Here is a basic 3 column layout with css and html. Unlike the table method you've been shown: which, is full of deprecated html attributes, the following code should validate so there is a more likely chance your website can be viewed properly in a range of browsers. Also you should always try to keep your website content(HTML) separated from the positioning and styling(CSS) of the content in your website; using tables for layout does not achieve this goal.
The HTML file:
index.html
<html>
<head>
<link href="styles.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" />
</head>
<body>
<div id="container">
<div id="internal">
Internal Links Here:
<ul>
<li><a href="iLink1">internal link 1</a></li>
<li><a href="iLink2">internal link 2</a></li>
<li><a href="iLink3">internal link 3</a></li>
<li><a href="iLink4">internal link 4</a></li>
<li><a href="iLink5">internal link 5</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div id="external">
External Links Here"
<ul>
<li><a href="eLink1">external link 1</a></li>
<li><a href="eLink2">external link 2</a></li>
<li><a href="eLink3">external link 3</a></li>
<li><a href="eLink4">external link 4</a></li>
<li><a href="eLink5">external link 5</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div id="content">
This content has to be longer than the two side columns This content has to be longer than the two side columns This content has to be longer than the two side columns This content has to be longer than the two side columns This content has to be longer than the two side columns This content has to be longer than the two side columns This content has to be longer than the two side columns This content has to be longer than the two side columns This content has to be longer than the two side columns This content has to be longer than the two side columns This content has to be longer than the two side columns This content has to be longer than the two side columns This content has to be longer than the two side columns This content has to be longer than the two side columns This content has to be longer than the two side columns
</div>
</div>
</body>
</html>
The CSS style sheet file:
styles.css
#container {
width: 1024px;
margin: 0px auto;
border: solid #00f 1px;
}
#internal {
width: 200px;
float: left;
border: solid #0f0 1px;
display: block;
}
#content {
margin: 0px 200px 0px 200px;
border: solid #0f0 1px;
}
ul {
list-style-position: inside;
list-style-type: none;
}
#external {
width: 200px;
float: right;
border: solid #0f0 1px;
}