Patent ID: 6996772

Claim:
A method to format a content item, comprising: converting the content item embodied in a text file into an indiscriminate markup file in at least one processor based system; transforming the content item embodied in the indiscriminate markup file into a discriminate markup file in the at least one processor based system, the discriminate markup file including a number of discriminating tags that are associated with a number of content elements, wherein the step of transforming the content item embodied in the indiscriminate markup file into the discriminate markup file further comprises: providing a discrimination stylesheet that includes a set of discrimination instructions to transform the indiscriminate markup file into the discriminate markup file; applying the discrimination stylesheet and the indiscriminate markup file to a transformation processor, thereby implementing the set of discrimination instructions; and wherein the step of providing the discrimination stylesheet further comprises: providing a heuristics markup file that sets forth a relative position of the content elements of the content item embodied in the indiscriminate markup file; providing a heuristics stylesheet that sets forth a set of heuristic instructions to translate the heuristics markup file into the discrimination stylesheet; and applying the heuristics markup file and the heuristics stylesheet to a transformation processor to generate the discrimination stylesheet.