Tables are great for layout purposes

This is where you can put text, other images, other tables, or just about anything else you like.

Content can be placed within the cells of a table just like it is on a page.

"Tables have a storied history on the Web.
While originally conceived just to hold tabular data, they were quickly appropriated for a much bigger
task: serving as the foundation for complicated layouts, with multiple columns, sidebars and many other
features that were simply impossible before the advent of CSS."

"One of the nice things about tables is that you can use them to create liquid design-deisgn
that expands and contracts proportionately to your visitor's browser window. The key is to use
percentages instead of pixel-based widths and learn to let go of the need to control every last space."

Elizabeth Castro,HTML for the World Wide Web, 5th Edition

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

A table can have a fixed width. Here, the table is set at 450 pixels wide

one two
three four

A table can have a flexible width. Here, the table is 100% of the browser window

top left top right
bottom left bottom right

You can control the spacing within a table, and the position of the elements it contains

aligned to the left <td align=left> this table has a border value of 8 border="8"
notice the gray beveled edge around the bounds of the table
aligned to the right <td align=right> the space between the border and each cell is 6 cellspacing="6"
notice the lines within the table's border
centered <td align=center> the space between the edge of each cell and this text is 10 cellpadding="10"
top of cell
<td valign=top>
middle of cell
<td valign=middle>
bottom of cell
<td valign=top>