Mulit-Browser support

@_workJun 18.2003

I’m having some trouble with non-IE browsers and the .htm files that you can create with Excel. Basically they do not look the same in IE and lets say Safari.

I’m curious if anyone knows of a way to export Excel files on a Mac as .htm files and have them be viewable by non-IE browsers?

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8 Comments(s) _↴

@Khalid_AliJun 18.2003 — #I don't think thats an easy task.Because excel spits out allots of ,and I mean allots of ie specific crap in those auto generated htm files,and the browsers (now adays) tend to follow standards,hence they will not able to render the MS specific crap..I bet if you create a page and viewed it on windows in IE and then try to view the same page in IE on MAC it wont work.since IE on MAC is allot more standard compliant then IE on window..

@_workauthorJun 19.2003 — #The major problem I'm running into is that in Safari Excel and Word generated .html files tend to have some text display normaly, and the rest uses special letters instead of normal ones. I thought at first It might be because I was using a font that was unsupported by Safari, or that I had not set up the fonts correctly in Safari....but even after changing both the original sourch .doc file's fonts and re-outputting as an HTML file, the result is the same. I've tried all the really basic fonts, Arial, Helvetica, Times, Geneva, Times new Roman for both the source file and for Safari's settings, but when displayed it still uses special charcters.

@khakiJun 19.2003 — #hi @work...

i wouldn't concern yourself with the browsers.

they aren't the real problem here.

the real problem is that you are using MS Word and MS Excel as web editors.

you may be able to get by with that in a closed network that runs MS apps...

but on the web....

never

it's not worth the trouble.

you will [I]never[/I] get any 2 browsers to display Excel or Word generated pages the same way.

save yourself the headaches...

it will never happen.

? k

@_workauthorJun 19.2003 — #Your right, I should really do the pages using an HTML editor like Dreamweaver, and I intend to tell my bosses so.

However as it stands now they want the original files to be .doc and .xls files so that everyone who does not know how to make or edit a webpage can open them up, edit them, and simply save as a webpage.

Basically I'm in a tough spot, in a 3 month internship I am supposed to re-create a 300 page book of operating specifications in an online form that is easy to update, easy to navigate, and endlessly expandable in the fewest number of pages. They forbid me to use hard links or any system where the navigation might eventually expand and require the main page to scroll in order to see all the options. What I mean is, I coudln't just have a left hand frame with a list of links to the different pages...even with sub-menu's this could eventually become a very long list. On top of all this, they want to be able to edit and update the files in a way that does not require them to edit any HTML. I am to teach one person how to add new pages to the menu's, but other then that nobody is supposed to need to learn anything new.

I didn't know anything aside from very basic HTML and dreamweaver stuff, and yet I'm supposed to design something that erally should be done with high end databasing by an experienced developer.

So what do I do? I used a script i got off the web that uses arrays to create two menus, the first menu is a list of printing plants, the second menu is a list of the pages of information for that plant. Since you only need to know how to enter in a new line in the array, the one person I'm supposed to teach can create a new plant or information page item easily. The two menu items I have set into a static top frame, and the items of information they reference are displayed in a frame below. There are only 3 pages of HTML, one is an index page frameset, the others are the navigation frame and the display frame. Meets my fewest number of pages requirement. Because all the files can be opened, editied and saved into a web-viewbale format in thier native programs, nobody needs to learn HTML, that meets my other requirement.

So....now I'm faced with the fact that Safari does not correctly display the fonts on Excel and Word created html files and also will not run the javascript that I used to create my menu system. Actually I should say it works, but only until you select a menu item that links to a .gif, after which selecting another menu item does nothing. Sure, I can create HTML files and simply have them link to the .gifs, which works fine....but then If I need to change the name of a file or create a new one I'm now dealing with the .html files as well as the .gif's, something my bosses don't want.

The worst part is I really don't have the time to sit down and learn HTML, XML, etc because I'm supposed to get this done, and until I do I wont be able to work on the proofing room floor, learning stuff that is actually related to my major.

Sorry about the ranting, but the whole thing has caused me considerable stress. I have all these tools infront of me to create something really amazing, but I don't have the knowledge to use them or the time to learn it from the bottom up. Catch - 22. Anyway I'm not asking for any of you to design the site for me, and I know a lot of the questions I ask are probably redundant or unanswerable. But since I never know what someone might be able to suggest, I have to ask.

@khakiJun 19.2003 — #I really am sorry to hear about your dilemma and the stress that it is causing you.

the biggest problem that you confront is your brainless, back*ssward bosses...

who have less business sense than a rock.

they are fools.

you really will NEVER be able to do what they expect.

NO ONE can (and certainly not them).

they are FOOLS.

I'm sorry that you are exposed to that stupidity.

I wish you all the luck in the world...

and a lot of patience.

i'm really sorry ? ...

? k

@_workauthorJun 19.2003 — #I was able to solve the problem with Safari displaying fonts and I was able to figure out, I think, what its doing when it tries to display the gifs....but I dont know how to fix the problem.

I was using Safari's Activity window to try and get a feel for what was happening when a .gif item was selected. As best I can describe it somethiing like this occurs.

You start with a frameset, index, with two frams, a top frame with navigation drop down menus and a bottom frame that displays whatever file you select. For .html files tihis works, even .html files that contain .gifs. When a normal .gif is selected it displays...but it seems to cause the bottom frame to "dissapear". The menu items will no longer change what is displayed in the bottom frame because as far as Safari is concerned, the bottom frame is now the .gif file, not a frame. I have no idea if what I'm saying makes sense, I certainly don't have the background to know...but thats the best I can describe whats going on without posting all the code.

So, why is Safari handling the display of .gifs in a frame differnetly then IE5 does, assuming thats the problem and not the script itself. Maybe I'll go test by making another page without the script and see if it navigates.....be back later.

@khakiJun 19.2003 — #sorry @work...

I have no knowledge or experience with Safari

(as a matter of fact, I've never really even heard of it)

maybe someone else can give you info about how Safari handles different aspects of a page.

? k

@_workauthorJun 19.2003 — #Ok, at least I was able to determine its not the Javascript I'm using.....I created a test page with a Jump menu in a top frame that would display in a bottom frame, it loads HTML fine but freezes afte it loads any .gif. You can select items, they just wont target mainFrame anymore like they used to. Anyone have any clues?