The perfect CSS layout

[letsgetsilly]

I've been developing (or trying to) my first website in a 3-column + header + footer 100% equal-height CSS-only for the past few months because everyone says tables are a thing of the past.

I still have been unable to come up with a clean 3 column layout that fits all of my needs (header, footer, stretches to 100% no matter what, and works in IE and FF)

If anyone has a solid template on how to get all of this accomplished, please let me know. In the meantime, here is a collection of guides that I found helpful in my design adventures:

-This code works the best but it is dirty. there are several layers of div containers. I get confused when I try to use this code and break it into external style sheets and add content. I did not use this
CSS Page Maker (css generator)

-This is the code I ended up going with. Uses a crazy padding hack to make pages display correctly, but then pages will not print. Also does not stretch to 100%. I can't figure out why.
One True Layout

-Doesn't have equal height columns
ListApart's 3 column layout.

Several sample templates

Quirksmode.org more CSS tricks

Please add to my list if you have good links. And please oh please--does anyone have that 3 column 100% equal-height +footer +header template?

 

[stndn]

take a look here and see if there's anything useful:
"><a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://webhost.bridgew.edu/etribou/layouts/skidoo/">http://webhost.bridgew.edu/etribou/layouts/skidoo/</a>

i used the sample from that site. it has a lot of div containers, which might not be what you're looking for. but from what i've seen around, div-soup is what makes most of the 3-column page available... -(

by the way, i'm not sure what others think, but i don't really like using 'hacks' to force a layout. the thing is, we don't know when the hacks will be fixed when new browsers come. plus, it's not as neat as plain CSS. but then again, if the end result is what's important, by all means go ahead with them.

 

[Kev]

everyone says tables are a thing of the past? who is "everyone?"

 

[Panthro]

Try one of the layouts on this page.

http://www.ssi-developer.net/main/templates/3col.shtml

I have been using these frequently designing templates for clients.

I'm sure with some tweaking you can get them to span 100%.

 

[imported_LoKe]

Originally posted by: Kev
everyone says tables are a thing of the past? who is "everyone?"

Tables should only ever be used for...get this...tabular data.

 

[Kev]

Originally posted by: LoKe

Originally posted by: Kev
everyone says tables are a thing of the past? who is "everyone?"

Tables should only ever be used for...get this...tabular data.

says you?

 

[M00T]

Here's an interesting article I found after reading this thread:
CSS vs tables

Furthermore, CSS zealots have been predicting the future of CSS since the year 2000. And guess what, it's now 2005 and we are not a single step closer to full CSS browser compliance than we were in 2000 with even the latest browsers Mozilla 1.x and IE 6 as there is always something that looks right in this browser, but not that browser.

 

[imported_LoKe]

Originally posted by: Kev

Originally posted by: LoKe

Originally posted by: Kev
everyone says tables are a thing of the past? who is "everyone?"

Tables should only ever be used for...get this...tabular data.

says you?

Tables. Is that so hard to understand?