How to use Colspan in HTML Tables

Webster defines a column as: a vertical division of typed or printed lines on paper.

In Figure #1 shown below we have divided a rectangle into 9 equal columns and colored them red and white.

Figure #1

The code:
<tr>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
</tr>

 

colspan is an attribute of the <td> tag. It tells the browser how many columns one cell of a row should span. It is used with multi row tables divided into multiple columns.

In Figure #2 shown below we illustrate the concept with a green row that spans 7 columns and a blue row that spans 5 columns.

Figure #2

Simplified code green:
<tr><td colspan="7"></td><td></td><td></td></tr>
Simplified code blue:
<tr><td colspan="5"></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr>

 

Responsive Table

 

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