Method and computer-readable medium for generating a multiple column layout

A computer-implemented method for generating a multiple column layout, the method comprising:

• providing a layout manager operative to receive from a client application the definition of a layout for content within a document, the layout comprising two or more columns and one or more spans that extend across two or more of the columns, and wherein each span is defined by the client application as being content defined or height defined, and to receive a request from the client application program to layout content from a document according to the definition;
• and wherein
• the layout manager is further operative to lay out the content from the document in each span that is defined as height defined until a specified height for the span is reached, to lay out the content from the document in each span that is defined as content defined until a specified point in the content is reached, and to return the layout to the client application program.