How to make multiple rows and colums with divs? - html

Question

all! I thank you for your time and attention today : ). I currently use Dreamweaver and do some design work, however I have been unable to find an answer to this question. I'm happy to pursue any knowledge necessary to accomplish this (such as learning php or javascript, etc.)... Here's is my problem... I want to make a webpage have this type of layout - (this would be a homepage, broken into components in three columns (there would be a header above, that I left out of the illustration because that would be full width of website and not produce a problem, I don't think)... the left is full height. the center would have three rows and the right would have three rows - offset from the center column) -
http://i.stack.imgur.com/KkEiR.jpg
I can place a div as a wrapper around the entire thing (as I normally need to do when making a three column wide section), and using css... float the left column, left. Add a left margin to the center one (whatever the width of the left div is). And float the right one, right... However, while that does allow me to have three columns across, I cannot have the multiple rows downward in the center, or right column (because it outputs at the height of the largest column for the wrap). In these smaller sections I would like to use some php scripts (I have a php news script and a shoutbox script), so it's not like it's a static picture or text that I could carefully slice, making numerous div wraps and divs within them down the page...
In my research I've seen things such as php includes and requires (I'm not sure if that would allow for the multiple rows in the center and right colums though), I just know it can be used to insert a php script or document into a div. I've also read that isn't the best practice and that Ajax/jquery should be considered for better security. However, I'm still not sure if either of those would allow me to create this layout. I'm sure that joomla or drupal or any number of other CMS probably allow for this, but I want to know the "hands on" way to do it (I've always found that makes configuration, troubleshooting and design much easier and much better quality down the line).
I respectfully ask that answers stay on topic as much as possible, without questions such as, why do you normally do or use this? etc... I would greatly appreciate constructive information on what I CAN do to accomplish this : D... I thank you all again for your time and attention!

Answer 1

Ok, I've found at least one way to accomplish this : D... I still use Divs within Divs (floating them left or right) and placing them within wraps (that can also be floated left and right) to get as many Divs across as I need. Then when I need multiple vertical Divs, I simply create a new *.php file with all the vertical Divs I need, and use the php include_once line to call that *.php file (and all of it's vertical Divs) into the Div on the original page, voila!
My first page (in shorthand) may look something like this -
<div id="content_wrap">
<div id="a"></div> (floated left in css)
<div id="b">
<?php include_once ('vertical_divs.php'); ?>
</div> (floated left with lefthand margin in css)
<div id="c"></div> (floated right in css)
</div>
My vertical_divs.php may look like this -
<div id="vert_a"></div>
<div id="vert_b"></div>
<div id="vert_c"></div>
<div id="vert_d"></div>
<div id="vert_e"></div>
Again, this would pull all of those vertical Divs into Div "B", allowing that column to have multiple vertical Divs without interfering with the Divs to it's left or right.