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Last updated on Jan 29, 2025
Last updated on Oct 29, 2024
Software Development Executive - I
How do tables look neat and easy to read?
Spacing makes all the difference! Tables help organize data, but without the right structure, they can look cluttered. That’s where cell spacing and cell padding come in. These settings control the space between and inside table cells, making information easier to read.
This blog breaks down the differences between the two, how to use them in HTML, and how CSS padding affects table design.
Let’s get started!
Cell spacing controls the gap between adjacent cells in an HTML table. The cellspacing attribute in the table tag specifies the space between the border of two cells. It determines the border spacing around each table cell, affecting how single cells are positioned relative to one another.
1<!DOCTYPE html> 2<html> 3<head> 4 <title>Table Cell Spacing Example</title> 5</head> 6<body> 7 <table border="1" cellspacing="10"> 8 <tr> 9 <td>Cell 1</td> 10 <td>Cell 2</td> 11 </tr> 12 <tr> 13 <td>Cell 3</td> 14 <td>Cell 4</td> 15 </tr> 16 </table> 17</body> 18</html> 19
Cell padding defines the padding inside a single cell, creating space between the cell content and the cell edge. It prevents text from touching the cell border, improving readability.
1<!DOCTYPE html> 2<html> 3<head> 4 <title>Table Cell Padding Example</title> 5</head> 6<body> 7 <table border="1" cellpadding="15"> 8 <tr> 9 <td>Cell 1</td> 10 <td>Cell 2</td> 11 </tr> 12 <tr> 13 <td>Cell 3</td> 14 <td>Cell 4</td> 15 </tr> 16 </table> 17</body> 18</html> 19
The difference between cellpadding and cell spacing lies in their functions:
| Feature | Cell Padding | Cell Spacing |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Defines space inside the table cell | Specifies the space between adjacent cells |
| Affects | Distance between cell content and the cell edge | Distance between table cells |
The cellspacing attribute specifies the space between the border of adjacent cells. In modern HTML, it is replaced by border-spacing in CSS.
1table { 2 border-collapse: separate; 3 border-spacing: 10px; 4} 5
The cellpadding attribute defines the padding inside a table cell, ensuring the cell content is not cramped.
1td { 2 padding: 15px; 3} 4
Instead of using outdated HTML attributes, CSS padding property and border-spacing provide modern control over table spacing.
1table { 2 border-collapse: collapse; 3} 4 5td { 6 padding: 10px; 7 border: 1px solid black; 8} 9
1table { 2 border-collapse: separate; 3 border-spacing: 5px; 4} 5
Proper use of cell spacing and cell padding improves the readability of HTML tables. The difference between cellpadding and cell spacing lies in their functionality—cell padding controls the space between the cell content and the cell edge, while cell spacing defines the gap between adjacent cells. Implementing these properties using the CSS padding property and border-spacing ensures modern, accessible, and visually appealing tables.
By structuring tables with appropriate cellpadding and cellspacing, web developers can create tables that are easy to read and well-formatted across various devices.
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