IE versus FF headaches in html, ideas please

[stormlrd]

ok yall Im working on my new theme for my online game and forum so that they will eventually match but ive run into a weird issue.

http://stormlrdsreality.co.uk/rhcforum/index.php?theme=81

Look at this first in Firefox at the top left how it flows than look at the same theme in IE

In IE its got a strange gap below the menu and breadcrumb box, now ive commented out the menu and the bread crumb and left it blank in that particular TD and still same result a vertical spacing of about 100px drop off on my bottom header border.

I'll place the code here for the block in the header:

Code Select Expand

<?php
//top 250 px begins here for header
 echo '<table width="100%" border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: #000000; ">
     <tr>
 <td width="800px" height="250px" valign="top" style="background-image:url(',  $settings['images_url'] , '/top.jpg); background-position:top left; background-repeat:no-repeat;padding-left:410px; padding-top: 100px; padding-right: 50px; padding-bottom:0px;">';
 //greeting
  echo '<table  border="0" width="300px"  cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" >

<tr>               
<td rowspan="4"  width="50" height="50" align="center" valign="middle" style="padding: 2px 5px 2px 5px;">';
if ($context['user']['is_guest'])
echo '<img src="' . $settings['images_url'] . '/guest_avatar.gif" alt="Guest" width="60px" height="60px" border="0" />';
else
{
if (empty($context['user']['avatar']['image']))
echo '<img src="', $settings['images_url'], '/avatar.gif" width="60px" height="60px" alt="Member" border="0" />';
else
echo $context['user']['avatar']['image'];
}

echo '</td>
<td valign="top" class="menu" style="padding: 5px 5px 5px 5px;"><table>

<tr><td class="menu">';

// If the user is logged in, display stuff like their name, new messages, etc.
if ($context['user']['is_logged'])
{
echo '
', $txt['hello_member'], ' <b>', $context['user']['name'], ', </b>', $txt[152], ' <a href="', $scripturl, '?action=im" class="menunav">', $context['user']['messages'], ' ', $context['user']['messages'] != 1 ? $txt[153] : $txt[471], '</a>', $txt['newmessages4'], ' ', $context['user']['unread_messages'], ' ', $context['user']['unread_messages'] == 1 ? $txt['newmessages0'] : $txt['newmessages1'], '.';

if ($context['user']['unread_messages'])
echo '&nbsp;<a href="', $scripturl, '?action=im"><img src="' . $settings['images_url'] . '/msg.gif" border="0" alt="New messages!"></a>';
// Is the forum in maintenance mode?
if ($context['in_maintenance'] && $context['user']['is_admin'])
echo '<br />
<b>', $txt[616], '</b>';
}
// Otherwise they're a guest - so politely ask them to register or login.
else{
 // Show a vB style login for quick login?
echo '
<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" align="center" width="100%">
<tr><td nowrap="nowrap" align="right" class="menutext">
<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript" src="', $settings['default_theme_url'], '/sha1.js"></script>

<form action="', $scripturl, '?action=login2" method="post"', empty($context['disable_login_hashing']) ? ' onsubmit="hashLoginPassword(this, \'' . $context['session_id'] . '\');"' : '', '><br />
<input type="text" name="user" size="7" />
<input type="password" name="passwrd" size="7" />
<select name="cookielength">
<option value="60">', $txt['smf53'], '</option>
<option value="1440">', $txt['smf47'], '</option>
<option value="10080">', $txt['smf48'], '</option>
<option value="302400">', $txt['smf49'], '</option>
<option value="-1" selected="selected">', $txt['smf50'], '</option>
</select>
<input type="submit" value="', $txt[34], '" /><br />
', $txt['smf52'], '
<input type="hidden" name="hash_passwrd" value="" />
</form>
</td></tr>
</table>';
}

if ($context['user']['is_logged'])
echo'
<br /><a href="', $scripturl, '?action=unread" class="menunav">', $txt['unread_since_visit'], '</a> <br />
<a href="', $scripturl, '?action=unreadreplies" class="menunav">', $txt['show_unread_replies'], '</a>
';
echo' </td>
</tr></table>';
echo '</td></tr></table>';
//close greeting
//this closes the left side of the header and starts the second td with the error in it for IE
 echo '</td><td width="50%" valign="top" align="left" height="250px" style="background-image:url(',  $settings['images_url'] , '/topctr.gif); background-position:bottom; background-repeat:repeat-x; padding-top:0px; padding-left: 0px;">';
 echo '
<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" align="center" width="100%"><tr><td height="250px" valign="top">';
 template_menu();
 echo '</td><td height="250px" valign="top">';
  bread_crumb();
 echo '</td></tr></table>';
 echo '</td></tr></table>';
//thus ends the header and below begins the setup for body
 //menu bar
 echo '<table width="100%" border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
 <tr><td width="5%" style="background-image:url(',  $settings['images_url'] , '/lstop.gif); background-repeat:no-repeat; background-position: bottom right;">&nbsp;</td>
 <td style="background-image:url(',  $settings['images_url'] , '/topctr2.gif); background-repeat:repeat-x;" width="90%" height="29px"><img src="',  $settings['images_url'] , '/blank.gif" width="100%" height="29px" border="0px" alt=""></td>
 <td width="5%" style="background-image:url(',  $settings['images_url'] , '/rstop2.gif); background-repeat:no-repeat; background-position: bottom left;">&nbsp;</td></tr>
     <tr><td width="5%" style="background-image:url(',  $settings['images_url'] , '/lsmid.gif); background-repeat:repeat-y; background-position:right;"><img src="',  $settings['images_url'] , '/blank.gif" alt="" border="0px"></td>
 <td width="90%" valign="top">'; //body here

?>
   

Suggestions would be greatful here yall Also opinion would be nice as well thanks in advance.
Storm

[nend]

Displays Ok in Opera too.  Just thought I would let you know.

I usually have problems with Firefox and IE not displaying correctly.  They don't follow instructions.

I actually researched some test done on the three browsers.  Opera is on top at this time on loading, displaying, etc.  I don't care what anyone says Opera is Simply the best internet experience around.

I think it has to do with all those nested tables in the source.  I had a look.  Sheese I thought I was bad at that. 

[stormlrd]

lol more there than meets the eye lol.

But this top section has a nested table for user info than the right side has nested for menu and breadcrumb which ive removed the breadcrumb and menu block from the right side with the same result.

[nend]

Heres a little trick I learned in the past though to get a page IE compatible.

Browse to the page and copy all the source the templates put out.  If you have MS Frontpage installed paste the source in a new page in the source tab.

I just checked it in Frontpage.  Its haveing a fit because one of the bars set for the background of a td.  It wan'ts you to make a new td for it. 

Here's a image sample of frontpage.

[stormlrd]

ok ty