About This HTML Issue
To resolve the W3C Validator issue regarding the obsolete summary attribute on the table element, you should remove the summary attribute and instead provide a description of the table structure using a caption element.
Here’s how you can fix it:
-
Remove the
summaryattribute: This attribute is no longer supported in modern HTML standards. -
Add a
captionelement: This element gives a brief description of the table, making it accessible and informing users what the table represents.
Example Before and After
Before Fixing (with obsolete summary attribute)
<table summary="This table shows the sales data for the year.">
<tr>
<th>Month</th>
<th>Sales</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>January</td>
<td>$1000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>February</td>
<td>$1200</td>
</tr>
</table>
After Fixing (with caption element)
<table>
<caption>Sales Data for the Year</caption>
<tr>
<th>Month</th>
<th>Sales</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>January</td>
<td>$1000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>February</td>
<td>$1200</td>
</tr>
</table>
Additional Option: Using a figure Element
If you want to provide a more extensive description alongside your table, you can wrap the table in a figure element.
Example with figure
<figure>
<figcaption>Sales Data for the Year</figcaption>
<table>
<tr>
<th>Month</th>
<th>Sales</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>January</td>
<td>$1000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>February</td>
<td>$1200</td>
</tr>
</table>
</figure>
Last reviewed: August 01, 2024
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