CHAPTER 1 OF 5
1. Before you build
Your goal: decide whether your information belongs in a table.
Look for row and column relationships
A schedule, comparison, or set of measurements can belong in a data table. A photograph beside a paragraph usually needs a layout tool instead. HTML tables describe related information, not page arrangement.
In our example, each row is one workshop. Each column answers a question: which workshop, which day, and what time?
The finished example
Both workshops take place at the community center. Times are local.
This reference preview includes the header relationships and caption explained across the chapters.
| Workshop | Day | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction to accessible documents | Tuesday | 10:00 a.m. |
| Creating accessible tables | Thursday | 2:00 p.m. |
Plan the labels first
- Column headers: Workshop, Day, and Time.
- Row headers: each workshop's name.
- Data: each workshop's day and starting time.
What if the table is complicated?
Consider smaller tables before using merged cells, multiple header levels, or nested structures. Complex tables may need header groups or explicit id/headers associations beyond this introductory guide.