Though it might seem like the easiest option, producing your web pages using Microsoft Word can be a nightmare. There are a few good reasons why you might like to think of other ways of producing your HTML and there are also a few more tips for T171 if you do decide to use Microsoft Word!! Good luck! :o)

One of the requirements of T171 is a flat file structure (click here for more details on that) - so when Word goes and creates a whole load of subfolders for each of your web pages, without you asking... it can be a tad frustrating to say the least!!

To stop that happening just do the following:

Click on "Tools" and then "Options". In the menu that appears click on the tab labelled "General" and click on the button called "Web Options". The following screen appears:

Take the tick out of the box next to "Organize supporting files in a folder". Now when you save your web page, all images and other bits 'n' bobs will be plonked into the same folder as the rest of your site. Sorted!!!

What do I mean by that? Well - take a look at the following files... they're identical to all intents and purposes, but one was created in Word, one using a simple HTML editor (Netscape Composer in this case) and the last using plain old HTML, written in Notepad.

Click on the following links to view 'em:

a.  Word version
b.  Netscape Composer version
c.  Notepad HTML version

The Word version is 4KB in size, the Netscape one is 2KB and the one done in Notepad is just 1KB! Word generated 4 times the amount of gubbins that you would put in by hand!!! In terms of downloading a page, that might not make a huge amount of difference - but the page I did was tiny!

The other issue is that it is extremely difficult to track down problems in a web page generated by Word. Try looking at the source code for the graphic I've got on the example page above. The graphic is called "me.gif". On the Word version it's a nightmare to find! Imagine that you were having trouble with your web page - working with the HTML Word churns out is very difficult. Be warned!!

Using Word not only makes large files, but it makes troubleshooting bloomin' hard work!

If you want to put a picture into your web site or report, then a normal HTML Editor would let you click on "insert" and then "picture" or "file"... whatever. Word on the other hand appears to let you do that, but instead what it does is create copies of the images you've selected. You'll find that if your main document is called "sarah.htm" that you'll have a load of images called "sarah_image001.gif", "sarah_image002.gif" etc.

So... how do you get around this and get control of your graphics with Word? Simple! When you go to insert a piccie:

After you've selected the piccie... don't just click on "Insert". There's a drop down arrow next to it... click on that.

Then select "Link to File". Rather than creating a copy - you'll get a standard link to your chosen image! Phewie!

Though I'm certainly not anti-Microsoft, you should be aware that if you're designing web sites for T171 you cannot guarantee that the person marking your page is using Internet Explorer. They might be using Netscape, Opera... or something else. You need to make sure that as many people as possible get to see your hard work... unfortunately Microsoft Word doesn't always make that possible.

Some of the "quirks" of Word's HTML is the way it deals with graphics and fonts... because of this, you may well spend ages creating graphics in Word, adding shadow effects etc etc... and then, horror of horrors, find that in Netscape nothing - or something very strange shows up. If you're going to use graphics, the best advice is to create them in a proper graphics package or import 'em from elsewhere. If you don't, then you could have a temperamental nightmare on your hands!

Have a look at the various options Word gives you "Tools", "Options", "General" and "Web Options". If it says you can save the page in a format that's compatible with early browsers - take that option! Though you may not be able to do all the fancy effects, it will save you a lot of grief in the long run.

If you do have another HTML Editor available to you, try to get to grips with it. Though Word might at first appear easy, its quirks when it comes to producing web pages compliant with the expectations of T171 can cause you more grief than it's worth. After all, you don't want to be battling with losing images, or pages not displaying properly when you've got the real work of writing a good TMA looming over you!

If you really want to use Word, then be aware of its drawbacks and limitations from the start - that way, at least come "submitting" time, you won't be caught out too much!!!