Editing HTML

JohnH
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Editing HTML

Post by JohnH »

Some years ago I built a website for a small organisation. For the past few years, the person who worked there has done most of the editing herself, using Front Page. But she has left, and the so the new person has asked me to make some changes. I work with a text editor (Homesite) so I need to be able to read the code to make sense of it.

So today I have spent hours removing vast slabs of code like this. What follows is one continuous slab of HTML as it was in the document. I could not find any content that needed to be kept anywhere in this, or lots of similar ones.

What I am wondering is "Why is it there?" does this reflect how bad Front Page was? Or just how it was used.

Code: Select all


<B><FONT size=3><SPAN
      style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; COLOR: black"><FONT
      color=#0000ff size=4>
      <span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></FONT></SPAN></FONT></B></p>
<p align="left">
<span lang="en-us" style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; color:#800000; background-color:#FFFFFF" span &nbsp;
<table id="table1195" cellSpacing="2" cellPadding="2" width="614" border="0">
<span lang="en-us" style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; color:#800000; background-color:#FFFFFF" span &nbsp;
<b <table id="table1196" cellSpacing="2" cellPadding="2" width="615" border="0">
<span lang="en-us" style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; color:#800000; background-color:#FFFFFF" span &nbsp;
<table id="table1197" cellSpacing="2" cellPadding="2" width="614" border="0">
<span style="background-color: #FFFFFF; font-family:Verdana; color:black; font-size:11pt" lang="en-us" span &nbsp; <b <table id="table1198" cellSpacing="2" cellPadding="2" width="615" border="0">
<span lang="en-us" style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial" span &nbsp;
<table id="table1199" cellSpacing="2" cellPadding="2" width="775" border="0">
<span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial" span &nbsp;
        <p class="Default" align="center">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color:#FFFFFF" span &nbsp; lang="EN-US" <b </span <table id="table1200" cellSpacing="2" cellPadding="2" width="614" border="0">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color:#FFFFFF" span &nbsp; lang="EN-US" <table id="table1201" cellSpacing="2" cellPadding="2" width="615" border="0">
<span lang="en-us" style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; background-color:#FFFFFF" span &nbsp;
<table id="table1202" cellSpacing="2" cellPadding="2" width="615" border="0">
<span lang="en-us" style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; color:#800000; background-color:#FFFFFF" span &nbsp;
<table id="table1221" cellSpacing="2" cellPadding="2" width="614" border="0">
<span lang="en-us" style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; color:#800000; background-color:#FFFFFF" span &nbsp;
<b <table id="table1222" cellSpacing="2" cellPadding="2" width="615" border="0">
<span lang="en-us" style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; color:#800000; background-color:#FFFFFF" span &nbsp;
<table id="table1223" cellSpacing="2" cellPadding="2" width="614" border="0">
<span style="background-color: #FFFFFF; font-family:Verdana; color:black; font-size:11pt" lang="en-us" span &nbsp; <b <table id="table1224" cellSpacing="2" cellPadding="2" width="615" border="0">
<span lang="en-us" style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial" span &nbsp;
<table id="table1225" cellSpacing="2" cellPadding="2" width="775" border="0">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color:#FFFFFF" span &nbsp; lang="EN-US" <b </span <table id="table1226" cellSpacing="2" cellPadding="2" width="614" border="0">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color:#FFFFFF" span &nbsp; lang="EN-US" <table id="table1227" cellSpacing="2" cellPadding="2" width="615" border="0">
<span lang="en-us" style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; background-color:#FFFFFF" span &nbsp;
<table id="table1228" cellSpacing="2" cellPadding="2" width="615" border="0"><B>
<FONT size=3>
<SPAN
      style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; COLOR: black">
<FONT
      color=#0000ff size=4>
      <span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;
<img border="0" src="2010%20Conference%20logo.bmp" width="651" height="185">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></FONT></SPAN></FONT></B></p>
<span lang="en-us" style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; color:#800000; background-color:#FFFFFF" span &nbsp;
<table id="table1395" cellSpacing="2" cellPadding="2" width="614" border="0">
<span lang="en-us" style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; color:#800000; background-color:#FFFFFF" span &nbsp;
<b <table id="table1396" cellSpacing="2" cellPadding="2" width="615" border="0">
<span lang="en-us" style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; color:#800000; background-color:#FFFFFF" span &nbsp;
<table id="table1397" cellSpacing="2" cellPadding="2" width="614" border="0">
<span style="background-color: #FFFFFF; font-family:Verdana; color:black; font-size:11pt" lang="en-us" span &nbsp; <b <table id="table1398" cellSpacing="2" cellPadding="2" width="615" border="0">
<span lang="en-us" style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial" span &nbsp;
<table id="table1399" cellSpacing="2" cellPadding="2" width="775" border="0">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color:#FFFFFF" span &nbsp; lang="EN-US" <b </span <table id="table1400" cellSpacing="2" cellPadding="2" width="614" border="0">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color:#FFFFFF" span &nbsp; lang="EN-US" <table id="table1401" cellSpacing="2" cellPadding="2" width="615" border="0">
<span lang="en-us" style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; background-color:#FFFFFF" span &nbsp;
<table id="table1402" cellSpacing="2" cellPadding="2" width="615" border="0">
<span lang="en-us" style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; color:#800000; background-color:#FFFFFF" span &nbsp;
<table id="table1403" cellSpacing="2" cellPadding="2" width="614" border="0">
<span lang="en-us" style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; color:#800000; background-color:#FFFFFF" span &nbsp;
<b <table id="table1404" cellSpacing="2" cellPadding="2" width="615" border="0">
<span lang="en-us" style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; color:#800000; background-color:#FFFFFF" span &nbsp;
<table id="table1405" cellSpacing="2" cellPadding="2" width="614" border="0">
<span style="background-color: #FFFFFF; font-family:Verdana; color:black; font-size:11pt" lang="en-us" span &nbsp; <b <table id="table1406" cellSpacing="2" cellPadding="2" width="615" border="0">
<span lang="en-us" style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial" span &nbsp;
<table id="table1407" cellSpacing="2" cellPadding="2" width="775" border="0">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color:#FFFFFF" span &nbsp; lang="EN-US" <b </span <table id="table1408" cellSpacing="2" cellPadding="2" width="614" border="0">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color:#FFFFFF" span &nbsp; lang="EN-US" <table id="table1409" cellSpacing="2" cellPadding="2" width="615" border="0">
<span lang="en-us" style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; background-color:#FFFFFF" span &nbsp;
<table id="table1410" cellSpacing="2" cellPadding="2" width="615" border="0">
<B><FONT size=3><SPAN
      style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; COLOR: black"><FONT
      color=#0000ff size=4>
Regards

John

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HansV
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Re: Editing HTML

Post by HansV »

Programs such as Microsoft Word and FrontPage are notorious for the huge amounts of superfluous "garbage" they produce in their attempt to hide all the details of HTML coding from the user. But this is a particularly bad example, with lots of broken tags.

I don't do much HTML editing, but in situations like this, I find it easier to start from scratch than to try and clean up the mess.
Best wishes,
Hans

JohnH
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Re: Editing HTML

Post by JohnH »

HansV wrote:Programs such as Microsoft Word and FrontPage are notorious for the huge amounts of superfluous "garbage" they produce
Thanks. I am familiar with the long winded code they create, but this seems to be in a different league.

It may have been easier to start again. Because I had created the original framework for the pages, I decided to try to edit what was there.

I am sure "the operator" was part of the problem.
I ave just found this bit, that shows she does not know about right alignment.

Code: Select all

<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <A href="membership.htm#top">
Regards

John

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HansV
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Re: Editing HTML

Post by HansV »

Yes, I noticed that in your first example too. It's exactly how naive Word users format a document: instead of using tab positions to align text, they insert spaces, and instead of using styles, they apply direct formatting.
Best wishes,
Hans

JohnH
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Re: Editing HTML

Post by JohnH »

Funny you say that. Here is a view of one her Word docs that I need to fix up too! (If I can find out the password)
WordDoc.gif
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Regards

John

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HansV
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Re: Editing HTML

Post by HansV »

I've seen far too many documents like that... :crazy:
Best wishes,
Hans

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DaveA
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Re: Editing HTML

Post by DaveA »

Programs such as Microsoft Word and FrontPage are notorious for the huge amounts of superfluous "garbage"
Starting with a Word file when the user is using bad formatting habits does not help, such as "space space space space space space space space space space space space tab tab tab tab tab tab for starters.
I am so far behind, I think I am First :evilgrin:
Genealogy....confusing the dead and annoying the living

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Jezza
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Re: Editing HTML

Post by Jezza »

John

I tried to use the clean up HTML in Dreamweaver and it appears that this HTML page
is gone beyond repair as a lot of the tags are not closed properly and there is an over
use of span tags which are not closed properly and do not contain any relevant information.

Time to rebuild I fear as you will spend more time fixing otherwise.
Jerry
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JohnH
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Re: Editing HTML

Post by JohnH »

Thanks for those comments.

Whatever else they do, programs like Word and Front Page do at least close their tags, and (I think) nest them correctly. So I am still a bit puzzled about it how came to be such a mess.

There are are only a few pages to fix, and I am just about finished, so it is not a really bit deal.
Regards

John

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Jezza
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Re: Editing HTML

Post by Jezza »

It is a weird one John.

I look after a Customer Relationship Management system and one of my
little chores is to create a print receipt. I normally get the "business" to
create them with the company's logo and accreditations in a Word document.

I create the equivalent of merge fields in them and then save it as a Word HTML
page. I have nothing but problems with the MS HTML which puts span classes and
over verbose tags everywhere. My first chore is to do the method I explained above
but the are always orphaned tags, non-breaking spaces scattered like a massive
grammar monster has sneezed on the page.

I have known this to get worse when the original file was created this way and then
converted again in Frontpage ot Expression Web.

No rhyme, no reason, just a pain for the HTML puritan :innocent:
Jerry
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Re: Editing HTML

Post by JohnH »

jezza wrote:No rhyme, no reason, just a pain for the HTML puritan
Did you mean "HTML Purist"?

I have been trying to think of what the Puritans would have thought of HTML. :scratch:
Regards

John

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Jezza
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Re: Editing HTML

Post by Jezza »

I think I know what the Puritan's would have liked to have done with it :evilgrin:
Jerry
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HansV
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Re: Editing HTML

Post by HansV »

Puritan HTML:

<A href="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puritan">Puritans</A>
Best wishes,
Hans

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Re: Editing HTML

Post by StuartR »

I like the A-frame building
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Re: Editing HTML

Post by GeoffW »

HansV wrote:Yes, I noticed that in your first example too. It's exactly how naive Word users format a document: instead of using tab positions to align text, they insert spaces, and instead of using styles, they apply direct formatting.
It's interesting the number of resumes I get for jobs, where people list "advanced Woord" in their skills- when they can't even format their resume properly.

Not that that matters much in a Subway, but it does make one treat other claims with suspicion.