[thelist] CSS div layout with non-nested divs?

[Ellen Kanner]

Hello,

Has anyone explored the realm of separating content from structural 
mark up and creating a page WITHOUT nested <divs>?
I know nested <divs> are common, using a "container" <div> is a 
possibility, but is it possible to have a header, 3-column layout, and 
a footer without nesting them at all?  Any examples out there?

What I've found is design #97 from CSS Zen Garden, but with nested 
<divs>

<http://www.csszengarden.com/?cssfile=/097/097.css&page=5>

but when the text in the page is pumped up, the <div> does not fill the 
background.  And so I came upon "Negative Margins" from ALA and the 
"Faux column" article:

<http://www.alistapart.com/articles/negativemargins/>

But still want to know if <divs> can be used without being nested and 
still hold the presentation together.

What we're trying to accomplish is the ability to change the appearance 
of pages, should a quick change be needed, and where the 
presentation/layout of the page is NOT in the individual HTML files but 
in the CSS file.

Does this make sense?  Any ideas?

ellen