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January 15, 2003
Create a Web Page with Your Word Processor
By Jeffrey Branzburg
Many teachers create their own Web pages to provide information for parents, assignments for students, and a place to post kids' work. Some program these pages using the HTML language or Web creation software such as Microsoft's FrontPage. Others use hosts, such as Yahoo GeoCities, Angelfire, MySchoolOnline, or Scholastic, which provide easy-to-use templates that generate Web pages. But what if you want more flexibility than a Web page host provides, yet do not feel ready for Web creation software or HTML? You might want to consider using your word processor to create your pages.
Capability Is Built In
Many major word processors, such as Microsoft Word and AppleWorks, include a feature that will automatically convert your word processed document into a Web page-including text, graphics, tables, charts, and the formatting you have applied (such as fonts, sizes, bold, italic, and so on). If you can use your word processor, you can create a Web page!
Step 1
To begin, create your document. Lay it out as you would like to see it on the Web, including your choices for fonts, sizes, pictures, clip art, and graphics. A caution, though-you may use some formatting options in your word processor that some Web browsers don't support. Some word processors, such as Microsoft Word, will remove this formatting and substitute formatting supported by most Web browsers.
Step 2
After you have created your document, save it in the usual way, as a word processor document. This way you will have the original version of your document for when you want to make changes. Now saving it as a Web page is simple. In Word, for example, saving a document as a Web page is as easy as pulling down the "File" menu, clicking "Save as Web Page," opening the folder in which you wish to save the page, typing a name for the file in the "File name" box, and clicking "Save." Your Word document will be changed to a Web page and saved to your computer. (You will still need to upload your page to a Web server so it will be viewable on the Web, however.)
Keep It Simple
The final "look and feel" of your Web page may differ somewhat from the word processed document. This is due to the differences between a word processor and the HTML language that is behind most Web pages. It is best to keep your formatting simple to ensure the greatest similarity between your word processed document and its Web page version.
Before and After
These screen shots demonstrate the difference between a word processed page and the Web page generated by saving it as HTML. As you can see, the formatting differences are minor. The main one here is the line break in the sentence below the photograph.
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