It's easier to make the left column fixed width and the right one flexible. If the left one is shorter than the content right column you can stop the content overflowing underneath if you want, so it just continues on down keeping the same width with a blank space under the left column. Or you can let the content flow under the left column.
http://www.wickham43.supanet.com/tut...eecolumns.html item 10 shows the basic code to stop the flexible column flowing under the fixed width left column if it is shorter. Item 12 shows the flexible content column flowing under the left column (you could omit the middle column).
You might find a suitable template at http://www.csszengarden.com/?cssfile...001.css&page=1
Or use your example of http://www.freejavaguide.com/ and delete all the content so that you are just left with the structure (I don't think you would run any copyright risk if you only use the source code which seems to be very standard for that website).
Code downloaded to my PC will be deleted in due course.
WIN7; IE9, Firefox, Opera, Chrome and Safari for Windows; screen resolution usually 1366*768.
Also IE6 on W98 with 800*600 and IE8 on Vista 1440*900.