Re: Two column output

[Jeff Kingston]

Robbe Stewart:
Is it possible to split a two-column page (as in I guess, have a column
break)? The effect I am looking for is:
 
 - some text flow into two columns in the top third/half of a page
 - column break signified by a column-spanning ruled line
 - more text (also flowing into two columns)


Answer from Jeff:
The standard Lout packages are not set up to do this.  Someone who
set out to write some definitions to do it would strike a problem:

      A      B
      --------
      C      D

If text flows into A then on into B, the only reason why it would
stop flowing into A is because space there runs out.  But if space
there runs out there would be no space for C either.  Lout can't
see that it would be a good thing to make columns A and B have
equal height.

The only approximation would be to decide in advance how much
height to allow for A and B, and to use a @High symbol to
restrict them to this height.  Then when A fills up the text
would flow on to B, but this filling would occur when the height
limit was reached, allowing C (which is outside the @High and
not affected by it) to receive other text later.

Executive summary: probably not in a way that would suit you or
that could be made to happen quickly.

Jeff