WD97: Style Changes Not Retained with HTML Styles

ID: Q173377

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Word 97 for Windows

SYMPTOMS

When you create an HTML document in Word, any customizations of HTML styles are not retained when you save, close, and reopen the document, or when you view the document in a Web browser. The text formatted with HTML styles reverts to the default HTML style format.

CAUSE

This behavior is by design. When a document containing text formatted with any of the HTML styles is saved as HTML, Word only saves the HTML tag of the style and does not save any attributes of the style.

MORE INFORMATION

HTML styles are retained in the HTML code as heading tags. For example, the HTML code for text formatted with the H1 style would look like this:

<H1>This is my heading</H1>

When text formatted with an HTML style tag is opened in a browser, the browser displays the text using its built-in definition for the H1 tag, and not how Word defines the H1 style.

Therefore, if you modify the HTML styles in Word, the changes appear on screen but are not preserved when you save the document as HTML.

The following HTML styles do not retain any changes you make to the style:

H1 through H6
Blockquote
Cite
Code
Comment
Definition
Definition Term
Definition List
HTML Markup
Keyboard
Preformatted
Sample
Typewriter
Variable
Emphasis
Followed Hyperlink
Hyperlink
Strong

The benefit of using HTML styles in your document is that Word retains the style structure of the document.

How to Retain Formatting in HTML Documents

To retain formatting in an HTML document, use either of the following methods:

Format your documents using styles other than HTML styles. When you save the document as HTML, Word converts any text not formatted with the HTML styles to the Normal style and converts any formatting to direct formatting.

-or-

Apply direct formatting to the text defined with the HTML style.

REFERENCES

For more information about saving formatting in HTML, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q157086 WD97: Limitations of Converting from Word Format to HTML

Q164011 WD97: Default Bullet Format Lost After Reopening HTML File

Q165233 WD97: Word Loses Center Align When Saving to HTML

Q165406 WD97: HTML Page w/Style Tag Doesn't Display in Internet Explorer

Q164618 WD97: Conversion of Bullets and Numbering

Q157477 WD97: Features Not Available During Web Authoring

For more information about styles and HTML, click the Office Assistant, type "styles HTML," click Search, and then click one of the topics.

NOTE: If the Assistant is hidden, click the Office Assistant button on the Standard toolbar. If Word Help is not installed on your computer, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q120802 Office: How to Add/Remove a Single Office Program or Component

Additional query words:

Keywords : word97
Version : WINDOWS:97
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbprb