Using VML for Simple Tabular Data

This example illustrates the possibilities of formatting simple tabular data with VML commands. Here the benefit of VML is much less clear - the byte count is considerably higher and the benefit is really only in the finer control of gridlines and text positioning.

Here is the same information presented as a conventional table.

Product	January		February		March		Total
	Budget	Actual	Budget	Actual	Budget	Actual	Budget	Actual
Wotsits	66	73	38	43	144	108	248	224
Widgets	23	25	13	14	126	95	162	134
Sprockets	80	88	2	2	119	90	201	180
Flanges	14	15	97	108	104	78	215	201
Washers	40	44	42	47	34	26	116	117
Shims	38	42	2	2	145	109	185	153
Lagging	91	99	43	48	116	87	250	234
Total	352	386	237	264	788	593	1377	1243

Obviously the VML approach can pay dividends when you want to combine several presentations (tables and charts) in a carefully organised layout. My feeling is that for straightforward tabular data it is not worth the effort and it would be better to focus on getting the conventional HTML as tidy as possible. Opinions are welcome on how much work it is worth doing in this area!