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- What is it?
- This tag is part of the Complex Table
Model which allows a finer level of control than the
Simple Table Model while maintaining
backward compatibility with the simpler model. The THEAD element is part of
a trio of table grouping tags that organize a series of Table Rows
[TR] into Header [THEAD], Body [TBODY]
and Footer [TFOOT] sections.
The THEAD and TFOOT section markers are optional, but one or more TBODY
sections are always required. If present, each THEAD, TBODY and TFOOT
element must contain one or more TR tag grouping. To allow for backward
compatibility with the older Simple Table Model, if no TBODY structures
exist in a table, the entire set of row groupings [TR] are assumed to be
a single TBODY.
The THEAD section is used to duplicate header information when a table
must be broken across boundaries (such as printed pages, etc.) or for use
as a static heading when TBODY elements are rendered in a scrolling panel.
The THEAD section (along with the TFOOT section) is placed before any
TBODY sections in the HTML markup to allow browsers to render the header
and footer before receiving all of the Table Body [TBODY] data (in case
a table must be broken up.)
Style Sheet Attributes
[More on Cascading Style Sheets]
- Class
- 2 | 3
| 3.2 | IE3B1
| M | N
- Required? No
- Description:
This represents an assigned semantic classification grouping(s) for the
current tag.
- Values:
Given as a comma separated list of alphanumeric characters. Class names
may contain spaces (multiple consecutive spaces treated as a single
space.)
- ID
- 2 | 3
| 3.2 | IE3B1
| M | N
- Required? No
- Description:
This assigns an alpha-numeric identifier that is unique
to this tag instance. Style sheets may use this attribute to reference
the current instance of this tag. Hyperlinks may also use this identifier
to serve as a destination.
- Values:
An alphanumeric string - initial character must be a letter followed
by alphabetic characters, digits, "-" or "."
characters. The allowable set of alpha-characters is restricted to the
A-Z and a-z set.
- Style
- 2 | 3
| 3.2 | IE3B1
| M | N
- Required? No
- Description:
This attribute is a text string that provides rendering style
information for the current tag.
- Values:
Please see the description of
inline styles for more
information on how to use this attribute and its
possible values.
- Example
- <table BORDER="2"
ALIGN="left" CELLPADDING="5" BORDERCOLOR="#ff0000"
COLS="4" FRAME="vsides" RULES="rows" WIDTH="75%">
<caption ALIGN="top">Juggling Capabilities of Waterfront Performers</caption>
<thead>
<tr> <th>Juggler</th><th>Pins</th><th>Bowling
Balls</th><th>Flaming Baseballs</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Bob</td> <td>5</td> <td>2</td> <td>5</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Larry</td> <td>2</td> <td>7!!!</td> <td>NA</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Julie the Great</td> <td>1</td> <td>2</td> <td>20<br>(She IS great!)</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
<tfoot>
<tr> <th COLSPAN=4>NOTE: This is only a small sample</th> </tr>
</tfoot>
</table>
- Parent Model
- <table>
- Content Model
- <tr>
Tips & Tricks
- The Table model (even the Simple Table Model) is easily the most
complex markup structure in HTML. If you have other general questions
about this structure see the Table Overview.
- Internet Explorer is the only browser to support this tag yet, but
this tag is part of the full current Table specification, which will gain
increasing acceptance in browsers in the future.
- Because the Complex Table model is backward compatible with the
simple model, it is quite safe to use this. Be sure to preview the
result in a browser that only supports the simple model to make sure
it conveys information in the way you intend.
- The HTML Tables specification says that end tags for THEAD, TBODY and
TFOOT elements are not necessary. You SHOULD always use them
anyway in order to give your markup better readability and to reduce
confusion in case you need to edit your HTML pages by hand.
- Make sure that your THEAD element grouping comes before the TBODY
in order for it to be downloaded before any of the table TBODY content.
Browser Peculiarities
- Internet Explorer requires the THEAD, TBODY and TFOOT sections to
exist in order to use the RULES and FRAME attributes of the TABLE tag.
This is counter to the statement in the specifications for tables that
the omission of THEAD, TBODY and TFOOT elements IMPLIES that
the table content is all one TBODY section.
- Currently, when using only the simple table model the only way to
create complex borders for tables is to use nested tables. Nested
tables are entirely legal under the HTML Tables specifications, but
no Mosaic 2.0 version supports this feature (all nested table content
appears as a solid square and content is lost.)
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