I am kinda stuck with a format problem. I am hoping that someone here might be able to offer a useful suggestion.

What I am trying to do is create a template, where the content of the page is the first bit of code in the HTML so that search engines will not trip over the header and/or menu.

I have had some success in creating such a template, but I can't get it to be perfect. I can create the template without using tables AT ALL ..ie: Just with DIV's and CSS, but I can only make such a template with a header, a content area and a footer.

However, If I want the template to have a 150px left menu down the left hand side of the content, things get a bit more complicated.

The example that I have provided here uses a table for the content area, because that's the only way I can get the content area and left menu to push the footer down, once the area has been filled.

The ONLY way I can have a left menu and a content area with DIV's and CSS it to use position:absolute ..but in that case, once the content gets too large, it doesn't push the footer down. It just overlaps the footer.

So, I guess ..what I am asking. Is there anyone here that can design what I am trying to design so that:

- There is a 100px Header area
- There is a 100px Footer area
- There is a 150px Left menu area
- The content (or left menu) will push the footer down if there's enough content
- The page (still) takes up 100% of the browser screens height, if there is (say) only ONE line of content.

As I said, what I have designed is "almost" perfect for my porposes, but I have used a table for the content area and left menu. Everyone knows that little table trick for getting the left menu to show on the left but be under the content in the HTML:

<table width="770" height="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="1">
<tr>
    <td>&nbsp;</td>
	<td rowspan="2" valign="top">Content Area</td>
</tr>
<tr>
    <td valign="top">Left Menu</td>
</tr>
</table>

..but the only problem here is that the top left TD area can NOT be adjusted to a fixed height. If I could get that area to stay at 100px no matter WHAT ..my template would be absolutely perfect!

I have used this principle in my template, which you can view here

I have been asking around on many forums now and I am having trouble finding a solution. The template dosn't have to be designed in the way I have designed it. It just has to do what I want it to do. It can use tables AND DIV's or just tables, or Just DIV's ..I don't really care. Just as long as it functions, I'll be happy.

..anyone?

MrLeN

Try using some framesets because they adjust to the browser automatically. If not that use a large table to cover the site and add each td a seperate code. It might work.

In the the CSS , set the div area to have the following property:

overflow: auto

Hope that helps.