How to create a 3 column layout like FB while sticking with a grid

I'm an engineer. All my designer friends keep telling me to use a grid whatever that means.

I want to creat开发者_开发百科e a layout similar to facebook (3 column, with a fat center column. How do I do that while using a grid? Where to even start? Thanks

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960.gs is a good system to use.

And, SmashingMagazine has a good round-up of examples, articles, tutorials, tools, etc., about grids.

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You can use a CSS framework (I use http://960.gs ) to create a grid. If you were using 960, you would do something like the following:

<div class="container_12">
    <div class="grid_3>
        Leftmost
    </div>  

    <div class="grid_6>
        Middle
    </div>  

    <div class="grid_3>
        Rightmost
    </div>
</div>

There are other grid systems, this is just one I like the best due to it's lack of learning curve.