If your page uses tables

Most browsers do not display the contents of a table until all elements of that table have downloaded. Therefore, if you paste the PHP insertion code lines within a single main table on your page, although it will work, nothing will display until the entire long main page has downloaded. If your page structure means that the main body of the page (into which your php insertion codes are pasted) is a single table, then the Guide will appear slow to download. If it possible to change your page design so that the insertion codes are not all within a single table, or an overall table, this is wise.

However, we are soon going to shorten the length of the main Guide page, so this will no longer be a problem.

The easy way round this, which makes the introduction and contents section load almost instantly, is to paste each line of insertion code in a separate table. The Web Evangelism page is divided up into five sections so you can do this easily. The following table structure will not slow loading, provided it is not also then enclosed in an overall frame.

<TABLE>
<TR>
<TD>

[Your heading and any introductory paragraph here]

<SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript" src="http://www.gospelcom.net/guide/yourpage/nav.js">
</SCRIPT>
</TD>
</TR>
</TABLE>

<TABLE>
<TR>
<TD>
<SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript" src="http://www.gospelcom.net/guide/yourpage/intro-1.js">
</SCRIPT>
</TD>
</TR>
</TABLE>

<TABLE>
<TR>
<TD>
<SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript" src="http://www.gospelcom.net/guide/yourpage/2-6.js">
</SCRIPT>
</TD>
</TR>
</TABLE>

<TABLE>
<TR>
<TD>
<SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript" src="http://www.gospelcom.net/guide/yourpage/7-12.js">
</SCRIPT>
</TD>
</TR>
</TABLE>

<TABLE>
<TR>
<TD>
<SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript" src="http://www.gospelcom.net/guide/yourpage/links.js">
</SCRIPT>

<NOSCRIPT>
"An incredible new technology enables the transmission of text on a worldwide basis. It rapidly reduces production and distribution costs and for the first time allows large numbers of people to access text and pictures in their own homes."<P> You've guessed it. The invention of 'movable type' - the printing press. It transformed education, learning, evangelism and communication. It laid the foundations for the Renaissance, the arts, sciences, and the world as we know it today. The digital revolution is bringing about a similar huge change in evangelism, Christian discipleship and community, in ways which are only just beginning.<P> How can we use the Web for effective evangelism?
<B><A HREF="http://www.gospelcom.net/guide/index.php">Click here to find out</A></B>
</NOSCRIPT>
</TD>
</TR>
</TABLE>

Of course, you can include additional elements within each <TABLE> tag according to your normal page requirements. We highly recommend that you provide the page with wide margins rather than letting the text go right to the edge of the monitor - this makes text much more readable. You can do this in several ways. One is to give each of these main tables a WIDTH percentage value, for instance: <TABLE WIDTH="95%">. However, you can also do it with a simple Style Sheet line in the head of your page. You can also control the distance of text from the edge of the table using a CELLPADDING value in each TABLE tag.

The <NOSCRIPT> section (which helps anyone who cannot use Javascript to get to the page) should be included in the last table as shown.

Important - problem with an overall table
Do not include this set of tables within another single overall page table, or the whole benefit will be lost. Unfortunately, with some page structures, this is difficult to avoid, making a page download time of 12-30 seconds (or even more) on an average busy dialup line. If you can redesign your page to avoid an overall table which encloses all the page contents, please do so.

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