So if the table at http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beryllium cannot be replicated pretty much as-is in wikicode then I for will have a fit (I'm sure many others will join me).
Just joining
Yeah, that nested table is a nuisance. I'll have to think about that.
Its not a nuisance, it's an advanced feature of HTML
An alternative solution is to only allow HTML syntax to be rendered if it is in a table:namespace page.
As I said before, I want to eliminate the complexity, not just move it around. I want newbies to have some chance of being to edit the table as well as the prose around it.
A Table - and especially a table with complex structure, nesting etc - *IS* a complex thing. You will not be able to eliminate that complexity. As soon as you are trying to do it, you will greatly reduce the flexibility. As soon as you add that flexibility again, you add the complexity again. So why re-invent the wheel by having (in the end) the same problems in just another markup language?
I strongly support the table:namespace concept: It offers all the the HTML flexibility you need, and you keep the article source clean of the table code.
If we can have the table syntax proposed additionally, thats just fine: A newbie will start with a simple table, as soon as it gets more complex, an experienced user can move it into a full-fetaured html-table in the new namespace and link it from the article.
Uli