Imports System
Imports System.Collections.Generic

Module Colmize

    Sub Main()
        ' Example usage of the colmize function
        Dim entries As New List(Of String) From {
            "Item1", "Item2", "Item3", "Item4", "Item5",
            "Item6", "Item7", "Item8", "Item9", "Item10"
        }

        Dim maxCols As Integer = 80
        Dim space As Integer = 2
        Dim minWidth As Integer = 0
        Dim rowWise As Boolean = False
        Dim distribute As Boolean = True

        Colmize(entries, maxCols, space, minWidth, rowWise, distribute)
    End Sub

    Sub Colmize(entries As List(Of String), maxCols As Integer, space As Integer, minWidth As Integer, rowWise As Boolean, distribute As Boolean)
        Dim mean As Double = 0
        Dim cols As Integer
        Dim lines As Integer
        Dim width As New List(Of Integer)()
        Dim i As Integer = 0

        ' Calculate mean length of entries
        For Each entry In entries
            mean += entry.Length
        Next
        mean /= If(entries.Count > 0, entries.Count, 1)

        ' Determine the number of columns
        For cols = (maxCols + space) * 2 \ (mean + space) To 1 Step -1
            lines = (entries.Count + cols - 1) \ cols
            width.Clear()

            For j As Integer = 0 To cols - 1
                width.Add(minWidth)
            Next

            If rowWise Then ' Column-wise
                For Each entry In entries
                    width(i \ lines) = Math.Max(width(i \ lines), entry.Length + space)
                    i += 1
                Next
            Else ' Row-wise
                For Each entry In entries
                    width(i Mod cols) = Math.Max(width(i Mod cols), entry.Length + space)
                    i += 1
                Next
            End If

            Dim totalWidth As Integer = 0
            For Each w In width
                totalWidth += w
            Next

            If totalWidth <= maxCols + space Then
                Exit For
            End If
        Next

        ' Output data in columns
        Dim extra As Integer = If(distribute AndAlso (cols > 1), (maxCols - width.Sum()) / (cols - 1), 0)

        If rowWise Then ' Column-wise
            For i2 = 1 To lines
                Dim line As String = ""
                For j As Integer = 0 To cols - 1
                    If i2 + j * lines - 1 < entries.Count Then
                        line &= Left(entries(i2 + j * lines - 1), width(j) + extra).PadRight(width(j) + extra)
                    End If
                Next
                Console.WriteLine(line.Trim())
            Next
        Else ' Row-wise
            For i2 As Integer = 0 To lines - 1
                Dim line As String = ""
                For j As Integer = 1 To cols
                    If j + i2 * cols - 1 < entries.Count Then
                        line &= Left(entries(j + i2 * cols - 1), width(j - 1) + extra).PadRight(width(j - 1) + extra)
                    End If
                Next
                Console.WriteLine(line.Trim())
            Next
        End If
    End Sub

    ' Helper function to mimic the left string function
    Function Left(str As String, length As Integer) As String
        If str.Length <= length Then
            Return str
        Else
            Return str.Substring(0, length)
        End If
    End Function

End Module