Expert: Dianne - 4/19/2000

Question
Hi,
  I`m trying to create a website. I`ve used MS Word and Excel 2000 and saved the pages as .html. I then uploaded the files to GeoCities. I wanted to use GeoCities` page editor (Page Builder) to "jazz" them up, since Page Builder could  "read" previously created .html  formatted pages (which was the major attraction to me using GeoCities in the first place!).
  However, when I bring my .html page into Page  Builder, it eliminates all formatting, and changes all fonts into a global Helvetica 10 pt. It makes each line (in the case of Excel, every "cell") its own text box, and there`s no way to "select all" text boxes to change all fonts and formats back
to original. You have to go cell by cell. (you can see a "before" and "after" look at www.geocities.com/lemurstrat/atlanta.htm and www.geocities.com/lemurstrat/atlanta2.html - notice how the font size is larger, and everything is left-aligned).
  I`m looking for a page editor that will allow me to read previously created html pages from Word and Excel, and WON`T globally change all formatting OR one that will allow me to "cut-and-paste" data DIRECTLY from Excel and Word and overwrite the previous data, while still maintaining the other components of the page. I want it to be as easy as Page Builder where I need no knowledge of HTML. I want it to have the easy interface of Page Builder (if I want a counter, I select "counter" and place it). Finally, I want it to be free, if possible, since so many of the webpage editors seem to be :)
  Thanks for your help, in advance...

Answer
Hello Chris

You have hit on the precise reason I now write all my sites in raw HTML!  I am very happy with geocities now that I have abandoned their pagebuilder system. I'm afraid there is no way to centre your page / cells using pagebuilder: you would have to go into the Advanced HTML Editor (just a name designed to boost the user's ego - it's not all that advanced!!) and do it from there. As your page appears to be a straightforward table of stats., it would be pretty simple to type it straight in as a table (Using <TABLE><TR><TD> tags etc.) - once you set the tags for the first row you would just have to cut-and-paste all the subsequent rows. You could set ANY typeface you want (and any size, colour etc.) and have total control over the final appearance of your page, AND centre it too!  

I don't know whether you know any HTML - it's not hard to learn and it's very logical to use once you understand the basic rules. I have an HTML help site on http://www.geocities.com/dianne_davies/ which can get you started - there are instructions for simple tables there too, and lots more. You will find that typing in your own HTML gives a more satisfactory result in the end, the HTML is much neater and less prone to glitches. (And you can get really neat (i.e. tidy) counters from Webcounter on http://www.digits.com/ also free.)

Sorry if this isn't the answer you'd hoped for; if I can be of any use in sorting out your page in any way, get back to me and I'll be only too happy to help.