Layout questions with CSS

1. On my layout I have my navigation links on the left side (like most sites) and my content on the right. Now I would prefer not to use frames or the overflow:scroll command. However the content on some parts of the site will be longer then others and I would like the navigation bar to stretch as low as the content. So I will need a minimum height for the navigation bar to actually contain the links and a way for it to keep stretching below the last link for when the content goes longer then the navigation bar (which will be most of the time). I know I can do this if I used tables for layout, but I despise doing tables for layout, I prefer using CSS for my layouts. Can this be done with CSS and how?

2. I am going to be (planning on) using absolute positioning for the site. now I figure most of the audience will be using 1024x768, my res is 1280x1024 and from knowing my friends and some of the intended audience this will probably be the next common res. So what I want to do is have multiple style sheets for the different resolutions. However I do not know how to find out someones screen resolution. What options are there for finding out someones screen resolution?

just in-case it matters the site will be done in php4, so if there is a php way of finding out the resolution that is preferred, but any method is fine

I'll have to do a little research to answer your first question; I totally understand what you're talking about, I just want to get my facts straight before I offer any suggestions.

As for the second question, I think you've hit the exact reason people generally *don't* use absolute positioning =) Is there a reason you want to use absolute? I would encourage a liquid layout, or something slightly dynamic. I cringe at the thought of maintaining two stylesheets.

It is possible to figure out a browser's resolution using Javascript, I'm sure there's a million examples on the net.

I normally like absolute positioning because I like to control how the site looks, but I thought about it as I slept and I agree that maintaining multiple style sheets would be a pain in the butt. SO its something I will have to think about some more

for the first question, you mean something like this?

It's always a big sacrifice for designers to submit to the thought of having their beautiful design viewed differently on a client's computer.

I think Jeffrey Veen says it best:

an example of what I want to do for question 1 can be found at www.ne2c.org look at the right side navigation bar. Notice where it ends. Then click on the officers page and look at the nav bar and scroll down. You'll see the navigation bar is longer then before. The person who did this site did it with a table layout. I want to do the same thing, but with a CSS layout.

The right nav bar doesn't appear to be on the officers page.
Or are you referring to how the (left) grey bar goes all the way down the page?

I meant left, sorry

the link i've posted isn't the same idea you want - how the space below the menu goes with the content?

yeah, I want the space below the menu to go with the content

just thought I would ask if there were any ideas to my problem yet