1. A computer-implemented method for automatically positioning a plurality of text elements in an area of a markup language design of at least a portion of a document to be printed, the method comprising: defining a plurality of text elements in the markup language design, each of the plurality of text elements having a defined relative vertical positioning order, defining one or more vertical spacing distances between adjacent text elements in the markup language design and/or between data within the text elements in the markup language design, allowing a user to specify text content for one or more of the text elements in the markup language design, determining which of the plurality of text elements have specified text content; determining at least the height of each of the determined text elements having specified text content, and based on at least the determined text element heights, one or more spacing distances, and the defined positioning order, positioning each of, and only, those text elements having specified text content in the area such that each text element in the area is vertically separated from each adjacent text element by a defined spacing distance, whereby the layout of the text elements having specified text content is determined.
1. A computer-implemented method for automatically positioning a plurality of text elements in an area of a markup language design of at least a portion of a document to be printed, the method comprising: defining a plurality of text elements in the markup language design, each of the plurality of text elements having a defined relative vertical positioning order, defining one or more vertical spacing distances between adjacent text elements in the markup language design and/or between data within the text elements in the markup language design, allowing a user to specify text content for one or more of the text elements in the markup language design, determining which of the plurality of text elements have specified text content; determining at least the height of each of the determined text elements having specified text content, and based on at least the determined text element heights, one or more spacing distances, and the defined positioning order, positioning each of, and only, those text elements having specified text content in the area such that each text element in the area is vertically separated from each adjacent text element by a defined spacing distance, whereby the layout of the text elements having specified text content is determined. 3. The method of claim 1 further comprising defining one or more design elements, each design element having a defined order position in the vertical display order of the text elements and wherein determining a position in the area for the text elements having text content further comprises determining a position in the area for the one or more design elements according to the defined display order.