Patent US 5,359,708

A method of scanning and detecting format code changes is disclosed. The method is preferably utilized in a data processing system which includes a central processing unit, a random access memory, a bulk storage device, a display device and a printer. The method scans a document for format controls, detects a format control, retrieves information about the format characteristics in effect before and after that control, organizes that format characteristic information in a menu and displays that menu to the user. This method minimizes the amount of time spent editing format controls in a large document by fully informing the user of the underlying format characteristics associated with each format control.