Question regarding creating variable width table cells using javascript

[arjuns]

I'm trying to create variable width cells within a table using javascript.
Similar to this one
http://www.protocols.com/pbook/tcpip2.htm#TCP

where width of a cell would depend on the no. of bits for a particular field.

I'm trying to assign the widths and colspans to cells using variables as follows:

document.write("<td align = 'center' width = x colspan = y>");

But I'm not able to get it to work.

It seems to work only when I hardcord a value like below:
document.write("<td align = 'center' width = 20 colspan = 3>");

Any ideas what I might be missing or how I can get this to work?

Thanks!

[Old Pedant]

Well, first of all, you should not be using document.write(), at all. It's considered very obsolescent.

But if you must use it, you just have to do it thus:

document.write('<td align="center" width="' + x + '" colspan="' + y + '">');

[arjuns]

Thanks!
What is the right alternative to document.write() ?

[Old Pedant]

DOM methods.

For <table>s, there are easy methods to create rows and cells.

http://www.w3schools.com/jsref/met_table_insertrow.asp
http://www.w3schools.com/jsref/met_t...insertcell.asp
and then, once you have created a cell:
http://www.w3schools.com/jsref/dom_obj_tabledata.asp

Note that align and width properties are deprecated, as that last page says. Learn to use styles, instead.