Tables and Divisions

[Harry]

No, do that with CSS and xHTML.

[lysol]

You can use tables for data, and for a small example, lets use a Calendar.

With that Calendar, you have rows and colums created with tables. You code it with css to layout the design, and use php/mysql for the dynamic data. Your page would be a php extension page. What does xHTML have to do with it?

[Harry]

A calendar is a great example. But the menu you mentioned shouldn't be done with tables. A menu is a list if anything.

[lysol]

True. But when you have a menu, even setting it as a list, its a pain to go into making changes, which is why its great to use PHP. The menu data is contained in the database, and all you have to do is go into your phpmyadmin, edit add, delete menu items. The table row becomes repeated, only 1 row. you don't have to create more rows or columns, it would just repeat the php code within 1 row without sacrificing more tabular mumbo jumbo.

just giving my personal opinion as its a pain to have clients call me and want to make changes. Why bother? PHP that website, and let them change it.

[Harry]

Yeah, style it in HTML, populate it with PHP. Just don't use a table for it.

[lysol]

and i meant, a restaurant menu (especially big menu's). I hope I didn't confuse anyone.

[Harry]

Yeah, you can code the skeleton of a food menu with a

and then run a PHP foreach loop inside that for every
• , putting in the dish title, a description and price from a variable pulled from a database.

[lysol]

Erm, not exactly.

Not a navigation menu. Im talking about a restaurants menu.

example (not too table shabby)

Our Beef Burgers (<th>)
<tr>
<td>burger type</td>
<td>Price</td>
</tr><?php> (php code starts)
<tr>
<td>...php code...</td>
<td>...php code...</td>
</tr>
<? php code > (this code gets the menu data and sets the table to repeat downward).

[Harry]

I've coded this up:

<?php
    
    $mains = array(
        array(
            'Shitake, Portobello, button & oyster mushrooms (v)',
            '&pound;10.50',
            '& leeks with blue cheese guacamole & home-made salsa'
        ),
        array(
            'Chicken fillet strips',
            '&pound;12.50',
            'with lemon & paprika, creamy guacamole & home-made salsa'
        ),
        array(
            'Flame-grilled sirloin steak',
            '&pound;13.50',
            'with horseradish guacamole & salsa Criollo'
        )
    );
    
?>
<dl>
    <?php
        
        foreach($mains as $mainsItem){
            echo '<dt><strong>'.$mainsItem[0].'</strong> <span>'.$mainsItem[1].'</span></dt>'."\n".'<dd>'.$mainsItem[2].'</dd>';
        }
        
    ?>
</dl>

I used an array because I don't know SQL, but the idea is exactly the same, load a series of PHP variables from some data (wherever it's stored) and put it into a PHP foreach inside a

(semantically perfect and infinitely better than a table)!

See a demo here: Restaurant Menu | CSS

[lysol]

hmmm...

well you see, i like that idea. Ill have to see how I can work around that. Looks good though. Thanks for the heads up.