I think epubcheck is correct, MDN also states that <col> is not a
permitted child of <table>:
https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTML/Reference/Elements/table#technical_summary
It's likely that the WAI documentation is merely out of date with the
latest HTML5 standard.
> > Initiative guide for creating tiered headers <
https://www.w3.org/
> WAI/ <
https://www.w3.org/WAI/>
> > tutorials/tables/irregular/> does not satisfy epubcheck. The
> workaround
> > is simple enough, just replace <col> with <colgroup>, this seems
> to have
> > been done elsewhere in the corpus <
https://github.com/search
> <
https://github.com/search>?
> > q=owner%3Astandardebooks+path%3Asrc%2Fepub%2Ftext%2F*+
> > %3Ccolgroup&type=code> too. If that's what we want done, is it
> > worthwhile mentioning that in the manual? It's a bit of a niche
> case,
> > but it's unexpected (to me at least) that <col> doesn't work.
> >
> > On Tuesday, November 11, 2025 at 8:10:53 PM UTC+1 Alex Cabal wrote:
> >
> > Looks good Lukas, I've released it. Thanks!
> >
> > On 11/9/25 1:19 AM, Lukas Bystricky wrote:
> > > Ok Robin, this ready for review.
> > >
> > > A few tables that I tried my best to style. It's a Wikisource
> > > transcription so there were more transcription errors than usual;
> > also a
> > > rather poor printing, so more printer errors than usual.
> > >
> > > One additional thing that came up is that one of the tables has a
> > two-
> > > tiered header. The recommended approach here <https://
>
www.w3.org/ <
https://www.w3.org/>
> > WAI/ <
https://www.w3.org/WAI/ <
https://www.w3.org/WAI/>>
> > > tutorials/tables/irregular/> is to use a combination of <col> and
> > > <colgroup>, but apparently epubcheck doesn't like <col>, at least
> > > immediately after <table>. Switching the <col> to <colgroup>
> > seems to
> > > satisfy epubcheck and give visually similar results. Not sure if
> > that's
> > > the correct approach however. (Maybe this is a question for Alex/
> > Vince.)
> > >
> > > On Saturday, November 8, 2025 at 6:46:29 PM UTC+1
weij...@bu.edu
> > wrote:
> > >
> > > Sure, looks good.
> > >
> > > On Saturday, November 8, 2025 at 9:28:50 AM UTC-5
> > >
lukasby...@gmail.com wrote:
> > >
> > > How does this look for the cover?
> > >
> > > Screenshot 2025-11-08 at 3.09.59 PM.png
> > >
> > > It's in the DB here <
https://standardebooks.org/artworks/
> <
https://standardebooks.org/artworks/>
> > <
https://standardebooks.org/artworks/ <https://
>
standardebooks.org/artworks/>>
> > > katherine-s-dreier/moonlight-on-the-thames-london>.
> > >
> > > On Tuesday, November 4, 2025 at 6:38:09 PM UTC+1
weij...@bu.edu
> > > wrote:
> > >
> > > Ok, noted.
> > >
> > > On Tuesday, November 4, 2025 at 11:52:10 AM UTC-5 Alex Cabal
> > > wrote:
> > >
> > > OK, Weijia will manage this with Robin reviewing.
> > >
> > > Yes, you can use her full name in the metadata.
> > >
> > > On 11/3/25 2:13 PM, Lukas Bystricky wrote:
> > > > I'd like to produce this as my next project.
> > > >
> > > > Scans <
https://archive.org/details/ <
https://archive.org/
> details/> <
https://archive.org/details/ <
https://archive.org/details/>>
>
archive.org/details/indarkestlondon0000unse/page/n9/> <http://
>
en.wikisource.org/wiki/> <https://
> >
en.wikisource.org/wiki/ <
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/>>
>
en.wikisource.org/wiki/> <https://
> >
en.wikisource.org/wiki/ <
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/>>
>
github.com/lukasbystricky/ada-> <https://
> >
github.com/lukasbystricky/ada- <
http://github.com/lukasbystricky/
>
github.com/> <
https://github.com/ <
https://github.com/>>
> > > lukasbystricky/ada-elizabeths-chesterton_in->
> > > > darkest-london>
> > > >
> > > > In the scans the author is given as "Mrs. Cecil
> > > Chesterton", but I'm
> > > > guessing we should credit Ada Elizabeth Chesterton
> > > <https://
> > > >
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ada_Elizabeth_Chesterton <http://
>
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ada_Elizabeth_Chesterton> <http://
>
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ada_Elizabeth_Chesterton> <http://
> >
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ada_Elizabeth_Chesterton <http://
> <
http://groups.google.com/d/msgid/ <
http://groups.google.com/d/msgid/>>
>
groups.google.com/d/msgid/standardebooks/> <https://
> >
groups.google.com/d/msgid/standardebooks/ <http://
>
groups.google.com/d/msgid/standardebooks/>>
> > > c76a71f4-e020-4e6e- <
https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/
> <
https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/> <https://
> >
groups.google.com/d/msgid/ <
http://groups.google.com/d/msgid/>>
> > <
https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/ <
https://groups.google.com/d/
> msgid/>>
> > > standardebooks/a13a5d78-e73d-4c16-
> > bc2e-8450b45a52b2n%
40googlegroups.com <
http://40googlegroups.com>
> <
http://40googlegroups.com <
http://40googlegroups.com>>
> > > <
https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/standardebooks/a13a5d78-
> > > bc2e-8450b45a52b2n%
40googlegroups.com <
http://40googlegroups.com>?
> standardebooks/9c882323-61d5-4afd-8444-37c1ff8d209en%
40googlegroups.com <
http://40googlegroups.com>
> > <
https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/ <
https://groups.google.com/d/
> msgid/>
> >
> standardebooks/9c882323-61d5-4afd-8444-37c1ff8d209en%
40googlegroups.com <
http://40googlegroups.com>?
> standardebooks/13c634cf-e1fa-427b-a0ca-1952b9a218e1n%
40googlegroups.com
> <
https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/standardebooks/13c634cf-e1fa-427b-
> a0ca-1952b9a218e1n%
40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>.