What replaces cellpadding, cellspacing, valign, and align in HTML5 tables?

Layout Matters: The CSS Way

Design responsively with CSS

You can smartly adjust your table layout to different screen sizes using CSS Grid or percentage values for table widths:

table { width: 100%; }
/* OR for more control */
display: grid;
grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fill, minmax(150px, 1fr));
/* "This is the type of responsible behavior your parents would be proud of!" */
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Consistency for clarity with CSS classes

Defining CSS classes for tables and cells promotes consistent styling:

.table-class { border-spacing: 1rem; border-collapse: collapse; }
.cell-class { padding: 0.5rem; vertical-align: middle; }

/* "Whoa, suddenly we're all speaking the same language!" */


Clean HTML? Yes, please!

Using external CSS ensures cleaner HTML. Applying styles with the class attribute, we keep presentation separate from content:

<table class="table-class">
  <tr>
    <td class="cell-class">Content Here</td>
  </tr>
</table>
/* "Remember, cleanliness is next to godliness" */
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Debugging with browser tools

Browser developer tools are your magic wand to perfect your CSS and achieve the desired table layout, faster than a rabbit from a hat.

Nailing the Details with CSS

CSS border behavior, step right up!

Using border-collapse in CSS, we gain control over the border and spacing between cells:

table { border-collapse: collapse; }
/* "Hey border, meet collapse, you two will get along just fine!" */
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Valign who? Meet vertical-align!

vertical-align can take values like top, middle, bottom to adjust the vertical position within the cell:

td, th { vertical-align: middle; }
/* "This isn't the middle ages, we're aligning vertically now!" */
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Alignment gets a makeover with CSS

Want to center tables horizontally? Dial-up margin:

table { margin: 0 auto; }
/* "Look mom, no hands! We're centering with CSS now." */
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For text alignment within cells, trust in text-align:

td, th { text-align: right; }
/* "To the right, to the right... your text is aligned to the right." */


Benchmarks for Modern Web Design

Validate HTML5 and keep IDEs happy

Using CSS for layout helps us maintain HTML5 standards and keeps Visual Studio warnings at bay.

Farewell old attributes, hello modern coding practices

Replacing outdated HTML attributes with corresponding CSS properties brings your code up-to-date with modern web design and enhances code maintainability.

Table functionality with CSS: Elevate user interaction

Using CSS for table design doesn't just spruce up visuals, it also boosts user interaction and accessibility with the use of media queries and pseudo-classes.