Rich content in a browser-based work processor

A computer-implemented method of generating a document from a document model, comprising:

• a document object model (DOM);
• identifying, with a computing device, one or more characters in a one-dimensional character string portion of the document model that includes the characters of the document;
• searching an electronic sparse map of styles portion of the document model that is separate from, but correlates to, the one-dimensional character string, for style markers that apply to a span of characters that covers the identified one or more characters;
• generating the document using the computing device by applying, to the one or more characters, formatting that corresponds to style markers found to apply to the span of characters;
• further comprising locating in the one-dimensional character string one or more identifiers for objects outside the document model, accessing the objects, and rendering the objects into the document;
• wherein the objects are images, lists or tables that are outside the document mode;
• wherein generating the document comprises traversing the one-dimensional character string using pointers in the sparse character map that are mapped to the character string, and applying a particular formatting between a first pointer that activates the formatting, and a second pointer that deactivates the formatting;
• and
• further comprising receiving user input in the document at a location between the first pointer and the second pointer, and adjusting a location in the character string to which the second pointer points by an integer number that is equal to a number of characters in the user input.

A model for an electronic document stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, the model comprising:

• a document object model (DOM);
• a one-dimensional character string portion of the model that includes a plurality of plaintext characters to be represented literally in the electronic document and one or more control codes for defining paragraph breaks in the electronic document;
• a map of styles portion of the model that is separate from, but correlated to, the one-dimensional character string, and that defines style markers that apply to a span of characters that covers the identified one or more characters;
• and
• one or more pointers in the model directed toward items external of the model to cause the external items to be incorporated into the electronic documents;
• wherein the items are images, lists or tables that are outside the document model;
• wherein reversing style changes are represented in the map of styles by a paired set of markers that are correlated with each other in the map of styles;
• wherein the markers in the paired set are arranged so that, if text is added in the document between the markers, the pointer for one of the markers shifts by an integer equal to a number of characters in the added text.