heredoc

Please can someone advise me on heredoc and its shortcommings, I am designing a complex site and elected to use DIV's as opposed to frames. Heredoc seems to be ideal in that I can do all processing first and then layout with relative ease. I was wondering if it was acceptable to use and maintain going forward as i have read on a few mailing archives that this is a "cheat" and lazy and to be depreciated?? Thanks Colin