Table format help

Hi

Zen cart version: v1.3.9
Product description editor: HTML editor

When I paste CUSTOM tables that I have made in MS Word 2010 into the Zen-Cart product description with HTML editor on, the table looks perfect and how it should look. I click preview, everything looks fine, and then click insert. But, as soon as I go to the actual page on the website where this table is displayed, it looks like this:

[IMG]http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/7946/tableproblem1.jpg[/IMG]

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

While it should look like this:

[IMG]http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/2983/tableproblem2.jpg[/IMG]

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Could someone please help me to make neat tables where the spaces aren't automatically made so big for each box once I click insert product?

Thank you so much. :smile:

S

MS Word 2010
This is likely your problem. Word is prone to making very nasty HTML with a ton of useless tags in it (especially if you have done a bunch of tweaking while using it).

Put your text content into a clean table structure, perhaps built with the editor in Zen Cart, and you should be fine.

gjh42:

This is likely your problem. Word is prone to making very nasty HTML with a ton of useless tags in it (especially if you have done a bunch of tweaking while using it).

Put your text content into a clean table structure, perhaps built with the editor in Zen Cart, and you should be fine.

Thanks for the reply.

Is there an easier way to use Zen-Cart's built in table maker without entering data on every single line? Cant you copy and paste data from another table?

Also, I am not too sure, but I think even from a table I copied off of a website - it does the same thing with (making the rows far apart)

For styling questions, we really need to see your site live to give the best advice.

SethF:

Could someone please help me to make neat tables where the spaces aren't automatically made so big for each box once I click insert product?
Thank you so much. :smile:

As mentioned earlier in this thread, be careful when using MSword when creating tables (or any HTML) , as this software can/does insert its own formatting commands, which can/will override the zen-cart CSS settings.

Although there are several possible solutions to your problem, in MY opinion, the best one would be to ensure that the table(s) that you are creating/inserting doesn't have any formatting commands/strings at all, in which case the table(s) will be automatically 'styled' according to whatever template you are using.

Another option is to work MSword (yuk) to make the tables appear in the style you prefer, and then ensure that your default template CSS doesn't have any style/formatting that will conflict or override the style used by MSword.
This option (which is essentially what you are currently attempting) can/will lead to all sorts of unexpected results that can be difficult to resolve on account of the fact that the styling is being performed by two different methods.

Cheers
Rod

There are really no "simple and fast" solutions to bringing in blocks of HTML that have been constructed in an external HTML editor - be it MSWord (yuk), or other editor (such as Dreamweaver).

These proprietary editors are built to format styling on the principle that the intended view (layout) html will need either inline styling, or reference to a loaded stylesheet.

So, they will embed either the inline styles, and/or generate a stylesheet that should accompany the HTML.

For our ZC sites, we now remove the HTMLArea editor and replace it with Kuroi's CK-Editor plugin:
http://www.zen-cart.com/index.php?main_page=product_contrib_info&products_id=1626

This editor is a vast improvement on HTMLArea, and has a feature to "paste in" MSWORD-generated material which then rips out all the crap formatting generated by MSWord.

It's quite efficient... but remember... you will still need to create your own styles.

The past from word feature doesn't work very well and still gives me the same problem.
http://pcselect.co.za/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=5_12&products_id=59

Any suggestions?

*I am new to this, so I wouldn't understand everything about style sheets, etc.

SethF:

*I am new to this, so I wouldn't understand everything about style sheets, etc.

If I had a magic wand that I could wave over people to magically arm them with the knowledge they want, I would be a millionaire... :D

Unfortunately, this forum can't train you in the principles of HTML and CSS. There is the expectation that people have some knowledge of these areas.

The main reasons why this forum does not give general HTML and CSS advice are:

1. The forum is about zencart issues - not general code. Bear in mind that general code applies to ALL WEBSITE PLATFORMS, not just ZC.

2. There are hundreds of other places on the WWW where you can do tutorials on HTML and CSS (try W3SCHOOLS.COM).

3. There is therefore no point DUPLICATING such tutorials when they are available elsewhere, and in much greater depth.

Since we are suggesting ways for you to find out how to accomplish your goal, I'd like to point out that tables are "old hat." I can't say that it would bother your ranking, but current US accessibility standards frown on tables and prefer div and css table creation instead.
Try Googling table to div and look at some of those tutorials.

dbltoe:

Since we are suggesting ways for you to find out how to accomplish your goal, I'd like to point out that tables are "old hat." I can't say that it would bother your ranking, but current US accessibility standards frown on tables and prefer div and css table creation instead.
Try Googling table to div and look at some of those tutorials.

The use of tables for layout and styling purposes (as dbltoe points out) is, strictly speaking, deprecated in HTML.

I understand that it is still OK to use <table> if you are just putting up a static grid of figures, or lists, for example.

But the move is to style <div> blocks using positioning declarations.

It's frustrating... because CSS is still rather limited in the degree of layout flexibility - though huge strides have been made in recent month with CSS3.

Glenn Herbert will scowl when he sees the above... but when you know as much as he does on CSS, then you will never bother with tables again!

I don't want to start an entire new topic for this, so I though I'd ask it here:

My layout forces the text of the product description to looks like this:
[IMG]http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/7992/textaroundimage.jpg[/IMG]

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

How can I make the text GO AROUND the image (fill that white space), otherwise it looks odd.

Link: http://pcselect.co.za/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=68_69&products_id=75

OR

It would be better if I could position the image/stock/ask a question about this product ON TOP of the description, instead of to the side.

Thanks
S

Starting a new thread IS the preferred method. It is confusing to everyone as to what is being or has been answered.