Table colspan span all columns regardless of # of columns - html

I'm creating a table in an asp.net code behind dynamically, and I want to have a footer row that only has 2 cells. The first should span all the columns in the table-1. Is there some way other then keeping track of the # of columns in the table manually for me to set the colspan to be # of all the columns in the table-1?
Preferably a HTML or CSS solution?

Colspan can't be done with CSS. It's structural rather than stylistic so it's pure HTML.
No you can't specify "all but one" as a colspan. The best you can do is colspan="0", which will span the remaining columns in the column group but to take advantage the <colgroup> at the top will need to know the number of columns anyway and be define statically.
See Tables in the HTML spec:
colspan = number [CN]
This attribute specifies the number of
columns spanned by the current cell.
The default value of this attribute is
one ("1"). The value zero ("0") means
that the cell spans all columns from
the current column to the last column
of the column group (COLGROUP)
in which the cell is defined.
But basically this just kicks the can down the street and I don't know what the browser support is like so it doesn't necessarily buy you anything.
You'll either need to know the number of columns when you generate the HTML or use Javascript.

Sorry this isn't an HTML or CSS solution... I'm only suggesting it because I don't think there is an HTML or CSS solution that will work cross-browser/cross-broweser version.
You could convert the table to an Asp:Table and then use the first row's Cells.Count...
But it would probably be more work than tracking the number of columns added the way you're doing it now. BUT it would not depend on Browser support as it would all be in the code-behind.

In case anybody else winds up here in the future, colspan=0 isn't supported in HTML 5. There are more details here: https://stackoverflow.com/a/52355253/18494923

<tr><td colspan="100%">1000</td></tr>
From question: Colspan all columns
Works in IE 7/8 & Firefox 5

Related

Using rowspan in HTML

Is it possible to have rowspan="2.5"? I using this in creating a timetable using HTML tables. I have 1-hour interval and I need to show a time with 30-mins. How can I do it?
No, it's not possible to have decimals for rowspan/colspan values. Not only does the spec say so (they must be integers), but that wouldn't make sense.
What you can do instead is simply make each row 30 minutes instead of an hour. Then, just double that rowspan (5 instead of 2.5).
Or you could go for an illusion. Nest another table with two rows inside your td. Have the upper row use the background-color of the td above it, and apply this rule to the lower row.
That way you won't have to completely rewrite your tables. It's a lazy way, true, but I see no reason why it would not work.

Outline colspan in major browsers?

I'm curious what the impact is of colspan in different browsers.
I have a table with a row acting as a heading which uses colspan to spread across all columns, and I might want to add columns in the future. If I simply make the colspan some really large number so that I can add columns without having to update the heading, does this have any negative impacts?
Will browsers behave badly and creating loads of dud columns, or should they be smart enough to limit this to how many columns the table actually has?
Using colspan to span columns that have no cells beginning in them violates the HTML table model (which is being formalized in HTML5 table processing model). All bets are off then, and testing on all existing browsers (which isn’t really possible) wouldn’t be enough – future browsers could handle your markup error differently.
Theoretically, according to HTML 4.01, colspan=0 means that “the cell spans all columns from the current column to the last column of the column group (COLGROUP) in which the cell is defined”. However, this was not implemented, and it is being removed (value of 0 made an error) in HTML5, without any replacement.
The idea is clearly that the author, or the software that generates an HTML document, is responsible for counting the columns. That is, if you add columns to the table, you need to modify the colspan value, if you want a cell to span all columns.
MDN says there are two behaviors, one for <th> and one for <td>.
For header cells (th), the value must be >=0, <=1000. If it is >1000 it clips to 1000, if it is 0 it spans the entire <colgroup>.
For data cells (td), the value value must be >= 0, <= 1000. If it is >1000 it is set to 1, if it is 0 it spans the entire <colgroup>.
Also, it appears Firefox is the only one to support the 0 = colgroup rule.
Best way is to try it. But my guess is they'll all be fine.
What's a really large number? 50? 100? 10000?
here's a fiddle with 200 columns and a colspan:
<table>
<tr>
<th colspan="200">test</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>test</td>
...
</tr>
</table>
http://jsfiddle.net/FYKqb/
try it in different browsers. I reckon they'd all be fine.

is it possible to make CSS3 tables that have different number column and column width in each row?

is it possible to use CSS3 table to make it look like this
+---A---+---B---+---C---+---D---+---E---+
>>>>+---A---+---B---+---C---+---D---+<<<< ---> case 1
+---A---+---B---+---C---+---D---+---E---+
case 1: need to margin-left the first cell right? is it any code that make auto to margin
+---A---+---B---+---C---+---D---+---E---+
+-----A-----+-------B-------+---C---+-D-+ ---> case 2
case 2: colspan is work on the cell width is same. what if the cell width is vary. Is it possible?
all of this code must be in CSS3 and HTML5 only. No use <table>, <tr>, <td> only <div>
Should I convert to use grid instead of using table?
Thank you.
Use tables if it is tabular data, if it isn't then use something else.
From your example where column widths don't match, and where colspans don't do what you want it's hard to see how the data could be tabular data.
A couple of options, colspan can work if you do it the right way. For example setting a colspan of 2 on normal single span cells would allow you to make other cells span to halfway through another column.
Or if it really isn't tabular data then use DIV's and position them apropriatley.
Using tables, you would not be able to vary the width of one rows cells without affecting the width of all the other rows cells though, im not even sure you can dynamically change colspan once the table has been drawn, never tried it to be honest).
In all honesty I suspect you are really looking to solve this using DIV's, as your data really doesn't seem to fit the tabular data model. Tbular data will generally have headers on columns with data corresponding to those column headers in the appropriate column. Your cells seem to be able to move freely and therefore would not be fixed under any particular column header.
I am guessing from the layout that you are possibly creating some sort of calendar? and events can span any distance of time etc across the columns? In which case I personally would prefer divs, although I know some people would prefer using tables.

Data Table and css styling

Hello i got some data from db and i want to display it using table
First question: should i use or div styled in css ?
Second Question: If i'm using Talbe , i got one col with few lines of text , the lines may be long
how can i style one col to be with a fixed size of the table (like 20%)?
Third : i'm looking for a good link that explain how to design tables the smart way considering cross browser resolution with changing text , (i.e using em ?)
Thank you.
If it's tabular data (columns and more than one row) you'll find it much easier to do with a table. Style the table with css which will let you fix the size of the 'text' column.
Using em for sizing is the best option in my opinion.
One
If you are displaying tabular information that makes sense in rows and columns then YES use a table.
Two
Set the column widths using width="20%" will make it a fixed size
Three
For font-sizes use EM for widths use percentages that way it will work with an resolution screen and obey the users default font size.
If data preview, better is just a table (displaying tabular information)
<td width="200" … as your wish you can give the value, for other column dont specify any value.
http://kyleschaeffer.com/best-practices/css-font-size-em-vs-px-vs-pt-vs/

Tables Alignment

I need some help with aligning two tables together, i.e: having the columns line up.
The first table has the headers, and the second table has the rows displayed. I'm doing this on ruby, so, I have to put the result in another table because the updating won't work otherwise(puts the data away from the parent table..) Is there a way, that I can have the two tables align, so the data for every row lines up with each header column.
Thank you
The easiest way would be to have fixed widths for the cells and make the widths be the same for both tables. Also make sure that you have the table properites be the same (i.e. the cellpadding, cellspacing and table widths )
can't you just remove the closing tag for the header and remove the opening tag for the content?
It’s not a great idea, HTML-wise. Heading cells and data cells should really be in the same table. Then you get the alignment for free.
“ I'm doing this on ruby, so, I have to put the result in another table because the updating won't work otherwise”
Are you entirely sure there’s no way for Ruby to update an HTML table that has header cells? Really?