Progress on Netscape Strange Table Behavior

[Migell Acosta]

Bobb:

The problem is this: background colors in table cells are not 'officially' 
supported in the current version of the HTML standard.  However, most 
browsers will display this attribute without any problem.  When they 
fail, it is because there is also a <form> in the table in addition to 
the background colors.  Then whenever you resize, you'll have problems 
with the 'submit' button as well as text boxes, radio buttons, and the like.

I've had such forms on our home page for a few months now, and really
searched for a solution to this - but I don't think there is one.  (There
is a similar problem with JavaScript commands in a table).  Anyway, I've
seen this same behaviour on major commercial sites, and they are creating
the background color in tables the same way your are.

	- Migell



On Mon, 19 May 1997, Bobb Menk wrote:

> Thanks to those of you who've been helping me with this one.
> 
> Per several suggestions, I've upgraded to Netscape 3.01 which hasn't 
> eliminated the problem, but which has led me to a more precise 
> description of it.  The original problem was this:
> 
> >1) Netscape will sporadically completely refuse to display or 
> >noticeably hesitate to display the submit buttons in the table.  By
> >this I mean that it will display the background color for each cell,
> >but refuse to display the "submit" buttons at all, or it will only
> >display the "submit" buttons after a significant delay, say 20-30
> >seconds.  Finally, it will sometimes display the buttons, but cease 
> >to do so when you scroll through the page, though in this instance 
> >it will usually continue to display the buttons in the top row of 
> >the table.
> 
> This problem now happens only when Netscape is forced to redraw the 
> screen - e.g. when re-sizing the window or backing up from a search 
> result to the page with the table on it.  The parts of the table that 
> are not visible in the window are not problematic when you scroll to 
> them.  Only that part of the window which has been re-displayed is 
> affected.  I'd be inclined to think it my video adapter, but I can do 
> it on more than one machine.
> 
> 
> >2)  Netscape will not vertically center the "submit" buttons 
> >within the cell.  Even though valign=middle is what the browser is
> >supposed to assume in the absence of a specific tag, all my cells 
> >are acting as if I had explicitly entered "valign=top".  Using 
> >explicit vertical alignments won't alter where the buttons display 
> >either.
> 
> This problem remains even in 3.01.  Thanks to any who can help.
> 
> Bobb Menk
> 
> --------------------------------------------------
> The code in question looks like this:
> 
> 
> <TABLE CELLPADDING=6 CELLSPACING=2  BORDER=0 width="80%">
> 
> <TR align=center>
> 
>  <TD bgcolor="#FF0029"><FORM ACTION="/cgi-bin/AT-referencesearch.exe"
>  METHOD=POST><INPUT NAME="search" input type="hidden"
>  VALUE="almanac"><INPUT TYPE="SUBMIT" NAME="submit"
>  VALUE="Almanacs"></FORM></TD>
> 
> (multiple rows omitted here)
> 
> </TABLE>
> 
> 
> Bobb Menk, Internet Librarian, Lane Memorial Library
> Hampton, NH 03842  603-926-3368
> bmenk at hampton.lib.nh.us
>