form layout

I want to create a form/page where one section on the left contains some controls such as textbox, dropdownlist... and another section next to it on the right. The right section has tabs and as you click on a tab it shows different controls on the right section while the left section's content stays the same. When you click submit button, it should save content on the left section as well as content of the active tab on the right section. The left section identifies which customer that content on the right is associated with.
There is float left or float right with HTML but I am not sure what is the best control to use accomplish all of the above.
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