Tut4.multicolumns

Multi-columns

This example is a variant of the previous one showing how to lay the text across multiple columns.

<?php
<span class="kw">require(</span><span class="str">'fpdf.php'</span><span class="kw">);

class </span>PDF <span class="kw">extends </span>FPDF
<span class="kw">{
</span><span class="cmt">// Current column
</span><span class="kw">var </span>$col <span class="kw">= </span>0<span class="kw">;
</span><span class="cmt">// Ordinate of column start
</span><span class="kw">var </span>$y0<span class="kw">;

function </span>Header<span class="kw">()
{
    </span><span class="cmt">// Page header
    </span><span class="kw">global </span>$title<span class="kw">;

    </span>$<span class="kw">this-></span>SetFont<span class="kw">(</span><span class="str">'Arial'</span><span class="kw">,</span><span class="str">'B'</span><span class="kw">,</span>15<span class="kw">);
    </span>$w <span class="kw">= </span>$<span class="kw">this-></span>GetStringWidth<span class="kw">(</span>$title<span class="kw">)+</span>6<span class="kw">;
    </span>$<span class="kw">this-></span>SetX<span class="kw">((</span>210<span class="kw">-</span>$w<span class="kw">)/</span>2<span class="kw">);
    </span>$<span class="kw">this-></span>SetDrawColor<span class="kw">(</span>0<span class="kw">,</span>80<span class="kw">,</span>180<span class="kw">);
    </span>$<span class="kw">this-></span>SetFillColor<span class="kw">(</span>230<span class="kw">,</span>230<span class="kw">,</span>0<span class="kw">);
    </span>$<span class="kw">this-></span>SetTextColor<span class="kw">(</span>220<span class="kw">,</span>50<span class="kw">,</span>50<span class="kw">);
    </span>$<span class="kw">this-></span>SetLineWidth<span class="kw">(</span>1<span class="kw">);
    </span>$<span class="kw">this-></span>Cell<span class="kw">(</span>$w<span class="kw">,</span>9<span class="kw">,</span>$title<span class="kw">,</span>1<span class="kw">,</span>1<span class="kw">,</span><span class="str">'C'</span><span class="kw">,</span>true<span class="kw">);
    </span>$<span class="kw">this-></span>Ln<span class="kw">(</span>10<span class="kw">);
    </span><span class="cmt">// Save ordinate
    </span>$<span class="kw">this-></span>y0 <span class="kw">= </span>$<span class="kw">this-></span>GetY<span class="kw">();
}

function </span>Footer<span class="kw">()
{
    </span><span class="cmt">// Page footer
    </span>$<span class="kw">this-></span>SetY<span class="kw">(-</span>15<span class="kw">);
    </span>$<span class="kw">this-></span>SetFont<span class="kw">(</span><span class="str">'Arial'</span><span class="kw">,</span><span class="str">'I'</span><span class="kw">,</span>8<span class="kw">);
    </span>$<span class="kw">this-></span>SetTextColor<span class="kw">(</span>128<span class="kw">);
    </span>$<span class="kw">this-></span>Cell<span class="kw">(</span>0<span class="kw">,</span>10<span class="kw">,</span><span class="str">'Page '</span><span class="kw">.</span>$<span class="kw">this-></span>PageNo<span class="kw">(),</span>0<span class="kw">,</span>0<span class="kw">,</span><span class="str">'C'</span><span class="kw">);
}

function </span>SetCol<span class="kw">(</span>$col<span class="kw">)
{
    </span><span class="cmt">// Set position at a given column
    </span>$<span class="kw">this-></span>col <span class="kw">= </span>$col<span class="kw">;
    </span>$x <span class="kw">= </span>10<span class="kw">+</span>$col<span class="kw">*</span>65<span class="kw">;
    </span>$<span class="kw">this-></span>SetLeftMargin<span class="kw">(</span>$x<span class="kw">);
    </span>$<span class="kw">this-></span>SetX<span class="kw">(</span>$x<span class="kw">);
}

function </span>AcceptPageBreak<span class="kw">()
{
    </span><span class="cmt">// Method accepting or not automatic page break
    </span><span class="kw">if(</span>$<span class="kw">this-></span>col<span class="kw"><</span>2<span class="kw">)
    {
        </span><span class="cmt">// Go to next column
        </span>$<span class="kw">this-></span>SetCol<span class="kw">(</span>$<span class="kw">this-></span>col<span class="kw">+</span>1<span class="kw">);
        </span><span class="cmt">// Set ordinate to top
        </span>$<span class="kw">this-></span>SetY<span class="kw">(</span>$<span class="kw">this-></span>y0<span class="kw">);
        </span><span class="cmt">// Keep on page
        </span><span class="kw">return </span>false<span class="kw">;
    }
    else
    {
        </span><span class="cmt">// Go back to first column
        </span>$<span class="kw">this-></span>SetCol<span class="kw">(</span>0<span class="kw">);
        </span><span class="cmt">// Page break
        </span><span class="kw">return </span>true<span class="kw">;
    }
}

function </span>ChapterTitle<span class="kw">(</span>$num<span class="kw">, </span>$label<span class="kw">)
{
    </span><span class="cmt">// Title
    </span>$<span class="kw">this-></span>SetFont<span class="kw">(</span><span class="str">'Arial'</span><span class="kw">,</span><span class="str">''</span><span class="kw">,</span>12<span class="kw">);
    </span>$<span class="kw">this-></span>SetFillColor<span class="kw">(</span>200<span class="kw">,</span>220<span class="kw">,</span>255<span class="kw">);
    </span>$<span class="kw">this-></span>Cell<span class="kw">(</span>0<span class="kw">,</span>6<span class="kw">,</span><span class="str">"Chapter </span>$num<span class="str"> : </span>$label<span class="str">"</span><span class="kw">,</span>0<span class="kw">,</span>1<span class="kw">,</span><span class="str">'L'</span><span class="kw">,</span>true<span class="kw">);
    </span>$<span class="kw">this-></span>Ln<span class="kw">(</span>4<span class="kw">);
    </span><span class="cmt">// Save ordinate
    </span>$<span class="kw">this-></span>y0 <span class="kw">= </span>$<span class="kw">this-></span>GetY<span class="kw">();
}

function </span>ChapterBody<span class="kw">(</span>$file<span class="kw">)
{
    </span><span class="cmt">// Read text file
    </span>$txt <span class="kw">= </span>file_get_contents<span class="kw">(</span>$file<span class="kw">);
    </span><span class="cmt">// Font
    </span>$<span class="kw">this-></span>SetFont<span class="kw">(</span><span class="str">'Times'</span><span class="kw">,</span><span class="str">''</span><span class="kw">,</span>12<span class="kw">);
    </span><span class="cmt">// Output text in a 6 cm width column
    </span>$<span class="kw">this-></span>MultiCell<span class="kw">(</span>60<span class="kw">,</span>5<span class="kw">,</span>$txt<span class="kw">);
    </span>$<span class="kw">this-></span>Ln<span class="kw">();
    </span><span class="cmt">// Mention
    </span>$<span class="kw">this-></span>SetFont<span class="kw">(</span><span class="str">''</span><span class="kw">,</span><span class="str">'I'</span><span class="kw">);
    </span>$<span class="kw">this-></span>Cell<span class="kw">(</span>0<span class="kw">,</span>5<span class="kw">,</span><span class="str">'(end of excerpt)'</span><span class="kw">);
    </span><span class="cmt">// Go back to first column
    </span>$<span class="kw">this-></span>SetCol<span class="kw">(</span>0<span class="kw">);
}

function </span>PrintChapter<span class="kw">(</span>$num<span class="kw">, </span>$title<span class="kw">, </span>$file<span class="kw">)
{
    </span><span class="cmt">// Add chapter
    </span>$<span class="kw">this-></span>AddPage<span class="kw">();
    </span>$<span class="kw">this-></span>ChapterTitle<span class="kw">(</span>$num<span class="kw">,</span>$title<span class="kw">);
    </span>$<span class="kw">this-></span>ChapterBody<span class="kw">(</span>$file<span class="kw">);
}
}

</span>$pdf <span class="kw">= new </span>PDF<span class="kw">();
</span>$title <span class="kw">= </span><span class="str">'20000 Leagues Under the Seas'</span><span class="kw">;
</span>$pdf<span class="kw">-></span>SetTitle<span class="kw">(</span>$title<span class="kw">);
</span>$pdf<span class="kw">-></span>SetAuthor<span class="kw">(</span><span class="str">'Jules Verne'</span><span class="kw">);
</span>$pdf<span class="kw">-></span>PrintChapter<span class="kw">(</span>1<span class="kw">,</span><span class="str">'A RUNAWAY REEF'</span><span class="kw">,</span><span class="str">'20k_c1.txt'</span><span class="kw">);
</span>$pdf<span class="kw">-></span>PrintChapter<span class="kw">(</span>2<span class="kw">,</span><span class="str">'THE PROS AND CONS'</span><span class="kw">,</span><span class="str">'20k_c2.txt'</span><span class="kw">);
</span>$pdf<span class="kw">-></span>Output<span class="kw">();
</span>?>

[Demo]

The key method used is AcceptPageBreak(). It allows to accept or not an automatic page break. By refusing it and altering the margin and current position, the desired column layout is achieved.

For the rest, not many changes; two properties have been added to the class to save the current column number and the position where columns begin, and the MultiCell() call specifies a 6 centimeter width.