Ideas in openings

I would like some help in the advanced strategies of some chess openings, for example weak points/pawns to attack and key places for your pieces.I know in most games you can throw theory out of the window quite early on but it would be useful to have an idea of the best set up and the best plans. I know most of the openings I play up to move 7 to 8 then would really benefit from tried and tested plans of attack for the set up my opponent has chosen. I would especially like help as white against the caro-kann, I find blacks set up hard to break down. Also ideas in the french defence tarrash variation, Nd2 2nd move, is f4-f5 after developed the key idea?

For white i also need ideas against petrovs defense

For black i really struggle to find to best way to play against f4 silician. I have tried d5 and also Nf6 but lack ideas or direction playing either. Any comments would be appreciated my rating is 1700 and i will be expecting to play people 1800+ next year.

As white against Petrov's Defense I like to play

1.e4 e5

2.Nf3 Nf6

3.Nc3

Then if they play Nc6 your in the Four Knights game and of the play Bb4 then Nxe5 works. I like just because it take players out of their normal opening lines. 

Check out this link.

http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~goeller/urusov/links/opening_analysis.html

The best line against the f4 sicilian is d5.  If you don't find what you want on the above link, try http://www.chesslab.com/  pull up a large number of 1. e4 c5 2. f5 d5 games and play over them to see the ideas.