1 and Δy=0.
For each value of x from principalx to principalx+principalwidth-1, run the internal algorithm for scanning and assigning header cells, with the principal cell, the header list, the initial coordinate (x,principaly), and the increments Δx=0 and Δy=−1.
If the principal cell is anchored in a row group, then add all header cells that are row group headers and are anchored in the same row group with an x-coordinate less than or equal to principalx+principalwidth-1 and a y-coordinate less than or equal to principaly+principalheight-1 to header list.
If the principal cell is anchored in a column group, then add all header cells that are column group headers and are anchored in the same column group with an x-coordinate less than or equal to principalx+principalwidth-1 and a y-coordinate less than or equal to principaly+principalheight-1 to header list.
Remove all the empty cells from the header list.
Remove any duplicates from the header list.
Remove principal cell from the header list if it is there.
Assign the headers in the header list to the principal cell.
The internal algorithm for scanning and assigning header cells, given a principal cell, a header list, an initial coordinate (initialx, initialy), and Δx and Δy increments, is as follows:
Let x equal initialx.
Let y equal initialy.
Let opaque headers be an empty list of cells.
Let in header block be true, and let headers from current header block be a list of cells containing just the principal cell.
Let in header block be false and let headers from current header block be an empty list of cells.
Loop: Increment x by Δx; increment y by Δy.
For each invocation of this algorithm, one of Δx and Δy will be −1, and the other will be 0.
If either x or y is less than 0, then abort this internal algorithm.
If there is no cell covering slot (x, y), or if there is more than one cell covering slot (x, y), return to the substep labeled loop.
Let current cell be the cell covering slot (x, y).
Set in header block to true.
Add current cell to headers from current header block.
Let blocked be false.
If there are any cells in the opaque headers list anchored with the same x-coordinate as the current cell, and with the same width as current cell, then let blocked be true.
If the current cell is not a column header, then let blocked be true.
If there are any cells in the opaque headers list anchored with the same y-coordinate as the current cell, and with the same height as current cell, then let blocked be true.
If the current cell is not a row header, then let blocked be true.
If blocked is false, then add the current cell to the headers list.
Set in header block to false. Add all the cells in headers from current header block to the opaque headers list, and empty the headers from current header block list.
Return to the step labeled loop.
A header cell anchored at the slot with coordinate (x, y) with width width and height height is said to be a column header if any of the following conditions are true:
scope attribute is in the column state, orscope attribute is in the auto state, and there are no data cells in any of the cells
   covering slots with y-coordinates y .. y+height-1.A header cell anchored at the slot with coordinate (x, y) with width width and height height is said to be a row header if any of the following conditions are true:
scope attribute is in the row state, orscope attribute is in the auto state, the cell is not a column header, and
   there are no data cells in any of the cells covering slots with x-coordinates
   x .. x+width-1.A header cell is said to be a column group header if its scope attribute is in the column
  group state.
A header cell is said to be a row group header if its scope attribute is in the row
  group state.
A cell is said to be an empty cell if it contains no elements and its text content, if any, consists only of White_Space characters.
This section is non-normative.
The following shows how might one mark up the bottom part of table 45 of the Smithsonian physical tables, Volume 71:
<table> <caption>Specification values: <b>Steel</b>, <b>Castings</b>, Ann. A.S.T.M. A27-16, Class B;* P max. 0.06; S max. 0.05.</caption> <thead> <tr> <th rowspan=2>Grade.</th> <th rowspan=2>Yield Point.</th> <th colspan=2>Ultimate tensile strength</th> <th rowspan=2>Per cent elong. 50.8mm or 2 in.</th> <th rowspan=2>Per cent reduct. area.</th> </tr> <tr> <th>kg/mm<sup>2</sup></th> <th>lb/in<sup>2</sup></th> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td>Hard</td> <td>0.45 ultimate</td> <td>56.2</td> <td>80,000</td> <td>15</td> <td>20</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Medium</td> <td>0.45 ultimate</td> <td>49.2</td> <td>70,000</td> <td>18</td> <td>25</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Soft</td> <td>0.45 ultimate</td> <td>42.2</td> <td>60,000</td> <td>22</td> <td>30</td> </tr> </tbody> </table>
This table could look like this:
| Grade. | Yield Point. | Ultimate tensile strength | Per cent elong. 50.8 mm or 2 in. | Per cent reduct. area. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| kg/mm2 | lb/in2 | ||||
| Hard | 0.45 ultimate | 56.2 | 80,000 | 15 | 20 | 
| Medium | 0.45 ultimate | 49.2 | 70,000 | 18 | 25 | 
| Soft | 0.45 ultimate | 42.2 | 60,000 | 22 | 30 | 
The following shows how one might mark up the gross margin table on page 46 of Apple, Inc's 10-K filing for fiscal year 2008:
<table> <thead> <tr> <th> <th>2008 <th>2007 <th>2006 <tbody> <tr> <th>Net sales <td>$ 32,479 <td>$ 24,006 <td>$ 19,315 <tr> <th>Cost of sales <td> 21,334 <td> 15,852 <td> 13,717 <tbody> <tr> <th>Gross margin <td>$ 11,145 <td>$ 8,154 <td>$ 5,598 <tfoot> <tr> <th>Gross margin percentage <td>34.3% <td>34.0% <td>29.0% </table>
This table could look like this:
| 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Net sales | $ 32,479 | $ 24,006 | $ 19,315 | 
| Cost of sales | 21,334 | 15,852 | 13,717 | 
| Gross margin | $ 11,145 | $ 8,154 | $ 5,598 | 
| Gross margin percentage | 34.3% | 34.0% | 29.0% | 
The following shows how one might mark up the operating expenses table from lower on the same page of that document:
<table>
 <colgroup> <col>
 <colgroup> <col> <col> <col>
 <thead>
  <tr> <th> <th>2008 <th>2007 <th>2006
 <tbody>
  <tr> <th scope=rowgroup> Research and development
       <td> $ 1,109 <td> $ 782 <td> $ 712
  <tr> <th scope=row> Percentage of net sales
       <td> 3.4% <td> 3.3% <td> 3.7%
 <tbody>
  <tr> <th scope=rowgroup> Selling, general, and administrative
       <td> $ 3,761 <td> $ 2,963 <td> $ 2,433
  <tr> <th scope=row> Percentage of net sales
       <td> 11.6% <td> 12.3% <td> 12.6%
</table>
  This table could look like this:
| 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research and development | $ 1,109 | $ 782 | $ 712 | 
| Percentage of net sales | 3.4% | 3.3% | 3.7% | 
| Selling, general, and administrative | $ 3,761 | $ 2,963 | $ 2,433 | 
| Percentage of net sales | 11.6% | 12.3% | 12.6% |