Documents that contain content information and script information that controls user-interactivity with the document are encoded as a content section that is separate from the script information. The script information contains references to the content section, which typically comprises text information. By segregating the text information from the script, all text applications are able to display an undisturbed copy of the text information. In a preferred embodiment, the script is appended to the text information segment of the document, so that the direct display of the initial portion of the document is an immediately readable version of the text. In a second encoding method, which can be independent or combined with the first method, the script information is encoded using "invisible" sequences of characters. In one example embodiment, unique sequences of invisible characters, such as space, backspace, tab, etc., are used to encode each script element. In another example embodiment, the script elements are encoded as a sequence of visible characters and corresponding invisible characters that have the effect of erasing the visible characters from view, such as backspace characters. By invisibly encoding the script elements, the direct display of the document will appear as a text document, because the script elements will either be self-erasing, or attached to the text document as "invisible" white space.