Using getElementById and setting the style to display:block and display:none respectively, it is possible to
selectively show or hide html elements (such as entire columns in a table)
<html>
<head>
<script>
function show_hide_column(col_no, do_show) {
var stl;
if (do_show) stl = 'block'
else stl = 'none';
var tbl = document.getElementById('id_of_table');
var rows = tbl.getElementsByTagName('tr');
for (var row=0; row<rows.length;row++) {
var cels = rows[row].getElementsByTagName('td')
cels[col_no].style.display=stl;
}
}
</script>
</head>
<body>
<table id='id_of_table' border=1>
<tr><td> 1</td><td> one</td><td> un</td><td> eins</td></tr>
<tr><td> 2</td><td> two</td><td> deux</td><td> zwei</td></tr>
<tr><td> 3</td><td> three</td><td> trois</td><td> drei</td></tr>
<tr><td> 4</td><td> four</td><td>quattre</td><td> vier</td></tr>
<tr><td> 5</td><td> five</td><td> cinq</td><td>fünf</td></tr>
<tr><td> 6</td><td> six</td><td> six</td><td> sechs</td></tr>
</table>
<form>
Enter column no: <input type='text' name=col_no>
<br> <input type='button' onClick='javascript:show_hide_column(col_no.value, true);' value='show'>
<input type='button' onClick='javascript:show_hide_column(col_no.value, false);' value='hide'>
</form>