Currently, I am enclosing my form within a table structure.
The table consists of 9 cells arranged in 3 rows and 3 columns. In this arrangement, [0,0] represents the top left corner, [1,1] is considered as main form content, and [2,2] signifies the bottom right corner (all following a zero-indexed format as described). The primary reason for wrapping my form with a table is to incorporate a 'drop shadow' effect around it.
However, I have encountered an issue where the cells in row 0 and row 2 are intended to be 8px in height but instead appear as 22px high.
For aesthetical purposes, I aim to display rounded edges using the four corner cells of the table. Meanwhile, the remaining four 'edge' cells repeat a background pattern, with dimensions of 1px either vertically or horizontally depending on the repetition orientation. Yet, in cases where they 'repeat-x' within row 0 and row 2, the table data elements do not adhere to the desired height accurately.
In terms of browser compatibility, initially, only IE displayed this issue specifically in 'IE 7/8' compatibility view. However, more recently, both Chrome and Firefox have started exhibiting similar behavior, potentially due to the influence of my DOCTYPE declaration.
To elaborate further, I have included a partial screenshot along with some HTML snippets edited to eliminate extensive Web Resource URLs that lead to complexity (especially when developing this as a web control).
<table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 style="width:560px;">
<tr>
<td style="background-image:url('url'); width:8px; height:8px;">
<img src='url' width='8' height='8'/>
</td>
<td style="background-image:url('url'); height:8px;">
<img src='url' height='8'/>
</td>
<td style="background-image:url('url'); width:9px; height:8px;">
<img src='url' width='9' height='8'/>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="background-image:url('url'); width:8px;">
</td>
<td style="background-color:#DDDDDD">
<!-- main table content !-->
</td>
<td style="background-image:url('url')">
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="background-image:url('url') width='8' height='9'>
<img src='url' width='8' height='9'/>
</td>
<td style="background-image:url('url') height='9'>
</td>
<td style="background-image:url('url'); width:9px; height:9px;">
<img src='url' width='9' height='9'/>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
In previous encounters, issues related to tables not maintaining correct height or width were addressed by ensuring minimal text or characters influencing unintended height alterations, along with avoiding empty table cells. Notably, attempts such as incorporating background images through image tags within cells have rendered ineffective solutions.
Hence, it is my anticipation that this dilemma aligns with commonly known HTML challenges. Your insights and assistance in resolving this matter are greatly appreciated.