[Tex/LaTex] Latex multicol + itemize

Question

I'm using the pdflatex interpreter and trying to get the following behavior using an itemized list in a multicolumn environment:

[space]* item1   *item2
[space]* item3   *item3

I can get somewhat of the behavior I'm looking for using the "enumitem" package, but it breaks for long items.

see this code example:

\documentclass[12pt]{article}
\usepackage{multicol}
\usepackage{enumitem}
\begin{document}
\begin{multicols}{2}
    \begin{itemize}[leftmargin=6em]
        \item Item with lots and lots of text
        \item Another item with lots of text...
    \end{itemize}
\end{multicols}
\end{document}

There's a lot of whitespace and causes items to wrap. I realize that this is because the itemize in the second column also has a left margin of 6em. Anyone have an idea of how to achieve what I'm looking for? anything I've investigated hasn't proven to get it quite right.

I also tried looking at the enumitem documentation: http://www.tex.ac.uk/tex-archive/macros/latex/contrib/enumitem/enumitem.pdf

I've also come across this: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/4193978/columns-with-itemize
but I'd like something a little more flexible and compact

Thanks!

Answer 1

Perhaps the multienum package could be an option:

\documentclass[12pt]{article}
\usepackage{amssymb} %for \blacksquare
\usepackage{multienum}

\newcommand{\rsqr}{\raisebox{0.4ex}{\tiny $\blacksquare$}}

\newlength\myindent
\newlength\mylen

\renewcommand{\itemxx}[2]{%
  \setlength\mylen{\remainxx}
  \addtolength\mylen{-\myindent}
  \hskip\myindent
  \parbox[t]{\labelwidth}{\hfill\labelenumi}%
  \hskip\labelsep
  \parbox[t]{0.5\mylen}{\raggedright #1}%
  \hfill\parbox[t]{\labelwidth}{\hfill\labelenumi}%
  \hskip\labelsep
  \parbox[t]{0.5\mylen}{\raggedright #2}\smallskip}


\newenvironment{listable}[1][0cm]
  {\begin{multienumerate}
    \setlength\myindent{#1}
    \renewcommand\labelenumi{\rsqr}
    \setlength\itemsep{-.5\baselineskip}
  }
  {\end{multienumerate}}

\begin{document}

\begin{listable}
    \mitemxx{Lots and lots of text, oh my!}{More and more text}
    \mitemxx{word}{All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy}
\end{listable}

\begin{listable}[4em]
    \mitemxx{Lots and lots of text, oh my!}{More and more text}
    \mitemxx{word}{All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy}
\end{listable}

\end{document}

The optional argument of the listable environment controls the indentation from the left margin (default value: 0cm).