* associations are only to be used in this example
     * in real life example, just use the idxml from the added widget
     */
    $associations = array('interface/somepanel' => $panel, 'interface/someform' => $form, 'interface/somegrid' => $grid);
    foreach ($portalColumns as $k => $widgets) {
        //instanciate a column
        ${'column' . $k} = ${'tab' . $item}->startColumn(array('columnWidth' => $portalColumnsSize[$k] / 100));
        foreach ($widgets as $widget) {
            ${'column' . $k}->addItem($associations[$widget->idxml]);
        }
        //end the instanciation of a column
        ${'tab' . $item}->endColumn(${'column' . $k});
    }
    $layout->endTab(${'tab' . $item});
}
/**
 * the old code for constructing the columns
 */
/*$column1=$layout->startColumn(array('columnWidth'=>'0.50'));
$column1->addItem($grid);
$layout->endColumn($column1);

$column2=$layout->startColumn(array('columnWidth'=>'0.25'));
$column2->addItem($form);
$layout->endColumn($column2);

$column3=$layout->startColumn(array('columnWidth'=>'0.25'));
$column3->addItem($panel);
$layout->endColumn($column3);*/
$layout->end();