<col> : Table Column element

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Introduction

The ‘<col>‘ HTML element defines a column within a table and is used for defining common semantics on all common cells. It is generally found within a ‘<colgroup>‘ element.

‘<col>‘ allows styling columns using CSS, but only a few properties will have an effect on the column.

Here is an example :

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8">
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
    <title>Table with Col Element</title>
    <style>
        /* Apply styles to the first column */
        col:first-child {
            background-color: #f2f2f2;
        }
        /* Apply styles to the second column */
        col:nth-child(2) {
            background-color: #e0e0e0;
        }
        /* Apply styles to the third column */
        col:nth-child(3) {
            background-color: #d2d2d2;
        }
        /* Apply common styles to all columns */
        col {
            padding: 10px;
            text-align: center;
            border: 1px solid #ccc;
        }
    </style>
</head>
<body>
    <table border="1">
        <colgroup>
            <col> <!-- First Column -->
            <col> <!-- Second Column -->
            <col> <!-- Third Column -->
        </colgroup>
        <tr>
            <td>Row 1, Col 1</td>
            <td>Row 1, Col 2</td>
            <td>Row 1, Col 3</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td>Row 2, Col 1</td>
            <td>Row 2, Col 2</td>
            <td>Row 2, Col 3</td>
        </tr>
    </table>
</body>
</html>

Output :

Uses of <col> tag :

Here are some uses of <col> tag :

1. Applying Styles to Columns : You can use the ‘<col>‘ element to apply specific styles, such as background colors, borders, or text alignment, to individual columns or groups of columns.

<table>
    <colgroup>
        <col style="background-color: #f2f2f2;">
        <col style="text-align: center;">
    </colgroup>
    <tr>
        <td>Column 1</td>
        <td>Column 2</td>
    </tr>
</table>

2. Setting Column Widths : You can use the width attribute to specify the width of a column. This is useful when you want to control the width of specific columns in the table.

<table>
    <colgroup>
        <col width="100px">
        <col width="150px">
    </colgroup>
    <tr>
        <td>Column 1</td>
        <td>Column 2</td>
    </tr>
</table>

3. Spanning Columns : The ‘<col>‘ element can also be used to define columns that span multiple columns. This is done using the span attribute.

<table>
    <colgroup>
        <col span="2">
        <col>
    </colgroup>
    <tr>
        <td colspan="2">Spanning Columns 1 and 2</td>
        <td>Column 3</td>
    </tr>
</table>

4. Defining Column Attributes: You can use the ‘<col>‘ element to define various attributes for columns, such as class or id, making it easier to select and style specific columns with CSS or JavaScript.

<table>
    <colgroup>
        <col class="highlight-column">
        <col>
    </colgroup>
    <tr>
        <td>Highlighted Column</td>
        <td>Regular Column</td>
    </tr>
</table>

By using the ‘<col>‘ element along with the ‘<colgroup>‘, you can enhance the structure and styling of your HTML tables, making them more flexible and maintainable.

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