[Hidden-tech] MS Word to HTML Code

[Robert Heller]

At Tue, 02 Mar 2010 12:00:22 -0500 Rich <rich at on-the-net.com> wrote:

> 
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> 
> 
> 
> 
> ---Executing: recode
> Many people have responded to Claudia -- with the basically obvious answer
> MSword can do it - WELL ...
> 
> Not really - on 2 counts:
> 
> 1) a 300 page book is not same thing that the 'save as word' can handle 
> properly - it will make a html document that exceeds the limits of any 
> browser
> and clearly any reader -- so what is needed is something that handles 
> paging and a TOC
> 
> 2) as some have commented on the html is REALLY terrible - word tries 
> for exactly what the page looks like
> in word - not something html is very good at -- so the code is a night 
> mare and very browser display intensive.
> 
> SO anyone have an idea of a practical solution ?
> 
> I am famility with systems like DocBook (http://www.docbook.org/) that 
> has many output modes
> not sure if it can start with a Word Doc - even in rtf form.

Virtually *all* of the good solutions cannot start with a Word Doc.  One
of the best solutions is LaTeX => HTML via HT4Tex.  DocBook is another
(again a Word Doc is NOT a supported input format).

It you really want the book converted to *good* HTML, you may have to
first convert the MS-Word doc file to something else.  *Unfortunatly* I
don't know of *any* good automated tools to do that and I am uncertain
that any exist.  You may end up using something like antiword to
convert the doc file to basically plain text, with the formatting
pretty much stripped out.  Then you'll have to re-insert markup (eg
LaTex or DocBook or SGML or XML) and then run the result through a
formatting program that generates the HTML. HT4Tex can be set to
generate a TOC and separate HTML files by chapter or section, for
example. HT4Tex does a wonderful job -- I use it for my stuff (all of
my documents start out as LaTeX). I use it for articles I post on my
website and for internal documentation for applications I build. I
suspect that DocBook can do that also (I think DocBook starting format
of choice is SGML or XML).  I don't know if MS-Word's XML format is even
remotely compatible with DocBook -- I would suspect NOT.

This is probably not what Claudia wanted to hear.

> 
> Any other ideas
> 
> Rich
> 
> PS  -- I hope those that were blocked appreciate that too many of the 
> same answer has to be prevented
> and since you don't know who else answered - it's up to me (list 
> moderator) to filter
> 
> On 3/2/2010 11:22 AM, Jeffrey Peck wrote:
> >   
> >
> > If you are using Word 97 or newer,  there should be an option to "Save 
> > as HTML".  The following link provides some detail on what to expect 
> > and some issues that may be encountered:
> > http://www.temple.edu/cs/web/wordconvert.html
> >
> > Perhaps some other Hidden-Tech users have some good/bad experience 
> > with this feature?
> >
> > - Jeff
> >
> > On Mar 2, 2010, at 10:00 AM, Claudia Gere wrote:
> >
> >>   ** Be sure to fill out the survey/skills inventory in the member's 
> >> area.
> >>   ** If you did, we all thank you.
> >>
> >>
> >> I´m looking for the easiest/cleanest way to turn a Microsoft Word 
> >> document (a 300-page book, text with simple formatting, no photos) 
> >> into HTML code. Does anyone have experience using an application 
> >> (free or fee) for this purpose?
> >> Thank you, Claudia
> >> Claudia Gere & Co. LLC
> >> Helping smart people become outstanding authorsTM
> >> Produce, Publish, Promote
> >> Follow me on Twitter: @claudiagere
> >> Aspiring Authors Workshops
> >> www.claudiagereco.com/Workshop.html 
> >> <http://www.claudiagereco.com/Workshop.html>
> >> Claudia at ClaudiaGereCo.com <mailto:Claudia at ClaudiaGereCo.com>
> >> www.ClaudiaGereCo.com <http://www.claudiagereco.com/>
> >> +1 413 259 1741
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-- 
Robert Heller             -- 978-544-6933
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