Patent ID: 8026923

Claim:
A method, comprising: performing by a computer: receiving input which indicates selection of a text region; parsing the selected text region into a plurality of sub-regions; receiving, for at least one attribute for the selected text region, a beginning attribute value and an ending attribute value, wherein the at least one attribute defines a characteristic of text contained in the selected text region and is stored in association with the text contained in the selected text region; determining, dependent on the beginning attribute value and the ending attribute value, a plurality of attribute values, wherein each one of the plurality of attribute values corresponds to a respective one of the plurality of sub-regions, wherein each one of the plurality of attribute values is different from each other one of the plurality of attribute values, and wherein the plurality of attribute values are determined such that the plurality of attribute values vary across the selected text region from the beginning attribute value to the ending attribute value; and for each one of the plurality of attribute values, applying the one of the plurality of attribute values to a corresponding one of the plurality of sub-regions.