Patent ID: 7500194

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for applying a slide layout having an arbitrary number of placeholders, comprising: determining characteristics for placeholders associated with an original layout for a slide; wherein the original layout is at a hierarchical level that is higher than the slide; determining characteristics for placeholders associated with a new layout that replaces the original layout, wherein the number of placeholders on the new layout may be fewer, the same, or more than the number of placeholders on the original layout and wherein either or both of the original layout and the new layout may be custom layouts; wherein the new layout is different from the original layout such that the new layout when applied to the slide provides a different look as compared to applying the original layout to the slide; wherein the characteristics determined include: a function of the placeholder; a name of the placeholder; a type of the placeholder; and a position of the placeholder; finding a match for the placeholders on the original layout to the placeholders on the new layout using the determined characteristics for the placeholder on the original layout and the determined characteristics for the placeholders on the new layout; and applying the new layout to the slide at the lower hierarchical level.