A word processor application is provided for creating word processor documents wherein the data and presentation can be separated. Data can be stored in a separate location from the presentation surface of the word processor document. Users of the word processor application can establish links (or bindings) between the contents of the data and the presentation surface. A user can modify contents of a word processor document by directly changing the linked data without having to deal with the complexity of the presentation format, which can be constantly changing. A user can modify content of a word processor document, by editing a data store without any knowledge of the current layout of the presentation surface. A user can modify complex backing data through simple document edits, without exposure to the complexities of the data structure.