Question

How do I go about creating a 3 col landscape layout using xhtml2pdf?

I tried something like this but it didn’t work. Should I even be using frames in the first place?

@page {
    size: a4 landscape;

    @frame left {
        -pdf-frame-content: left;
        -pdf-frame-border: 1;
        width: 9.9cm;
        text-align: left;
    }
    @frame middle {
        -pdf-frame-content: middle;
        -pdf-frame-border: 1;
        width: 9.9cm;
        text-align: left;
    }
    @frame right {
        -pdf-frame-content: left;
        -pdf-frame-border: 1;
        width: 9.9cm;
        text-align: left;
    }
}

Answer 1

I don’t think it can be done with xhtml2pdf even though its based on reportlab which allows you to do it.

After messing with it for a while, the following snippet produces the following image: https://i.stack.imgur.com/poJox.jpg

def badge(request):
    # Create the HttpResponse object with the appropriate PDF headers.
    response = HttpResponse(mimetype='application/pdf')
    response['Content-Disposition'] = 'attachment; filename=somefilename.pdf'

    # Create the PDF object, using the StringIO object as its "file."
    pagesize = pagesizes.landscape(letter)
    pagewidth, pageheight = pagesize
    doc = platypus.BaseDocTemplate(filename=response, pagesize=pagesize,
            showBoundary=1)
    newHeight = doc.bottomMargin + doc.topMargin + doc.height
    newWidth = doc.leftMargin + doc.rightMargin + doc.width

    # reset margins
    doc.leftMargin = 0
    doc.bottomMargin = 0
    doc.rightMargin = 0
    doc.topMargin = 0

    # create the frames
    frames = []
    left_frame_1 = Frame(doc.leftMargin,
            doc.bottomMargin,
            newWidth / 3,
            newHeight / 6,
            showBoundary=1,
            id="left_frame_1")
    left_frame_2 = Frame(doc.leftMargin,
            doc.bottomMargin + newHeight / 6,
            newWidth / 3,
            newHeight / 6,
            showBoundary=1,
            id="left_frame_2")
    left_frame_3 = Frame(doc.leftMargin,
            doc.bottomMargin + newHeight / 6 * 2,
            newWidth / 3,
            newHeight / 6,
            showBoundary=1,
            id="left_frame_3")
    left_frame_4 = Frame(doc.leftMargin,
            doc.bottomMargin + newHeight / 6 * 3,
            newWidth / 3,
            newHeight / 6,
            showBoundary=1,
            id="left_frame_4")
    left_frame_5 = Frame(doc.leftMargin,
            doc.bottomMargin + newHeight / 6 * 4,
            newWidth / 3,
            newHeight / 6,
            showBoundary=1,
            id="left_frame_5")
    left_frame_6 = Frame(doc.leftMargin,
            doc.bottomMargin + newHeight / 6 * 5,
            newWidth / 3,
            newHeight / 6,
            showBoundary=1,
            id="left_frame_6")
    mid_frame_1 = Frame(doc.leftMargin + newWidth / 3,
            doc.bottomMargin,
            newWidth / 3,
            newHeight / 6 * 4,
            showBoundary=1,
            id="mid_frame_1")
    mid_frame_2 = Frame(doc.leftMargin + newWidth / 3,
            doc.bottomMargin + newHeight / 6 * 4,
            newWidth / 3,
            newHeight / 6 * 2,
            showBoundary=1,
            id="mid_frame_2")
    right_frame_1 = Frame(doc.leftMargin + newWidth / 3 * 2,
            doc.bottomMargin,
            newWidth / 3,
            newHeight / 6 * 2,
            showBoundary=1,
            id="right_frame_1")
    right_frame_2 = Frame(doc.leftMargin + newWidth / 3 * 2,
            doc.bottomMargin + newHeight / 6 * 2,
            newWidth / 3,
            newHeight / 6 * 3,
            showBoundary=1,
            id="right_frame_2")
    right_frame_3 = Frame(doc.leftMargin + newWidth / 3 * 2,
            doc.bottomMargin + newHeight / 6 * 5,
            newWidth / 3,
            newHeight,
            showBoundary=1,
            id="right_frame_3")

    frames.append(left_frame_1)
    frames.append(left_frame_2)
    frames.append(left_frame_3)
    frames.append(left_frame_4)
    frames.append(left_frame_5)
    frames.append(left_frame_6)
    frames.append(mid_frame_1)
    frames.append(mid_frame_2)
    frames.append(right_frame_1)
    frames.append(right_frame_2)
    frames.append(right_frame_3)

    Elements = []

    styles = getSampleStyleSheet()

    # LEFT COL CONTENT
    Elements.append(Paragraph("LEFT1, " * 10,
        styles['Normal']))
    Elements.append(FrameBreak())
    Elements.append(Paragraph("LEFT2, " * 10,
        styles['Normal']))
    Elements.append(FrameBreak())
    Elements.append(Paragraph("LEFT3, " * 10,
        styles['Normal']))
    Elements.append(FrameBreak())
    Elements.append(Paragraph("LEFT4, " * 10,
        styles['Normal']))
    Elements.append(FrameBreak())
    Elements.append(Paragraph("LEFT5, " * 10,
        styles['Normal']))
    Elements.append(FrameBreak())
    Elements.append(Paragraph("LEFT6, " * 10,
        styles['Normal']))
    Elements.append(FrameBreak())

    # MID COL CONTENT
    Elements.append(Paragraph("MID_2, " * 20,
        styles['Normal']))
    Elements.append(FrameBreak())
    Elements.append(Paragraph('''
    <para><b>NOTE</b><br />
    (1) Please check the registration handy kit to ensure you have received
    the item(s) as marked on the cover. <br />
    (2) The official receipt(s) for the payments you have made are enclosed.
    Please check to ensure that it was issued correctly. <br />
    (3) You will be requested to present the appropriate coupon(s)/ ticket (s)
    for admission to lunch, banquet or other events. <br />
    (4) The organizer nor its appointed Professional Conference Organiser shall
    not be responsible for any loss or damage to this kit <br />
    </para>
    ''', styles['Normal']))
    Elements.append(FrameBreak())

    # RIGHT COL CONTENT
    Elements.append(Paragraph("RIGHT_1 " * 30,
        styles['Normal']))
    Elements.append(FrameBreak())
    Elements.append(Paragraph('''
    <para><b><font size="16">REGISTRATION Handy Kit</font></b> <br />
    This kit contains the checked items: <br />
    [] Namebadge <br />
    [] Official Receipt(s) <br />
    [] Lunch Coupon(s) <br />
    [] Banquet Ticket & Reply Slip <br />
    [] Others: <br />
    _________________________________
    _________________________________
    _________________________________
    _________________________________
    <br />
    <br />
    <br /> 
    <i>If any of the checked items are missing in your kit, please inform the
    registration counter staff</i>
    </para>
    ''', styles['Normal']))
    Elements.append(FrameBreak())
    Elements.append(Paragraph("RIGHT_3, " * 10,
        styles['Normal']))

    doc.addPageTemplates(platypus.PageTemplate(id="TwoCol", frames=frames))
    doc.build(Elements)

    return response