Excel Tables for a Wordpress Blog
May 27, 2013 8:56 AM Subscribe
I would like to reproduce my Excel tables as html for a Wordpress blog, but the "save for web" code does not work.
Several months ago I asked metafilter to name a program good for designing html tables without understanding code. No one named a Mac program that could do this. So I bought Dreamweaver. Dreamweaver, it turns out, does not do this. So ultimately I just started copying the html code for tables I found and liked from other webpages, and plugged in my own data. This is pathetic and time consuming, but at least it worked.
Now I've discovered that Microsoft Excel does what I wanted. I can design tables manually. But the html code it generates does not work on Wordpress. I don't understand why, but the code it's creating for these tables when I "save for web" is a lot more complex than the html code I'm taking from other webpages, even though the tables I create in Excel look exactly the same.
So I'm back to square one. Any advice?
Several months ago I asked metafilter to name a program good for designing html tables without understanding code. No one named a Mac program that could do this. So I bought Dreamweaver. Dreamweaver, it turns out, does not do this. So ultimately I just started copying the html code for tables I found and liked from other webpages, and plugged in my own data. This is pathetic and time consuming, but at least it worked.
Now I've discovered that Microsoft Excel does what I wanted. I can design tables manually. But the html code it generates does not work on Wordpress. I don't understand why, but the code it's creating for these tables when I "save for web" is a lot more complex than the html code I'm taking from other webpages, even though the tables I create in Excel look exactly the same.
So I'm back to square one. Any advice?
...name a program good for designing html tables without understanding code. No one named a Mac program that could do this. So I bought Dreamweaver. Dreamweaver, it turns out, does not do this.
Wait, what? Of course Dreamweaver does this.
This tutorial covers the basics, though I'd ignore the parts about spacer images, nested tables, & "creating tables in layout view." Just stick with the basics & you'll be fine.
Or install Ultimate TinyMCE as scruss suggested, then copy your table from Excel & click the "paste from word" icon to strip out some of the excess formatting.
posted by belladonna at 9:31 AM on May 27, 2013
Wait, what? Of course Dreamweaver does this.
This tutorial covers the basics, though I'd ignore the parts about spacer images, nested tables, & "creating tables in layout view." Just stick with the basics & you'll be fine.
Or install Ultimate TinyMCE as scruss suggested, then copy your table from Excel & click the "paste from word" icon to strip out some of the excess formatting.
posted by belladonna at 9:31 AM on May 27, 2013
There are lots of great table editors for Wordpress. Look in the plugin directory. http://wordpress.org/plugins/
posted by Fuzzy Dog at 9:36 AM on May 27, 2013
posted by Fuzzy Dog at 9:36 AM on May 27, 2013
There are several online "converters" that take copy/paste input and generate html table code for you.
Taleizer! is one of them.
posted by 1367 at 11:08 AM on May 27, 2013
Taleizer! is one of them.
posted by 1367 at 11:08 AM on May 27, 2013
Response by poster: Dreamweaver CS5 uses CSS or something. It's not producing simple HTML code, and even changing font colors is a weird chore.
I've seen a number of Wordpress plug-ins that look very interesting, but to use plug-ins you need to host your own website. I don't know how to do that.
All of the online table makers just have a few ugly templates. I want to design the tables myself. I need a real program.
posted by fucker at 11:16 AM on May 27, 2013
I've seen a number of Wordpress plug-ins that look very interesting, but to use plug-ins you need to host your own website. I don't know how to do that.
All of the online table makers just have a few ugly templates. I want to design the tables myself. I need a real program.
posted by fucker at 11:16 AM on May 27, 2013
Maybe overkill for displaying a table, but you can embed Excel into the page:
Embed an Excel spreadsheet on a web page - Office.com
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/excel/embed-an-excel-spreadsheet-on-a-web-page-FX102602477.aspx
posted by Boobus Tuber at 12:04 PM on May 27, 2013
Embed an Excel spreadsheet on a web page - Office.com
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/excel/embed-an-excel-spreadsheet-on-a-web-page-FX102602477.aspx
posted by Boobus Tuber at 12:04 PM on May 27, 2013
Make sure you are pasting the HTML from Excel into code mode, not Visual mode, in the Wordpress editor. You could also try downloading Open Office - it's save as HTML function produces cleaner code than Microsoft does. A third option would be to save the spreadsheet as a PDF then post the pdf file.
posted by COD at 1:26 PM on May 27, 2013
posted by COD at 1:26 PM on May 27, 2013
Is this hosted by Wordpress?
And I'm not clear on how to adjust the formatting much, if you want clean HTML and without touching CSS.
posted by Pronoiac at 1:59 PM on May 27, 2013
And I'm not clear on how to adjust the formatting much, if you want clean HTML and without touching CSS.
posted by Pronoiac at 1:59 PM on May 27, 2013
Blocknote does what you want in creating HTML with simple syntax. By default it creates borderless tables. If you want borders, edit the HTML to put border="x" within the table tag.
posted by megatherium at 2:32 PM on May 27, 2013
posted by megatherium at 2:32 PM on May 27, 2013
Response by poster: I can try OpenOffice, but I can't try Blocknote, because I'm on a Mac.
posted by fucker at 5:06 PM on May 27, 2013
posted by fucker at 5:06 PM on May 27, 2013
Dreamweaver CS5 uses CSS or something. It's not producing simple HTML code, and even changing font colors is a weird chore.
In the properties window, look for the "HTML" button in the left side & click it. This will let you define table cell background colors without CSS.
As far as changing font colors, here are instructions from http://forums.adobe.com/thread/644127. I just tried them & it worked with my copy of CS5.
"...Open the Favorites category of the Insert panel/bar, right-click, and select Customize Favorites.
In the dialog box that opens, select HTML from the Available objects menu. At the bottom of the list, you'll find Font Tag Editor. Highlight it, and click the double-chevron to move it to the right-hand panel. Click OK to insert the Font Tag Editor in your Favorites.
You can use the Font Tag Editor to style existing text with font tags."
posted by belladonna at 7:11 PM on May 27, 2013
In the properties window, look for the "HTML" button in the left side & click it. This will let you define table cell background colors without CSS.
As far as changing font colors, here are instructions from http://forums.adobe.com/thread/644127. I just tried them & it worked with my copy of CS5.
"...Open the Favorites category of the Insert panel/bar, right-click, and select Customize Favorites.
In the dialog box that opens, select HTML from the Available objects menu. At the bottom of the list, you'll find Font Tag Editor. Highlight it, and click the double-chevron to move it to the right-hand panel. Click OK to insert the Font Tag Editor in your Favorites.
You can use the Font Tag Editor to style existing text with font tags."
posted by belladonna at 7:11 PM on May 27, 2013
It's not the ideal solution, but for the quick-and-dirty way a screenshot always works.
posted by chrisinseoul at 11:17 PM on May 27, 2013
posted by chrisinseoul at 11:17 PM on May 27, 2013
Response by poster: Thanks for the tip, belladonna. I did manage to make Dreamweaver produce some semi-functional code. Better than nothing.
posted by fucker at 2:07 AM on May 28, 2013
posted by fucker at 2:07 AM on May 28, 2013
Have you tried Kompozer? It makes fairly clean HTML by default and there are plenty of online tutorials.
posted by flabdablet at 10:02 PM on May 30, 2013
posted by flabdablet at 10:02 PM on May 30, 2013
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Ultimate TinyMCE has a nice table editor, should you need it.
posted by scruss at 9:07 AM on May 27, 2013