[texhax] Rotating column content of a two-column document using plain XeTeX : proof of concept

[Philip Taylor]

% The addition of code to generate barcodes is left to the reader.

\parskip = 0 pt
\parindent = 0 pt
\let \\ = \par

\newdimen \labelwidth
\newdimen \labelheight
\newdimen \labelhsep
\newdimen \labelvsep

\labelwidth = 3 in
\labelheight = 2 in
\labelvsep = 1 cm

\def \newlabel #1{\vbox to \labelheight {\hsize = \labelwidth #1\\}}

\def \newlabelpair #1#2%
    {%
	\setbox 0 = \vbox
	    {\newlabel {#1}\vskip \labelvsep \newlabel {#2}}%
	\special {pdf:literal direct  0 1 -1 0  0 -500 cm}
	\unvbox 0
	\eject
    }
						
\newlabelpair
	 {Label 1, page 1\\which can be\\several lines long}
	 {Label 2, page 1\\which can be\\several lines long}
	 					
\newlabelpair
	 {Label 1, page 2\\which can be\\several lines long}
	 {Label 2, page 2\\which can be\\several lines long}
	 					
\newlabelpair
	 {Label 1, page 3\\which can be\\several lines long}
	 {Label 2, page 3\\which can be\\several lines long}
 		
\end