Tables

A <table> is built from rows (<tr>), and each row holds cells — either regular data cells (<td>) or header cells (<th>), which browsers usually bold and center automatically.

Example: a simple data table

<table border="1" cellpadding="6">
  <tr>
    <th>Name</th>
    <th>Track</th>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Ada</td>
    <td>Frontend</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Chidi</td>
    <td>Cybersecurity</td>
  </tr>
</table>

The first row uses <th> for column headers; every row after it uses <td> for the actual data. Screen readers use these header cells to announce which column a value belongs to as they read across a row — a real, functional reason to use <th> correctly, not just for the bold styling.

One firm rule worth knowing early: tables are for tabular data — things that genuinely have rows and columns, like a schedule or a price list. Using a table to lay out an entire page (sidebar in one cell, content in another) was common in the 1990s and is considered broken practice today — that's what CSS layout tools like Flexbox and Grid exist for.