Patent ID: 8261188

Claim:
An automated method of preparing a document for editing, the document including (i) a first graphical object having a plurality of properties stored therein, and (ii) a second graphical object having at least one variable field or property stored therein, the method comprising: (a) providing a user interface display screen that allows a user to design a document that includes a plurality of graphical objects; (b) creating the document on the user interface display screen; (c) adding the first graphical object and the second graphical object to the document; (d) the user identifying at least one variable field or property stored in the second graphical object which is a variable field or property other than the name, or filename, or identification of the second graphical object; and (e) defining a mapping between the identified variable field or property stored in the second graphical object and a property of the first graphical object stored therein, wherein the property of the first graphical object is a property other than the name property, or filename property, or identification property of the first graphical object, and wherein a document is prepared for editing by performing steps (a)-(e).