Left side menu

[riccetts]

My test site
I want to be able to put another side menu below the one I have. Right now I have two side by side which I don't want.
I'm using Rossel's side menu. Can someone help me with this problem?

Header
<table width="92%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="1" align="center">
<tr>
<td width="15%" vAlign="top" align="center">
<br />
<br />
<table class="bordercolor" width="91%" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="1">
<tr>
<td class="titlebg" align="center" width="100%">
Menu
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="windowbg" align="center">
Top Box Content
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="windowbg2" align="center">
<font size=2>Middle Box Content</font>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="windowbg" align="center">
Bottom Box Content
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</td>
<td width="80%" align="center" vAlign="top">

Footer
</td>
</tr>
</table>



[Wormopolis]

is that the right site... because right now you dont have any side tables at all... just 2 boxes above the forum

[riccetts]

That's them but I need them on the left hand side, not the top.
"scratching my head"

[Wormopolis]

alright.. wow. its a mess in there.


ok first off, you need to understand how a table is laid out

<table><tr><td>

those are the 3 basic tags. NOTHING can go between them. when you close them, they close in reverse order

</td></tr></table>

now notice the order. you cant have things like

<td><tr>

that wont work. you cause the table to cease.

cells (<td>) are the only things that can be duplicated in a table structure next to each other.

<table><tr><td></td><td></td></tr></table>

notice how you have to CLOSE the current open cell before you can open a new one.

rows can be duplicated, but only after a cell has been opened and closed within them

<table><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr></table>

notice again, that even the row HAS to be closed before a new row can be opened


so start with a basic side table layout. in you global header you start with

<table><tr><td> SIDE TABLES<BR>GO HERE </td><td>


notice what is there. you started a table, a row, and a cell. then closed that cell and opened a new one. it STAYS open because we want all the meat of the forum to end up in it.


so now top of global footer would get:

</td></tr></table>


we close things in reverse order.



start there.

[riccetts]

Ok, I fixed the table and it is on the left side but what I'm trying to achieve is to put another one below it. I want separate tables.

Thanks for the insight though

[Wormopolis]

I knew what you wanted, but you were trying to get complicated before you had a grasp of the simple first. having an understanding of the structure will make things easier for you later. having something like this just handed to you wont help you learn to make better and better layouts.


the next lesson: Cells

once you get to a cell, you can put whatever you want inside of it. including.. yes... another table. BUT the same rules apply. you have to make sure you are closing all of your tags CORRECTLY. if you fail to close a tag correctly on nested tables, you get disastrous results. if it helps, you can space apart nested tables so you dont get confused:

<table>
  <tr>
    <td>

      <table>
        <tr>
          <td> </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td> </td>
        </tr>
      </table>

    </td>
  </tr>
</table>

again notice how things are opened and closed. BEFORE you start loading a bunch of content into your tables, you should MAKE SURE the skeleton of the table is correct first. otherwise you might get mixed up as to which set of tags you are closing.

since you are in a cell, then once you close that first content table, you are still inside the cell and can put more HTML

<table>
  <tr>
    <td>

      <table>
        <tr>
          <td> </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td> </td>
        </tr>
      </table>
      <br>
      <table>
        <tr>
          <td> </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td> </td>
        </tr>
      </table>

    </td>
  </tr>
</table>

now I have 2 inner content tables in my cell. they are just 2 complete tables seperated by breakline <br>

[riccetts]

Ok, teach on! I will have to use a post to practice on with tables.
But I do understand tables to a certian extent. I have been known to jump the gun a time or too.
thanks man

[Wormopolis]

so going back to your side tables:

global header

<table>
  <tr>
    <td>

      <table>
        <tr>
          <td>
            this would be <br>
            box 1
          </td>
        </tr>
      </table>
      <br>
      <br>
      <table>
        <tr>
          <td>
            this would be <br>
            box 2
          </td>
        </tr>
      </table>
 
    </td>
    <td>

we leave the last td open because we want the forum to end up inside our overall table


global footer gets the simple closing parts

    </td>
  </tr>
</table>

dont worry too much about the outlines of the boxes just yet. attributes of tables and cells comes next

[riccetts]

Alright
Thanks wormo