Splitting page into four parts

Question

I am trying to figure out how to split a page into four quadrants (2 rows and 2 columns) to model the time management matrix. I tried using longtable but the second row will only start after the first. What I want to do is to have fixed size rows and columns on each page and contents from particular cell should overflow to corresponding cell on next page w/o resizing the row. I had similar issue with minipage. This is what I have right now,

\documentclass{article}

\usepackage{lipsum}
\usepackage{longtable}

\begin{document}

\begin{longtable}{p{0.5\textwidth}|p{0.4\textwidth}}
    \endfirsthead
    \endhead
    \endfoot
    \endlastfoot

    \lipsum[2] & \lipsum[1] \\
    \hline
    \lipsum[3] & \\
\end{longtable}

\end{document}

There is another similar question but there the text from cell 1 flows into cell 2 on same page. This is not what I want.

Edit: An example of what I would like to do is to add content to cell (1,1) on page 1. When the cell is full, the contents should continue to cell (1,1) on page 2 even if other cells on page 1 are empty.

Look at flowfram package... – Paul Gaborit Sep 10 '12 at 05:54 — Paul Gaborit, Sep 10 '12 at 05:54

Werner · Answer 1 · 2012-09-10T06:20:08.207

The following requires a two-stage process:

Create 4 documents: One for each of the 4 quadrants and use flowfram to locate the block on the page. For example:
- \newflowframe{.45\textwidth}{.45\textheight}{0pt}{.55\textheight}
- \newflowframe{.45\textwidth}{.45\textheight}{.55\textwidth}{.55\textheight}
- \newflowframe{.45\textwidth}{.45\textheight}{0pt}{0pt}
- \newflowframe{.45\textwidth}{.45\textheight}{.55\textwidth}{0pt}
would be appropriate definitions for Q1 (top left), Q2 (top right), Q3 (bottom left) and Q4 (bottom right).
Create an auxiliary/final document containing the four preliminary documents overlaid on top of one another.

score 2 · Accepted Answer · edited Jul 15 '17 at 15:23

Just for record a less elegant one-stage process example with statics, dynamics and a flow frame (If I had seen Werner's response it would not have written):

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{xcolor}
\usepackage[margin=2cm]{geometry}
\usepackage{flowfram}
\usepackage{lipsum}
\usepackage{microtype}

\newstaticframe*[all]{0.45\textwidth}{.4\textheight}
{0\textwidth}{.6\textheight}[UI]

\newdynamicframe*[1]{0.45\textwidth}{.4\textheight}
{0\textwidth}{0.15\textheight}[UN]

\newdynamicframe*[2]{0.45\textwidth}{.4\textheight}
{0\textwidth}{0.15\textheight}[UNb]

\newstaticframe*[1]{0.45\textwidth}{.4\textheight}
{.5\textwidth}{.6\textheight}[NI]

\newstaticframe*[2]{0.45\textwidth}{.4\textheight}
{.5\textwidth}{.6\textheight}[NIb]

\newflowframe*[all]{0.45\textwidth}{.4\textheight}
{0.5\textwidth}{0.15\textheight}[NN]

\begin{document}

\begin{staticcontents*}{UI}
\color{red} 
{\bf The urgent and important}\\
\begin{itemize}
\item Remove your hand from the fire.
\item Get dressed before going outside. 
\item Remember to breathe.
\item Remember to breathe again.    
\item Urgent and important issues should always 
be visible, put them on every page.
\end{itemize}
\end{staticcontents*}


\begin{dynamiccontents*}{UN}
\color{blue} 
{\bf The urgent but not important}\\
\begin{itemize}
\item Meeting of prevention of UFO invasion in ten minutes. 
\item Pick up the **** rining phone
\item Call some day to my girldfriend 
\item Writing my diary  
\end{itemize}
\continueonframe[More in next page]{UNb} 
\color{blue}
Who is calling so many times by the ******* phone? It's a bore. 

\end{dynamiccontents*}


\begin{staticcontents*}{NI}
\color{magenta} {\bf The really important, but no urgent}\\
\begin{itemize}
\item Remember to go to sleep
\item Remember to eat   
\end{itemize}
\continueonframe[More in next page]{NIb} 
\color{magenta} 
\begin{itemize}
\item Go to work tomorrow
\item Don't worry   
\item Be happy  
\end{itemize}
\end{staticcontents*}


% Text with free flow 
{\bf The wasting time things}\\
\begin{enumerate}
\item \lipsum[2]
\item \lipsum[1]    
\item \lipsum[3] \appenddynamiccontents*{UNb}
{Calling again.I will ask my girlfriend if she know who is.}
\item \lipsum[4]
\item \lipsum[5]
\item \lipsum[6]
\item \lipsum[7]
\item \lipsum[8]
\item \lipsum[9]
\item \lipsum[10]
\end{enumerate}

\end{document}

Splitting page into four parts

2 Answers2

Linked