Knowledge Base

WD97: Tab Character Appears as Space in Web Browser

Article ID: 172748

Article Last Modified on 1/20/2007

Microsoft Word 97 Standard Edition

This article was previously published under Q172748

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Word 97, when you save a document that contains tabs as HTML, the tab characters may appear as a single space if you view the document in a Web browser.

CAUSE

Word converts tabs into the HTML code for tab characters: "	" (without the quotation marks). However, most Web browsers display tabs as a single space.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, use a table or indents to layout text, instead of tab characters.

MORE INFORMATION

To observe this behavior, create a new document containing the following information:

1<TAB>fred <TAB><TAB>two tabs

where <TAB> is the character produced by pressing the TAB key.

Save the document as HTML. Word converts the text to the following HTML code:

<P>1	fred</P>
<P>		two tabs</P>

NOTE: To view the HTML code, click HTML Source on the View menu.

When viewed in a Web browser, the HTML document may appear as:

1 fred
two tabs

REFERENCES

For more information about inserting HTML tags, click the Office Assistant, type HTML tags, click Search, and then click "Insert HTML markup."

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:

120802 Office: How to Add/Remove a Single Office Program or Component

For more information about working with HTML in Word, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

157086 WD97: Limitations of Converting from Word Format to HTML

Additional query words: 8.0 8.00

Keywords: kbprb KB172748