set div width to remaining width of the browser

[Steve Richter]

using float: left and float: right to build a two column page
layout.
<div style="float:left">column 1</div>
<div style="float:right">column 2</div>

then I set the width of the first column to a fixed size:
<div style="float:left; width:10em;>column 1</div>

how can I set the width of the 2nd column, the float:right div, to
fill the remaining space of its container?

I know I can use percentages, but I want the left column to always be
the same fixed length.

Is this a case where <table> is the obvious solution?

thanks,

-Steve

 

[Yuriy Solodkyy]

Do you need this?

<div style="float:left; width: 10em; border: solid 1px red">
ZZZZZ
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 10em; border: solid 1px green">
www

 

[Steve Richter]

Do you need this?

<div style="float:left; width: 10em; border: solid 1px red">
ZZZZZ
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 10em; border: solid 1px green">
www
<div>

thank you. I just read of the margin technique in a very good book I
have:
http://www.amazon.com/CSS-Anthology...2377400?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1181932373&sr=8-1

a lot of CSS positioning seems to be a hack. esp if you dont want to
use javascript out of concern of complicating things even further.

I assume CSS does not allow one div to reference another for is
position and size? That would seem to be ideal for page layouts.
( where the height of div a is always the height of div b, div c
always has the same absolute X position of div d, ... )

thanks,

-Steve