11.3 Do not use tables for layout
The New Zealand Web Standards 2.0 were released in March 2009 and replace the previous version, the New Zealand Government Web Standards 1.0 (below). See Meeting the standards for more information.
The Standard
11.3 Use style sheets instead of tables for layout.
Guide to this standard
Do not use tables for layout, unless the table makes sense when linearised. Otherwise, if the table does not make sense, provide an alternative equivalent (which may be a linearised version).
This standard covers the W3C WAI checkpoint 5.3 for NZ government agencies.
Rationale for this standard
W3C recommendations are for Cascading Style Sheets (CSS1 and CSS2) for layout.
Tables may be helpful to place and separate elements to the right or left of a page, but they should be used sparingly and not relied on fully, since not all browsers for some devices support tables.
