Abstract: A system and method for defining specifications for outputting content to multiple formats. More specifically, a system and method for creating a single multi-purpose stylesheet file from a single user interface, the single multi-purpose stylesheet being capable of designing multiple output media formats. For example, the multi-purpose stylesheet may convert input XML content to HTML, PDF, PostScript, WML, or other output formats. The method may include creating or modifying a multipurpose stylesheet containing formatting rules corresponding to various properties of different output media formats. A user can configure the multi-purpose stylesheet by selecting different formatting properties for different output media formats.