askvity

How to Create a Table in HTML?

Published in HTML Tables 3 mins read

To create a table in HTML, you use a combination of specific HTML tags, each defining a part of the table structure. The core tags are <table>, <tr>, <th>, and <td>.

Here's a breakdown of how to build a table:

  1. The <table> Tag: This is the container for your entire table. It tells the browser that you're creating a table.

    <table>
    </table>
  2. The <tr> Tag (Table Row): Inside the <table> tag, you use <tr> tags to define each row of the table.

    <table>
      <tr>
      </tr>
      <tr>
      </tr>
    </table>
  3. The <th> Tag (Table Header): The <th> tag is used within a <tr> to define a header cell. These cells typically contain column titles and are often displayed in bold.

    <table>
      <tr>
        <th>Header 1</th>
        <th>Header 2</th>
      </tr>
      <tr>
      </tr>
    </table>
  4. The <td> Tag (Table Data): The <td> tag is used within a <tr> to define a standard data cell. These cells contain the actual data of the table.

    <table>
      <tr>
        <th>Header 1</th>
        <th>Header 2</th>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td>Data 1</td>
        <td>Data 2</td>
      </tr>
    </table>

Putting it All Together - Example:

Here's a complete example of a simple HTML table:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
  <title>HTML Table Example</title>
</head>
<body>

  <table>
    <tr>
      <th>Name</th>
      <th>Age</th>
      <th>Occupation</th>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Alice</td>
      <td>30</td>
      <td>Engineer</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Bob</td>
      <td>25</td>
      <td>Teacher</td>
    </tr>
  </table>

</body>
</html>

This code will render a table with three columns (Name, Age, Occupation) and two rows of data.

Table Attributes (Optional):

You can also use attributes within the <table> tag to control the table's appearance and behavior. Some common attributes include:

  • border: Specifies the width of the table border. (e.g., <table border="1">) - Note: Using CSS for styling is generally preferred over HTML attributes.
  • style: To define CSS properties, like width, height, background color, text alignment, etc. (e.g., <table style="width:100%">)
  • colspan: Makes a cell span across multiple columns. Applied to <th> or <td>.
  • rowspan: Makes a cell span across multiple rows. Applied to <th> or <td>.

Styling with CSS:

While you can use attributes for basic styling, it's generally recommended to use CSS for more control over the table's appearance. You can apply CSS styles to the <table>, <tr>, <th>, and <td> elements.

For example:

<style>
table, th, td {
  border: 1px solid black;
  border-collapse: collapse; /* Optional: Collapses borders for a cleaner look */
}
th, td {
  padding: 8px;
  text-align: left;
}
</style>

This CSS code adds a solid black border to the table and its cells, collapses the borders, and adds padding to the cells for better readability.

In summary, creating tables in HTML involves using the <table>, <tr>, <th>, and <td> tags. Use CSS for styling to create visually appealing and well-structured tables.

Related Articles