Patent ID: 8015487

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for processing a document, comprising: initiating execution of a computer program in a computer system, the computer program being configured to execute in each of at least an edit mode and a presentation mode, wherein the edit mode is configured to provide functionality for visually designing the document, and wherein the presentation mode is configured to provide functionality for interpreting portions of the document and rendering the document; in the edit mode: (A) displaying to a document designer (i) user editable portions of the document, (ii) a binding details pane for aggregating and displaying binding details associated with placeholders, and (iii) a content source pane for receiving user input for binding one or more placeholders to specific fields of a database; (B) inserting one or more of the placeholders in the document, each placeholder specifying one or more annotations and mock content, each mock content having an associated format; and (C) for each placeholder: formatting the placeholder's respective mock content based on the format associated with the mock content; and using the formatted mock content for rendering the document; and in the presentation mode: (D) for each placeholder: retrieving actual content based on the placeholder's respective annotations; formatting the retrieved actual content based on the format of the placeholder's respective mock content; and using the formatted actual content in lieu of the mock content for rendering the document, and where the mock content is not included in the rendering of the document in the second mode.