Table column resize problem

[Jeremy Z]

I have a complex multi-row multi-column table (some rows
the columns have been merged into one) and I'm trying to
resize one of the columns but it won't let me. When I try
to drag the clolumn to make it smaller, it actually
increases the width. I've tried unchecking the width
checkbox in properties and I've played with width settings
making them both percent and pixels and nothing has
worked. I can't make the column smaller. Can anyone help.
(http://www.indyrunners.org/races/race_calendar.html)

 

[Murray]

Dragging cell borders to resize will be a short trip to the nuthouse for
you.

It's just the wrong way to interact with an HTML table.

What you see happening is HTML's way of saying to you that you don't yet
understand how to work with tables, and that all your base are belong to
them. 8)

Here are some guidelines for you -

1. Complex tables are bad news. Keep them simple. If you need to merge
cells to achieve a layout goal, consider ending the current table, and
stacking a new one underneath it with the desired cell architecture instead.
If you need to split cells, consider nesting a new table instead. This will
prevent you from building grotesque tables with merges and splits (colspans
and rowspans) all over the place, and that is so fragile that simply looking
at it will make it break.

2. As a result, plan your table structures carefully. A single table
containing everythign on the page can be much harder to work with than
multiple nested/stacked tables.

3. Pay much more attention to the content of the table. In the final
analysis, it's this that determines the shape of your finished table, not
the dimensions that you try to specify by either entering them explicitly,
or by dragging borders. Plan (and build) your tables so that they collapse
around their contents. Now you are using Ju-jitsu principles on the tables
since you are simply allowing them to do what they would have done anyhow,
but you are nudging them to do it the way you want!

When I use tables for layout (and I don't often do this anymore) I only use
2 dimensions explicitly in the code (if I use any) -

table width (either a fixed pixel value - usually 760px - or 100%), and
*some* cell widths of 100% (if any). And anymore, I state those in the CSS
and not in the table code.

Other than those dimensions, my table cells have none.

Now - how does this help you since you have already grown your 900 pound
gorilla? Really, not much. It's alot easier to start over than it is to
triage a table that's already over the edge. I'm hopeful that when you
start over, you'll take some of these notions with you.

 

[=?Windows-1252?Q?Rob_Giordano_\=28Crash_Gordon=AE\]

if you inadvertantly drag a border...click Undo immediately.