MS Word HTML Clean Up

Many folks have discovered the ability of Microsoft Word to export to HTML. Using this feature, one would think you could grab the HTML source code from your favorite Word document and plop it into a web page or discussion forum or other web form that accepts HTML. The result should be nicely formatted text, right? Not so.

In order to provide "round-trip" support (the ability to export a Word doc, edit it in another application, then open it in Word again), Word embeds many non-standard tags when it exports HTML. The result is that a Word-generated HTML document will wreak havoc in many online forums and will not display properly in browsers other than Internet Explorer.

There are several ways to clean up Word-generated HTML. Here are a few:

• In Word 2003 you can use the built-in functionality:
  
  Save As -> Web Page, Filtered (*.htm, *.html)



• For Word 2000, Microsoft has a plug-in that adds similar functionality.



• For Word 2004 for Mac, try this:
  
  Save As -> Format: Web Page (HTML) -> Click the "Save only display information into HTML" option
  
  If that doesn't work for your needs, try one of the options below.



• For other versions of Word, or if you would like a different solution, try uploading your Word-generated HTML file to the Textism Word Cleaner and it will give you cleaned-up HTML for cutting and pasting wherever your heart desires.



• If you're technically inclined and would like to take things a step further, jTidy will clean up your Word HTML and then validate it so you can be sure it's standards-compliant (hint: It probably won't be on the first pass).

Technology for Humans

For years I've repeated the mantra that technology should be in service to humans rather than the other way around. After all, we humans created this wonderful techno world with the idea that it could help make our lives easier. The difference between technology being of help and being a hinderance to our daily goings-on is often a small amount of missing information.

This blog will be a resource to answer common and not-so-common technology questions that my clients and colleagues encounter in their daily travels through their lives-supported-by-technology. Feel free to post your questions and I'll answer those that seem to be coming up most frequently.