CSS Column Divs Help needed - css

Question

I am trying to construct a page layout, where the left column has a fixed width and a height of 100% (of whatever the right column is) and the right column has a fluid width. I've tried various ways of doing it, but can't seem to get it right..
Here's my code:
<div id="pageHolder">
<div id="topSection">
header goes here
</div>
<div id="pageContainer">
<div id="leftColumn">
<div id="leftHolder">
left stuff goes here
</div>
</div>
<div id="rightColumn">
<div id="rightHolder">
right stuff goes here
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div id="bottomSection">
footer goes here
</div>
</div>
And my css is:
body {
height: 100%;
}
div#pageHolder {
}
div#topSection {
padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
div#pageContainer {
position: relative;
width: 100%;
height: 100%;
padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
div#leftColumn {
position: relative;
float: left;
width: 285px;
height: 100%;
padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
div#leftHolder {
padding: 25px 25px 25px 25px;
margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
div#rightColumn {
position: relative;
height: 100%;
min-height: 100%;
padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
margin: 0px 0px 0px 285px;
}
div#rightHolder {
padding: 25px 25px 25px 25px;
margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
div#bottomSection {
clear: both;
}
If someone could help me out, that would be fantastic :)

Answer 1

Try this out:
div#leftColumn {
position: absolute;
float: left;
width: 285px;
height: 100%;
padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
**Edit: On second thought perhaps using maxwidth and maxheight could do something to help you if you want to keep position: relative.

Answer 2

http://css-tricks.com/the-perfect-fluid-width-layout/
as i see the 'live example' this is what you're asking for

Answer 3

I believe you want to replace your body definition with body, html in your css, as well as add a height to pageHolder
body, html {
height: 100%;
}
div#pageHolder {
height: 100%;
}
It's pretty annoying though because you will get unnecessary scrollbars regardless of the content inside. Is this what you are trying to achieve?