System and method for conversion of directly-assigned format attributes to styles in a document

A method of formatting a computer-readable document comprising a plurality of objects having directly-assigned attributes, the method comprising:

• receiving a request from a user to convert directly-assigned attributes to at least one conversion style element;
• detecting objects, in said computer-readable document, having directly-assigned attributes, wherein each attribute in said directly-assigned attributes was assigned individually to at least one object in said objects by a user while said user had said computer-readable document opened, and further wherein each of said directly assigned attributes specify individual formatting of one of said objects within said computer-readable document;
• creating, automatically, a conversion style element for every detected combination of directly-assigned attributes in the computer-readable document;
• and
• replacing directly-assigned attributes of each detected object by a reference to one conversion style element wherein said one conversion style element corresponds to said directly-assigned attributes in formatting of said each detected object, wherein an object, in said computer-readable document, having a directly assigned attribute is detected by said method, and a same object, in said computer-readable document, without a directly assigned attribute is not detected by said method.

A computer system comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory storing a method for formatting a computer-readable document comprising a plurality of objects having directly-assigned attributes, wherein upon execution of said method on said processor said method comprises:
• detecting objects, in said computer-readable document, having directly-assigned attributes, wherein each attribute in said directly-assigned attributes was assigned individually to at least one object in said objects by a user while said user had said computer-readable document opened, and further wherein each of said directly assigned attributes specify individual formatting of one of said objects within said computer-readable document;
• creating, automatically, a conversion style element for every detected combination of directly-assigned attributes in the computer-readable document;
• and
• replacing directly-assigned attributes of each detected object by a reference to one conversion style element wherein said one conversion style element corresponds to said directly-assigned attributes in formatting of said each detected object, wherein an object, in said computer-readable document, having a directly assigned attribute is detected by said method, and a same object, in said computer-readable document, without a directly assigned attribute is not detected by said method.

A computer program product having stored thereon a method of formatting a computer-readable document comprising a plurality of objects having directly-assigned attributes, the method comprising:

• detecting objects, in said computer-readable document, having directly-assigned attributes, wherein each attribute in said directly-assigned attributes was assigned individually to at least one object in said objects by a user while said user had said computer-readable document opened, and further wherein each of said directly assigned attributes specify individual formatting of one of said objects within said computer-readable document;
• creating, automatically, a conversion style element for every detected combination of directly-assigned attributes in the computer-readable document;
• and
• replacing directly-assigned attributes of each detected object by a reference to one conversion style element wherein said one conversion style element corresponds to said directly-assigned attributes in formatting of said each detected object, wherein an object, in said computer-readable document, having a directly assigned attribute is detected by said method, and a same object, in said computer-readable document, without a directly assigned attribute is not detected by said method.