| If creating tables seems like a tedious, time-consuming task, there is an easier way inside of Dreamweaver to create tables. As I teach Dreamweaver classes, I notice this is one of the top features for people moving from the print world into the Web world. It offers a more intuitive, less restrictive way of laying out content with tables. You can literally draw and position tables and cells wherever and however you want. To start working in the layout view, click the Layout tab in the Insert panel. This activates two buttons: the Layout Table and the Layout Cell buttons, as shown in Figure 5.24. Figure 5.24. Several options are available for each column in the design view.
Drawing Tables To draw a table, select the Layout Table button. Your cursor changes into a crosshair. Click and drag out a table in the general size that you want it to appear. After drawing the table, you have a series of options in the top portion of the table window; click the down arrow to access the drop-down menu, as shown in Figure 5.24. Make Column Auto Stretch By choosing Auto Stretch, you'll force the column to span across the browser when there is room in the window. Add Spacer Image This choice places a transparent GIF image in a cell, which will prevent certain browsers from collapsing the table. Remove All Spacer Images This option removes all the spacer images you inserted into the table. Clear Cell Heights This option clears all cell height specifications set for the table. You can use this option if you're encountering alignment problems or if you set the wrong height by accident. Make Cell Widths Consistent This choice makes all cell widths the same size, which is a benefit when you're resizing tables in the browser window. |
