[ZenPsycho]

the one positive thing about table based design, is you could code a module, and just echo it out anywhere you wanted it with say, php or coldfusion, and it would mostly just work. transplanting a chunk of semantic html to a site with a different stylesheet though, if you wanted it to look the same, requires some forward planning. that is, it needs to be designed as a component, its css js and html all moved together in lockstep. and if you’re trying to be a good pure citizen, they’re in three different files and you wcho them out into the head, foot and body in turn, being careful that the js appears after anything it depends on. it would be easier to just inline the css and js and echo it all out at once, hut that will make hixie sad. and so it seems sometimes you want self contained components with all their batteries included. sometimes you want to control certain aspects of appearance in some central location so it’s easy to keep everything looking consistent. it’s not always obvious how to find the balance.