The HTML code is based on tags that define, each, an element on the web page which can be visible or hidden. The major parts are supposed to produce the layout of the web page by allowing a particular content arrangement. The TABLE tag and the DIV tag are the more used when it is about reserving a specific area for specific content. The behavior of the content is then supposed to be separated from the rest of the content but it completes the general layout.

The two tags can be used for the same purposes, yet each of them has its particularities.

TABLE tag and its use:

TABLE tag offers the possibility of drawing a table with rows and columns. The number of cells, as well as their format, is determined by the tag attributes included within the code or inserted as CSS script.

 

>table some attributes <

<th> header of the table</th>

<tr>

            <td> some  content</td>

</tr>

</table>

 

It is possible to create a table that contains the whole website determining the whole layout :

 

The web page layout:

  Menu  
Left Side menu Main content  
  Down menu  

This process is useful when the website is based on a very particular layout and that there are minimal changes to it. In other words, the website would not exhibit profound modification while interacting with visitors.

DIV tag and properties:

The DIV tag is used to define a separate group or divide the HTML document into parts in order to define particular styles. It allows handling many blocks independently. It allows assigning different CSS styles. It is a powerful tag that allows determining the website layout; each DIV can contain many tags and whatever content you want to insert in.

 

<div some style attributes>

<HTML Tag>Some content…

</HTML Tag>

</div>

Differences between TABLE tag and the DIV tag:

The two tags are used for perhaps the same purposes. But there are a set of differences that make developers prefer one or the other when it is about operating particular attributes to the document.

Numerical display:

Tables are more adapted to displaying numerical values especially when they are correlated. This requires a set of cells with the minimal CSS operations. Of course, this can be extended to presenting tables of values (whether numerical or literal)

CSS operations:

The DIV tag is more manageable with CSS scripts.In fact, there are some attributes that cannot be applied to tables; for example, the table cells can’t be handled separately regarding the visibility, position, dimensions, while DIV blocks are independent.

In fact, assigning an “absolute” or “relative” attribute to the position of the DIV blocks avoids the creation of as many tables with single cells.

Code optimization:

The code will, therefore, be reduced and the loading time of the page will be enhanced. The TABLE tag defines an object, but the DIV tag reserves an area.

 

Conclusion:

TABLE tag seems to lose the upper hand in front of the DIV tag. But, the final verdict is that each of them has its particular importance ane indeed its specific role that the other can’t replace.