Because tables involve a considerable amount of code, it can be difficult to debug a problem in your table code. Outline a good strategy for creating tables.

What will be an ideal response?

• Sketch out the table using a pencil and paper. Give each cell a number, starting with cell 1 in the upper-left corner and continuing from left to right and top to bottom. You might even consider labeling the cells as they would appear in a spreadsheet program, such as A1, B1, C1, and so on for the first row, and A2, B2, C2, and so on for the second row.
• In your text editor, create a style sheet (either embedded or external), and then enter styles to make the table borders visible.
• In the document body, enter the start and end table tags, along with the title attribute and its value.
• Type the code for the first row of the table. Use the same placeholder data in all of the cells. (You can type anything in the cell, including the word "placeholder," as long as each cell has the same placeholder data so you can globally replace the data later.)
• Name and save the file.
• Open the file in the browser. Observe the result. Debug as necessary.
• Copy the table row code and table data code, and then paste it in each row you'll need for the table.
• If you merge cells, perform one merge at a time. Save the file after each merge. View the result in the browser, and debug as necessary.
• When you are satisfied that the table structure is correct, replace the placeholder data with the actual table data for each cell.
• After you enter the table data and verify the table code is correct, create styles for the table elements.