width in table

[Robert]

Hi,

Maybe this is a simple question, but I can't seem to get it to work.
Let's say I have this table:

<table style="width: 300px">
<tr>
<th>Header</th>
<td>1</td>
<td>22</td>
<td>333</td>
</tr>
</table>

How can I use CSS 2 to make the th take minimal width and let the other
columns divide the rest of width equally. Also I do not know how many
data columns I have.

[Spartanicus]

Re: width in table

Robert <robert@noreply .x> wrote:
[color=blue]
>Maybe this is a simple question, but I can't seem to get it to work.
>Let's say I have this table:
>
> <table style="width: 300px">
> <tr>
> <th>Header</th>
> <td>1</td>
> <td>22</td>
> <td>333</td>
> </tr>
> </table>
>
>How can I use CSS 2 to make the th take minimal width and let the other
>columns divide the rest of width equally. Also I do not know how many
>data columns I have.[/color]

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/spartanicus/robert.htm

Note that it's hard to imagine a valid reason to fix the width of a
table, especially when using the px unit and when the content contains
text. If the table is used for layout purposes then the correct answer
is stop doing that.

--
Spartanicus

[Disco Octopus]

Re: width in table

Robert wrote on 26/04/2005 :[color=blue]
> Hi,
>
> Maybe this is a simple question, but I can't seem to get it to work.
> Let's say I have this table:
>
> <table style="width: 300px">
> <tr>
> <th>Header</th>
> <td>1</td>
> <td>22</td>
> <td>333</td>
> </tr>
> </table>
>
> How can I use CSS 2 to make the th take minimal width and let the other
> columns divide the rest of width equally. Also I do not know how many data
> columns I have.[/color]

as you dont know the amount of columns you will have, I am guessing
that these are built dynamically. is that correct? if so, then perhaps
you could do a litle run-time width calculations... .
<psuedo_sorta_c ode>
var_width = 100 / (var_column_cou nt + 1) ; // add one for the <th>
write the var_width to the width placeholder in the HTML template.
(perhaps search_replace the var_width placeholder.
</psuedo_sorta_co de>

your HTML template may look like this.

<table style="width: 300px">
<tr>
<th style="width:{v ar_width}%;">He ader</th>
<td style="width:{v ar_width}%;">1</td>
<td style="width:{v ar_width}%;">22 </td>
<td style="width:{v ar_width}%;">33 3</td>
</tr>
</table>

--
a beef jerky site http://www.choicebeefjerky.com.au
not a beef jerky site http://mycoolwheels.com/vote.cmks
nobody ever dreams of working for the man

[Robert]

Re: width in table

Spartanicus wrote:[color=blue]
> Robert <robert@noreply .x> wrote:
>
>[color=green]
>>Maybe this is a simple question, but I can't seem to get it to work.
>>Let's say I have this table:
>>
>> <table style="width: 300px">
>> <tr>
>> <th>Header</th>
>> <td>1</td>
>> <td>22</td>
>> <td>333</td>
>> </tr>
>> </table>
>>
>>How can I use CSS 2 to make the th take minimal width and let the other
>>columns divide the rest of width equally. Also I do not know how many
>>data columns I have.[/color]
>
>
> http://homepage.ntlworld.com/spartanicus/robert.htm[/color]

This only works if the number of TD columns are exactly 3.
[color=blue]
> Note that it's hard to imagine a valid reason to fix the width of a
> table, especially when using the px unit and when the content contains
> text.[/color]

Because I like the other tables I generate to be of equal size.
[color=blue]
> If the table is used for layout purposes then the correct answer
> is stop doing that.[/color]

No, it's not for the layout of images or something like that.

[Robert]

Re: width in table

Disco Octopus wrote:[color=blue]
> as you dont know the amount of columns you will have, I am guessing that
> these are built dynamically. is that correct? if so, then perhaps you
> could do a litle run-time width calculations... .[/color]

Yes I thought about this too. Just was hoping to let CSS work this out
automatically. I guess my expectations for CSS were too high :)

[Rob_W]

Re: width in table

Robert wrote:[color=blue]
> Disco Octopus wrote:
>[color=green]
>> as you dont know the amount of columns you will have, I am guessing
>> that these are built dynamically. is that correct? if so, then perhaps
>> you could do a litle run-time width calculations... .[/color]
>
>
> Yes I thought about this too. Just was hoping to let CSS work this out
> automatically. I guess my expectations for CSS were too high :)[/color]

Your expectations weren't too high, they were wrong.
CSS is about style not about calculating.

RW

[Robert]

Re: width in table

Rob_W wrote:[color=blue]
> Robert wrote:
>[color=green]
>> Disco Octopus wrote:
>>[color=darkred]
>>> as you dont know the amount of columns you will have, I am guessing
>>> that these are built dynamically. is that correct? if so, then
>>> perhaps you could do a litle run-time width calculations... .[/color]
>>
>>
>>
>> Yes I thought about this too. Just was hoping to let CSS work this out
>> automatically. I guess my expectations for CSS were too high :)[/color]
>
>
> Your expectations weren't too high, they were wrong.
> CSS is about style not about calculating.[/color]

Having to divide the width between columns is style.

[Jim Moe]

Re: width in table

Robert wrote:[color=blue]
>
> How can I use CSS 2 to make the th take minimal width [...]
>[/color]
th {width: 0%;}


--
jmm dash list (at) sohnen-moe (dot) com
(Remove .AXSPAMGN for email)

[Disco Octopus]

Re: width in table

Robert wrote :[color=blue]
> Rob_W wrote:[color=green]
>> Robert wrote:
>>[color=darkred]
>>> Disco Octopus wrote:
>>>
>>>> as you dont know the amount of columns you will have, I am guessing that
>>>> these are built dynamically. is that correct? if so, then perhaps you
>>>> could do a litle run-time width calculations... .
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Yes I thought about this too. Just was hoping to let CSS work this out
>>> automatically. I guess my expectations for CSS were too high :)[/color]
>>
>>
>> Your expectations weren't too high, they were wrong.
>> CSS is about style not about calculating.[/color]
>
> Having to divide the width between columns is style.[/color]

Indeed, but doing the actual dividing to work out what the width should
be, is not style.

--
a beef jerky web site : http://www.choicebeefjerky.com.au
not a beef jerky web site : http://mycoolfish.com/vote.cmks
dont pick your nose if it is sore

[Robert]

Re: width in table

Disco Octopus wrote:[color=blue][color=green]
>> Having to divide the width between columns is style.[/color]
>
>
> Indeed, but doing the actual dividing to work out what the width should
> be, is not style.[/color]

If I set the width to a certain percentage there needs to be some
dividing too. To have the ability to set a relative 'weight' does not
make those calculations much harder. Well... it sure would be very
useful I think.