div vs tables for large e-site

[evan]

I am going to propose a redesign for the first page of an e-site -The original is done all in tables. I have been working in divs now for some time but not so much on e-sites with complicated -often crowded layout.

is there a more practical reason for doing them with tables? I find it easier to work in divs because I can reposition them more easily.

Is it just older code? or did someone do it this way because it's better for any given reason?

[Snookerman]

Tables should never be used for layout and design, they should only be used for tabular data.

To learn more about this, I would recommend this nice article: http://www.hotdesign.com/seybold/everything.html (http://www.hotdesign.com/seybold/everything.html)

[evan]

OK ...
so tables are pretty much obsolete unless we are working with forms.

So why are people still using them?

I DID notice one advantage is that tables expand to content, content in divs sometimes gets compressed in a bad way any tips?

[bluewalrus]

You can use %s for divs and it will expand. Tables should be used only for data.

[evan]

I haven't tried that before how does that work?

[bluewalrus]

I'm not a good describe but this guy might be http://www.maxdesign.com.au/presentation/liquid/

EDIT

to be more exact your looking for liquid layout out demo file is this one http://www.maxdesign.com.au/presentation/liquid/example01.htm

[evan]

For a cool layout I see the need for liquid as it applies to horizonal.

The site I am improving on is a big e- site. It was coded with MANY tables.

I can do alot of the layout in divs and clean up the code.

It makes sense in one way:

As with many e-sites, products and content will be populated and page so page heights will vary. So in that case tables made sense. Is there a cleaner way?

[Snookerman]

These screencasts might be useful:
http://css-tricks.com/video-screencasts/33-ecommerce-product-page-makeover/ (http://css-tricks.com/video-screencasts/33-ecommerce-product-page-makeover/)
http://css-tricks.com/video-screencasts/45-using-foxycart-for-ecommerce/ (http://css-tricks.com/video-screencasts/45-using-foxycart-for-ecommerce/)
http://css-tricks.com/video-screencasts/50-building-a-customized-and-dynamic-ordering-form/ (http://css-tricks.com/video-screencasts/50-building-a-customized-and-dynamic-ordering-form/)

Good luck!