55. A method according to claim 39 wherein the document is stored in the memory means as at least one record and further including the step of: defining the beginning and ending of at least one range delineating the document portions for which the first set of characteristics are desired by associating place marks with the document text defining at least the beginning and end of the range without displaying such place marks to the document composer with the text during composition; associating control information with each record relating to the points in which a name associated with a set of data presentation characteristics begins or ends; said control information including an offset defining the bytes of the record, relative to the first record byte, that the characteristics begin and end; and an identifier that identifies said name.
55. A method according to claim 39 wherein the document is stored in the memory means as at least one record and further including the step of: defining the beginning and ending of at least one range delineating the document portions for which the first set of characteristics are desired by associating place marks with the document text defining at least the beginning and end of the range without displaying such place marks to the document composer with the text during composition; associating control information with each record relating to the points in which a name associated with a set of data presentation characteristics begins or ends; said control information including an offset defining the bytes of the record, relative to the first record byte, that the characteristics begin and end; and an identifier that identifies said name. 56. A method according to claim 55, storing with each record an indication of the names which are currently active at the end of each record.