I think what aki means by "not purely html" is a situation where you
have to generate html code from a server-side language .. something
like `echo "<div class='left-pane'>content</div>"`. The simple answer
is that you dont actually have to and that in fact you should never
ever (eeever!). The long answer is to use an mvc pattern or framework.
You see an MVC pattern will allow you to write your html
layouts/templates kando and then write php or asp or .net logic code
without having to even care about a tag. This translates to being able
to create different "views" for different browsers or clients while
leveraging on the same server side code. Whereas it takes a bit of
learning, if you are in this for good then its worth it: both for your
street cred, speed of dev and for maintenance balaaz.

My advise : if you are in webdev for the long haul then relax - get to
fall in love with XHTML and CSS and maybe mvc if you like. They may
seem uptight and unyielding at first but in the end you will be glad
you made their acquaintance ;-). If you were just "passing-by" - as in
you just want sort out some specific problem and move on to other
non-web stuff - then by all means, scratch your itch. In Kao we say
that you kill a snake with the closest weapon, not the best one.