Spacing Issue in IE

It is highly likely that the difference you are seeing between browsers is based upon some problems in your html or css code.  Not all browsers support all html tag and attributes.  Probably the best way to narrow down the problem you are having is to run your code through an HTML/CSS validator -- one that checks for browser compatibility.  There are many of these applications out there, most cost money, but you can find some free ones (not as robust as the non-free ones).

Here is one free one to try:
http://www.anybrowser.com/validateit.html

And here is one that isn't free, but is very thorough in the reports it gives you:
http://www.netmechanic.com/products/maintain.shtml

You are probably using some non-standard tags or attributes, and IE isn't recognizing them, though Firefox and Opera are.  Tools such as these will help you determine the offending tag.

Thanks, I tried the free one and it didn't show anything which related to the table width. It only showed within the table a couple of things where "--- attribute `CLASS' for <div> is extended markup ", whihc I don't think would affect the layout. The  layout is tables, not pure css. Any other thoughts? Thanks!

It looks like you are using Dreamweaver to develop your site, is this correct?
I believe Dreamweaver has some built-in options where you can tell it what browsers you want to generate your page for (so that it creates compatible code).

You could also try some other validators.  The free ones just aren't as good, but one might find the problem in your code that is causing the spacing issue.  Just search on Google.

the page takes me to http://www.mysite.com/
and it looks same in IE as well as in FF....i can't see any difference.....using IE7

I'm not seeing any difference in this page between Firefox 2 and IE 7.  I occasionally run into differences between the two browsers, but it's usually due to a rogue blank space in a table, or the subtle differences in the way the text displays in each browser.

Maybe if you can point to exactly where this spacing problem is on the page, we can look into potential problems?

It looks like you're using Dreamweaver.  In addition to running a target browser check and validating the markup (File > Check Page), you might also try Commands > Apply Source Formatting while in Code view.  That should clean up your code so you can more clearly see potential problems.

Hope this helps.

I viewed the page in both IE7 and FF2.  I do see a difference in the spacing of table columns -- there is more space to the right (and in the middle) of the right-hand column in IE7, but not in FF2.

Hi- that's right, that is where the spacing problem is. Especially to the right. And the first column is smaller. I tried increasing the size of the table but that didn't help the left column. I guess I'll just play with column widths. Thanks...

Hi, Experts- the problem is this table row:

<tr><td colspan="3"><br><p class="Body">MagicKitchen.com offers a full menu of gourmet frozen prepared meals delivered to your door. Founded in 2005, we  have been revolutionizing the way busy
Americans eat, with our chef-prepared frozen meals. Looking for the best meal delivery?
Get home-cooked goodness with MagicKitchen.com!</p></td></tr>

If I take that away, the spcing problem goes away as well. But the table has three columns, so I'm not sure why IE is rendering it differently. Any ideas? Thanks again!

Hi,

Youre site doesn't seem to be online, so I couldnt test, but try this:

<tr><td colspan="3" class="Body"><br>MagicKitchen.com offers a full menu of gourmet frozen prepared meals delivered to your door. Founded in 2005, we  have been revolutionizing the way busy
Americans eat, with our chef-prepared frozen meals. Looking for the best meal delivery?
Get home-cooked goodness with MagicKitchen.com!</td></tr>

and maybe you want to delete the <br>

ok, thanks! I will try that as soon as I can!

hi- It remains the same, here is the source from View>source:

<tr><td colspan="3"><span class="Body">MagicKitchen.com offers a full menu of gourmet frozen prepared meals delivered to your door. Founded in 2005, we  have been revolutionizing the way busy Americans eat, with our chef-prepared frozen meals. Looking for the best meal delivery? Get home-cooked goodness with MagicKitchen.com!</span> </td><tr>  

You should be able to see the page at http://test.magickitchen.com/menu/bundles/7500.html  -don't forget to view it in IE to see the spacing problem. This is very strange..it looks fine in firefox & opera. Thanks for your help.

Hi- I've  been working with it, and if I change the colspan to "2", the spacing goes back to normal, although the paragraph that I want to display across the whole page only covers the first two columns, of course.

hi,

did this:
<tr><td class="Body" colspan="2">zzz</td><tr></table>
      </div></td>
    <td rowspan="2">&nbsp;</td>
  </tr>
  <tr align="left" valign="top">
    <td>MagicKitchen.com offers a full menu of gourmet frozen prepared meals delivered to your door. Founded in 2005, we  have been revolutionizing the way busy Americans eat, with our chef-prepared frozen meals. Looking for the best meal delivery? Get home-cooked goodness with MagicKitchen.com!</td>
  </tr>

where zzz marks the original location of the text and I have moved the text to the new location where originaly there was a nbsp;

you're using tables in tables making it dificult to maitenance.
isn't div's an option for you?

Hi, No, unfortunately I am using someone else's template, and can' tmake any major changes. When I do what you show above, the whole page goes left aligned rather than centered. I have tried a few things that have the same result. Tanks for your help, tho. If you want to see the result, I'll leave it up for a while at http://test.magickitchen.com/menu/bundles/7500.html 

ok, I will look into it in the weekend

Thanks!

Hi, avidya, did you get a chance to look? If not, I'll close the quesion. Thanks!

Hi Mel,

I aplologyse, my internet connection was down, so I couldn't.
I can look at it tonight if you want

Sure, it's still up there. Thanks!

wow! What a lot of work you went to! Thanks very much!!

you're welcome
have a nice day