Introduction to Microsoft Word (Tables, Hyperlinks, HTML File)

1.) Tables

- Cells are the squares within a table that contain information.
- Column headings appear at the top of each column of data.
- Row labels are the text tags in the left column of the table. Not every table will need row labels; it will depend on the data I am trying to show. If I use row labels, I make sure they are descriptive enough that my reader understand what the data represents but short enough that they do not take up too much valuable space in my table.
- Keystrokes: certain keys will not work the way I would imagine them to when I work with Word tables. For example, pressing the ENTER key does not take me to the next column or row; instead, it adds a new blank line in the current cell.

The usage of tables in MS word is not something I do frequently, but yesterday, for a client, while trying to showcase how I arrived at an answer three different ways, I inserted a table with a header, 3 cells down and 5 cells left to right. I reasoned that this would aid my client in being able to visualize the formula I used.

2.) Inserting Hyperlinks

My favorite.

It is really just a matter of opening a browser, going to the website, copying the www address (the URL), coming back to my Word Document and pasting it where I wish.

Of course this looks messy when the link is long or heaven to murder-droids, it wraps and breaks the link. I make myself look good by pasting the whole link into the Word Document then right clicking the link and selecting EDIT Hyperlink. In the EDIT HYPERLINK pop-up window I look at the top where it says "Text to Display" and type a shorter title. This changes a long link to a short one (within the document) but maintains the actual link.

This "Inserting Hyperlink" option I use most frequently when I compose messages in Outlook since MS Word is my default composing program in the background.

3.) Save MS Word Documents in HTML format

I have never done this since I am a heavy user of FrontPage, another Microsoft Program; a HTML publishing/designing program. I cannot think of a reason as to why someone would want to use MS Word to create a HTML formatted document (i.e. a webpage) but then again, I do not see why someone would use Outlook Express instead of MS Office's Outlook either.

For the sake of this article, I will attempt to see what the "Save as HTML" may be used for.

The process, at the onset, appears simple. I create a Word Document and then go to FILE then to SAVE AS. Once I am at the pop-up window, I type name (in FILE NAME) that I wish and click on the drop down arrow underneath it (Save As Type). I pick the format I wish to save (HTML in this case) and voila, success.

Now I sit in front of my desk and look at this HTML test page in my 'saved documents' folder. It says test.html so ok, I figure I click on it. It opens in Word just like a regular document. Mhhhh ...so that was a waste.

Aha, light bulb moment.

I am sending it to myself via Outlook and see how it arrives. It comes into my Outlook and I click on the attachment. Wohooo...it opens in a browser. So logic tells me that I can create an HTML page with MS Word, one that can be viewed in a browser instead of within the MS Word Program. I guess this would work well if one would not have FrontPage like I do.

Ok, let us assume I do not. I, like many people all over the globe, have a yahoo account and with it, free publishing space under the Yahoo Community called Geocities. So I am getting brave .

I open a browser, go to Yahho, click on Geocities and I sign in to my Geocities account. (I will attempt to upload this HTML page I created in MS Word. One moment, I shall return after I do.)

Yes, yes yes ... it worked. I uploaded the MS Word created HTML page and it published and is visible. It does not open a program to view (like the Word Program before) and I am set to tell the world what I think on anything and about everyone. Blogging, here I come.