Laying out a word document so that the html version looks the same as the .doc version

[Omatase]

I have an application where I must do mail merging, then send the
merged document in an html email. Since the saveas html feature in
word wasn't giving me what I needed I started looking at 3rd party
tools to convert from .doc to .html. I have looked extensively and
have not found what I need.

I am now to the point where I feel like I can probably modify the
source word document in a way that will coerce Word's html generation
engine to work like I need it.

Here is a link to a sample of the documents that I am working with:
http://www.del337ed.com/files/misc/sample.doc

To reproduce the problem I am speaking of, just open the doc in Word,
click File, Save As and choose HTML as the type (filtered or otherwise
doesn't matter). Once you click save you should notice the two picture
boxes that originate on the right-hand side of the document slide all
the way over to the left and instead of being next to eachother they
wind up one over the other.

Appreciate the help!

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

If you work on the document in Web Layout view, you should be more aware of
what will happen when the document is saved as HTML.

 

[Omatase]

Thanks for the posting Suzanne! It sounds like a good tip.

I'm asking for any advice on what formatting tricks I can try to fix
it while in web layout view. I want to alter the document as little as
possible as these documents are also used for printing and will need
to work over the printer still. I realize it will be a delicate
balance and that is why I'm asking for help. Is there some sort of
literal object I can use in Word that will keep the picture boxes on
the right-hand side of the page? Something along those lines seems
like it would be the best solution for my problem.

The big picture is I have thousands of these documents that are
already in existence and that all look the same (with basically just
varying body text). I need to determine with the fewest number of
steps how to get them into a format that will be friendly with Word's
html generator as well as the printer. Then I can programmatically
change each of these documents to have the new formatting changes.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

In FrontPage, there are ways to make pictures align right, so I suppose
there must be some equivalent in Word. What position settings are you using
on the Advanced tab of the Wrapping properties?

 

[Omatase]

If you have time I would really appreciate it if you could look at the
doc I posted online. The link is in my first post. The image box is
initially set to absolute positioning but I have tried the different
options in the advanced tab without a good result. I can get the
picture boxes to align right but it doesn't seem to honor the right
margin of the document.

Again thank you for your help thus far.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Someone may be able to help you, but I doubt it will be me, as I'm leaving
town for the weekend, and I really have no experience creating good HTML
from Word.

 

[Omatase]

Thanks Suzanne,


anyone?

 

[Robert]

Hi,
If I save your document as HTML in Word 2007, I get a message saying that
the boxes will not be saved as is. They are automatically saved as you see
them, i.e. aligned vertically.
I am afraid you'll have to look for a different "converter". Word cannot
manage this.

Cheers
Robert

 

[Graham Mayor]

The problem is that Word document format and HTML are entirely different
entities. HTML does not use pages (your header/footer will have to go) and
there are no margins, as HTML will warp to the browser window rather than
some arbitrary printed page. To layout the document in anything like the
format you propose, you are going to have to use tables to create the
positions of the text blocks.

You can recreate the layout quite simply by using a three column six row
table (though you won't be able to have the floating boxes in the top
section.) Merge the third row cells for the body and merge the first two
columns in the last three rows and make the remaining columns of equal width
for the signature parts.

Then when you view in web view, the layout will not change, and when you
save the table as html and view it in a browser the grid lines will not
show. Note that you will not need borders on the table cells!


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Graham Mayor - Word MVP


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