13. The data storage device of claim 8 wherein the instructions that cause the one or more processors to maintain spacing of the user-generated input comprise instructions that cause the one or more processors to, for each of the fields, replace a character to be displayed in a different field with a space.
8. A non-transitory data storage device having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: present, via a graphical user interface, a plurality of fields including at least an input field to receive user-generated input, wherein the protocol to present the plurality of fields supports only a single format for the input field; receive the user-generated input with a computing platform providing the graphical user interface via the input field; parse the user-generated input based on formatting criteria, wherein the formatting criteria comprises N text formatting types to be applied to the user-generated input, wherein N is at least two; provide an underlay field for each of N−1 text formatting types; apply one of the text formatting types to each of the N−1 underlay fields and the input field; aligning the N−1 underlay fields and the input field, wherein in aligning comprises at least providing proper spacing between text characters and by superimposing a translucent field on top of a corresponding element with a text formatting type and in the one or more underlay fields only showing characters that are stylized in higher layers, replacing other characters with a space so non-space characters in the one or more underlay fields show through; display portions of the user-generated input within the corresponding fields while maintaining spacing of the user-generated input.