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Now that you've mastered the details of configuring Word to serve as a Web page editor according to your needs, you're ready to look at some of the Web page creation features in Word. As mentioned, you can choose from a variety of approaches when you're creating Web pages: You can save an existing document as a Web page, open a new blank Web page, base your Web page on templates, or create an entire site using the Web Page Wizard. In this section, we'll take a brief look at some of the techniques you can use to get your Web pages off on the right foot.
The process of saving existing documents as Web pages is discussed in the section "Saving Your Web Pages" .
If you want to create a Web page without using a template, your best bet is to start by opening a blank Web page. To do so, open the New Document task pane (by choosing File, New), and click the Blank Web Page link. When you open a blank Web page, Word automatically disables features that aren't supported on the Web by the target browser(s) specified on the Browsers tab in the Web Options dialog box (as described in the section "Specifying Target Browser Options"). For example, underline colors aren't supported when you create Web pages. In addition, the New Blank Document icon on the Standard toolbar changes to a New Web Page icon, so when you're working on a Web page, you can quickly create a new, blank Web page by clicking the New Web Page button on the Standard toolbar.
To customize your Web pages, you can integrate of number of Word features, just as you do when you create other Word documents. The following features will come in especially handy when you're creating Web pages:
Remember, creating a Web page from a blank Web page document is the same as creating a document from a new, blank document. If you'd like to jump-start your Web page creation project, you might want to try out the default Web page templates provided in Word, as described next.
If you need a little help getting started on your Web page, you can turn to the templates available in the Templates dialog box for ideas. You'll probably find that Word provides a template that will serve your needs nicely. By default, Word offers seven Web page templates (in addition to the Blank Web Page template): Column With Contents, Frequently Asked Questions, Left-Aligned Column, Personal Web Page, Right-Aligned Column, Simple Layout, and Table Of Contents.
To access the Web page templates, follow these simple steps:
Figure 31-8. By default, Word includes seven Web page templates that contain preformatted page layouts and placeholder text.
Tip
The main advantage of using templates is that you can instantly start to focus on your Web page's contents instead of the page's layout and formatting.
To streamline Web page creation beyond using templates, you might want to put the Web Page Wizard to work. When you work though this wizard, you have the opportunity to add existing documents and Web pages to your Web site, apply a theme, insert a hyperlink bar (such as a navigation bar or a menu bar), and automatically use frames. By the time you complete the wizard, you'll have an almost complete Web page or Web site that you can fine-tune to suit your preferences.
Tip - Prepare text before running the Web Page Wizard
If possible, prepare a text file for each page you plan to include in your Web site using standard Word default styles, such as Heading 1, Normal, and so forth. If your existing Word documents use default Word headings, your Web pages' text will be automatically formatted according to the theme you select while working through the Web Page Wizard.
To use the Web Page Wizard, follow these steps:
You'll find that the Web Page Wizard will enable you to quickly pull together a functional Web page or Web site that you can customize to suit your needs. The wizard comes in especially handy when you're creating Web pages based on existing documents. For example, you might want to use the Web Page Wizard to create an online résumé based on an existing Word version of your résumé, or maybe you'd like to post your company's policies on line and you already have the policies in Word format. Using existing documents, the Web Page Wizard can help you to quickly create a Web site containing formatting and hyperlinks to related information.
Tip - Modify your Web pages for your server
Before you create a Web site using Word's Web Page Wizard, you should check with your Internet hosting service or network administrator regarding a few specifics. Namely, you should check your server's policies regarding .htm vs. .html extensions, default vs. index home-page naming schemes, and the use of spaces in file names. By default, the Web Page Wizard generates HTML files using .htm extensions and allows you to use file names that contain spaces. In addition, the wizard names your home page default.htm instead of index.htm. If your server doesn't support the wizard's defaults, you'll have to edit your Web page's HTML code to conform to your server's specifications.