11. The method of creating a document layout of claim 2 wherein said rule of placement comprises: (a) a geometric test that determines if said next object area overlaps a previously placed object area and if said next object area crosses a side boundary of a document page; and (b) a reading order predicate test that ensures that said object areas are placed in a proper order.
11. The method of creating a document layout of claim 2 wherein said rule of placement comprises: (a) a geometric test that determines if said next object area overlaps a previously placed object area and if said next object area crosses a side boundary of a document page; and (b) a reading order predicate test that ensures that said object areas are placed in a proper order. 12. The method of creating a document layout of claim 11 wherein said reading order predicate test fails if: (a) a starting X-coordinate of said next object area is less than a starting X-coordinate of a previously placed object area; or (b) a starting Y-coordinate of said next object area is less than a starting Y-coordinate of said previously placed object area, and a starting X-coordinate of said next object area is less than an ending X-coordinate of said previously placed object area.