Layout Metadata

 	<!-- Each Section on the page has a section in the XML file -->   
	<layoutSections>
        <customLabel>false</customLabel>
        <detailHeading>false</detailHeading>
        <editHeading>true</editHeading>
        <label>Account Information</label>
 		<!-- Then each Column in each Section -->   
        <layoutColumns>
 			<!-- Then each field in each section - Notice the <behavior> tag - Edit or Read Only -->   
            <layoutItems>
                <behavior>Edit</behavior>
                <field>RecordTypeId</field>
            </layoutItems>
            <layoutItems>
                <behavior>Edit</behavior>
                <field>OwnerId</field>
            </layoutItems>
            <layoutItems>
                <behavior>Required</behavior>
                <field>Name</field>
            </layoutItems>
            <layoutItems>
                <behavior>Edit</behavior>
                <field>ParentId</field>
            </layoutItems>
        </layoutColumns>
        <layoutColumns>
            <layoutItems>
                <behavior>Edit</behavior>
                <field>Phone</field>
            </layoutItems>
            <layoutItems>
                <behavior>Edit</behavior>
                <field>Fax</field>
            </layoutItems>
            <layoutItems>
                <behavior>Edit</behavior>
                <field>Website</field>
            </layoutItems>
        </layoutColumns>
        <style>TwoColumnsTopToBottom</style>
    </layoutSections>
    <layoutSections>
        <customLabel>true</customLabel>
        <detailHeading>true</detailHeading>
        <editHeading>true</editHeading>
        <label>Next Section</label>
        <layoutColumns>
            <layoutItems>
                <behavior>Edit</behavior>
                <field>Field_Name__C</field>
            </layoutItems>
            <layoutItems>
                <behavior>Edit</behavior>
                <field>Field2_Name__c</field>
            </layoutItems>
        </layoutColumns>
        <layoutColumns>
            <layoutItems>
                <behavior>Edit</behavior>
                <field>Field3_Name__c</field>
            </layoutItems>
        </layoutColumns>
        <style>TwoColumnsLeftToRight</style>
    </layoutSections> 

Imagine how easy it will be to create a read only version of the page for a particular profile - just change all the <behavior>Edit</behavior> tags to <behavior>Readonly</behavior>