Perplexing Module Behavior

[BottomFeeder]

I've experienced something with Module behavior that I can't figure out......and may have a bit of trouble explaining, so please bear with.

Running RC3 in MSAS and trying to make our overall site design of a 'liquid' type. Basically, a 2 column layout with a 'header' (banner?) across the top, a 'sidebar' for menu stuff and polls on the right, and a big left column for content. We've created a couple sections/categories and stuck a few content items in them. Because we wished to display them similarly to the Latest News module, we made copies of that one and then assigned appropriate Section/Category ID's to the copies. We've placed both in 'user2' and set them up to display side by side.

Overall, that's worked just honky dorry.....with one little perplexing oddity. For some reason, the width of the modules when displayed in a browser seems to vary for reasons I can't explain. But it *SEEMS* to have something to do with the original item creation and the amount of data entered there. Some of our 'items' will have minimal content....may not even take up a full line when entered in the editor. And when an item doesn't extend at least a full line across the editor window when initially being created, that's when we seem to get this erratic width. An example might be where the 'intro' content only contains....'Fall Picnic, 10/16/04. Stay tuned for more details.'

For the most part, it's not been a problem when displaying the Latest News module copies themselves. I've been able to set a 'width' in template_css.css to mostly keep things under control there.

But when we click on the item title link and are taken to the blog area to view the item content is where things get a little more disconcerting. In those cases, the item area may only extend ~1/3 across the theoretically available space......and worse, it sucks the right 'sidebar' up against it's right edge and leaves this big gaping whitespace to the right of the sidebar.

In items where the content was sufficiently lengthy to extend across one full line and wrap down to another line while being created in the editor, this 'problem' doesn't seem to occur.

Ok, I can hear the 'Say What?!?' thoughts running through everyone's mind right about now. If I had this somewhere other than in MSAS, I'd post a link. Unfortunately, such is not the case and I'll have to rely on the Mambo telepathy module to fill in the gaps I didn't explain well enough. If anyone happens to pick up on the vibes of the telepathy module and has any thoughts on what might be creating this, I'm all ears.

Thanks!

[BottomFeeder]

Originally Posted by BottomFeeder

But when we click on the item title link and are taken to the blog area to view the item content is where things get a little more disconcerting. In those cases, the item area may only extend ~1/3 across the theoretically available space......and worse, it sucks the right 'sidebar' up against it's right edge and leaves this big gaping whitespace to the right of the sidebar.

The description above can be seen in the following....



Notice all the 'whitespace' to the right of the sidebar. I've tested this several times and the result is the same each time. If the content of the item doesn't extend at least one full line when entered in the editor (actually appears to need > 1 full line), we get this wierd affect when viewing the item in the blog.

Other than maybe converting the template to an entirely fixed width design, does anyone have any other ideas?