iText in Action

Chapter 7. Constructing columns

This chapter covers

• Advanced page layout with ColumnText

• Text mode vs. composite mode

• Automated columns with MultiColumnText

In the examples so far, you’ve created a Document object defining a certain page size and well-defined margins. The layout of the building blocks you added to this document was adapted to fit inside this rectangle (PageSize minus margins). With class ColumnText, you have an object at your disposal that is similar. You can create a column object, add different types of building blocks, and then decide how the content has to be laid out: You can define a Y position; you can define the left and right borders of the column as straight or irregular lines; and you can also control the flow of the content. ...