[WEB4LIB] Re: Creating an empty table cell

[Raymond Wood]

On Fri, Mar 15, 2002 at 07:19:08AM -0800, Keith Higgs remarked:

> At 09:48 AM 3/15/2002, you wrote:

> >On Fri, Mar 15, 2002 at 06:33:32AM -0800, Keith Higgs remarked:
> > > Occasionally I will use a single pixel transparent gif.
> > > That's a 1*1 bitonal gif in which that one pixel is the
> > > transparent color.
> > >
> > > D. Keith Higgs. Email: dkh2 at po.cwru.edu, dkhiggs at yahoo.com

> >But is this a better solution?  Why would it ever be
> >necessary to use graphics in such an instance?

> Net necessarily better, I agree.  However, there sometimes are
> layout considerations that make this a preferred option.
> 
> I'm using a 43 byte gif to accomplish what (in most instances)
> can be accomplished with a 6 byte (" ") text string.
> Additionally, there's the character overhead of the tagging
> ("<img src=x.gif alt=' '>" at the very least to be ADA
> compliant, or "<img src=x.gif alt=' ' height=1 width=1>" to
> speed rendering in the event the browser can't find the
> image.)
> 
> With that acknowledged, there are instances when that nbsp
> will throw your layout off, especially when you're dealing
> with particularly fine tolerances on a very visual site.
> 
> The point here is, in those rare instances when the most
> efficient method munges your layout you can find options that
> work in under 100 bytes, have no reliance on scripting, and
> are completely cross browser compatible.
> 
> Keith

Fair enough then, so this graphics method is perhaps the
'exception to the rule'.  

Going back to the original poster's question, what is the
preferred way of dealing with this problem?.  Is '<br>'
preferred to '&nbsp', or is there a better 'standard method' ?

Cheers,
Raymond