Outlook (Word) 2007 HTML and CSS rendering capabilities

[Zeyad Rajabi (MS)]

Question: Why does Outlook 2007 (WordMail) render HTML the way it
does?

Question: How do you create e-mails that will look great in Outlook or
Word 2007?



The answers to these questions can be found in the following MSDN articles:

a.. Word 2007 HTML and CSS Rendering Capabilities in Outlook 2007 (Part 1
of 2): http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa338201.aspx
b.. Word 2007 HTML and CSS Rendering Capabilities in Outlook 2007 (Part 2
of 2): http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa338200.aspx
c.. 2007 Office System Tool: Outlook HTML and CSS Validator:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=0b764c08-0f86-431e-8bd5-ef0e9ce26a3a&displaylang=en
The above articles give specific details on Word's HTML and CSS
specification. The articles provide information on supported and unsupported
HTML and CSS properties as compared to HTML 4.01 and CSS 1.0 and 2.0
specifications. Also included are validator tools that will validate HTML
and CSS against Word's HTML and CSS schema that will work in the following
programs:



· Microsoft Visual Studio 2005

· Microsoft SharePoint Designer 2007

· Microsoft Expression Web Designer 2007

· Macromedia Dreamweaver MX 2004

· Macromedia Dreamweaver 8



If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me.



Thanks,

Zeyad Rajabi (MS)

[Kris]

I can understand the word 2007 capabilities document. It says that using
background:url(image here) will not work, as it is not supported. My question
is...why? Also, when?
Why not support it? When will it be implemented. Why would you just skip
that over? Is it just not implemented, or will it never be implemented?
If this feature, and the many CSS tags listed in the unsupported section of
the capabilities chart are never going to be supported....then I think I'll
reconsider my decision to purchase office 2007 when it comes out, because
that's rediculous.

Post by Zeyad Rajabi (MS)
Question: Why does Outlook 2007 (WordMail) render HTML the way it
does?
Question: How do you create e-mails that will look great in Outlook or
Word 2007?
a.. Word 2007 HTML and CSS Rendering Capabilities in Outlook 2007 (Part 1
of 2): http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa338201.aspx
b.. Word 2007 HTML and CSS Rendering Capabilities in Outlook 2007 (Part 2
of 2): http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa338200.aspx
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=0b764c08-0f86-431e-8bd5-ef0e9ce26a3a&displaylang=en
The above articles give specific details on Word's HTML and CSS
specification. The articles provide information on supported and unsupported
HTML and CSS properties as compared to HTML 4.01 and CSS 1.0 and 2.0
specifications. Also included are validator tools that will validate HTML
and CSS against Word's HTML and CSS schema that will work in the following
· Microsoft Visual Studio 2005
· Microsoft SharePoint Designer 2007
· Microsoft Expression Web Designer 2007
· Macromedia Dreamweaver MX 2004
· Macromedia Dreamweaver 8
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me.
Thanks,
Zeyad Rajabi (MS)

[p***@tequila-uk.com]

"Why should we upgrade to Outlook2007???" - unfortunately from a
developers point of view, its going to be a case of not upgrading...
we're trying to build emails for many thousands of corporate clients
who are all going to be automatically upgrading & expect their emails
to look great...... which equals - Microsoft screwing over the consumer
AGAIN.

Question: Why does Outlook 2007 (WordMail) render HTML the way it
does?
*snip*
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me.
Thanks,
Zeyad Rajabi (MS)

The article does not explain the WHY question.
What is the motivation to drop support for so many CSS items?
Is it supposed to be a mitigation for phising emails?
All I know is that legit (X)HTML emails are not being correctly displayed in
Outlook 2007 whereas the (X)HTML itself renders fine in IE/Firefox.
-- A number of common CSS features are not supported (including float,
background-image!?)
--> I now have to resort to TABLEs to render otherwise simple things.
-- Setting the background-color on a DIV tag doesn't give the expected
0")
-- Using multiple CSS class names in an HTML CLASS attribute doesn't work,
<div class="box greenBackground">
content goes here
</div>
Only the first class is applied???
In the spec (MSDN), the CSS "display" element is first said to be present in
"CORE", only to claim it isn't supported in "Unsupported Cascading Style
Sheet Properties Compared with Cascading Style Sheets, Level 1" and
"Unsupported Cascading Style Sheet Properties Compared with Cascading Style
Sheets, Level 2.1".
The latter appears to be correct, "display" has no effect.
It isn't even possible to attach a "rich HTML file" as attachment in
Outlook2007 and preview it in the preview tab, because Outlook2007 has no
built-in previewer for HTML files ("full" HTML/CSS --> IE/Firefox).
I'm sorry, but creating good-looking e-mails for Outlook2007 is a hassle,
whereas Outlook2003 works great. Why should we upgrade to Outlook2007???

[Kris]

It's good to see that i wasnt alone in my strife.
I thought I was going insane when outlook 2007 wasnt rendering html as good
as a standard browser could. Absolutely rediculous...and to think, I helped
beta test this piece of software that microsoft has used to slap me in the
face with.

Post by p***@tequila-uk.com
"Why should we upgrade to Outlook2007???" - unfortunately from a
developers point of view, its going to be a case of not upgrading...
we're trying to build emails for many thousands of corporate clients
who are all going to be automatically upgrading & expect their emails
to look great...... which equals - Microsoft screwing over the consumer
AGAIN.

Question: Why does Outlook 2007 (WordMail) render HTML the way it
does?
*snip*
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me.
Thanks,
Zeyad Rajabi (MS)

The article does not explain the WHY question.
What is the motivation to drop support for so many CSS items?
Is it supposed to be a mitigation for phising emails?
All I know is that legit (X)HTML emails are not being correctly displayed in
Outlook 2007 whereas the (X)HTML itself renders fine in IE/Firefox.
-- A number of common CSS features are not supported (including float,
background-image!?)
--> I now have to resort to TABLEs to render otherwise simple things.
-- Setting the background-color on a DIV tag doesn't give the expected
0")
-- Using multiple CSS class names in an HTML CLASS attribute doesn't work,
<div class="box greenBackground">
content goes here
</div>
Only the first class is applied???
In the spec (MSDN), the CSS "display" element is first said to be present in
"CORE", only to claim it isn't supported in "Unsupported Cascading Style
Sheet Properties Compared with Cascading Style Sheets, Level 1" and
"Unsupported Cascading Style Sheet Properties Compared with Cascading Style
Sheets, Level 2.1".
The latter appears to be correct, "display" has no effect.
It isn't even possible to attach a "rich HTML file" as attachment in
Outlook2007 and preview it in the preview tab, because Outlook2007 has no
built-in previewer for HTML files ("full" HTML/CSS --> IE/Firefox).
I'm sorry, but creating good-looking e-mails for Outlook2007 is a hassle,
whereas Outlook2003 works great. Why should we upgrade to Outlook2007???

[geralddean]

I installed it 2x and did not see it in the list either.

The set up depends on which version you have installed. I have only
Dreamweaver 8 installed but for some reason it is set up to automatically
install in DreamweaverMX2004 which I do not have installed.

The correct folder is:
C:\Program Files\Macromedia\Dreamweaver 8\Configuration\BrowserProfiles

I downloaded the validator for Macromedia Dreamweaver 8 and installed it but
can find no documentation anywhere on how to run this. I also can see no new
icon or commands in Dreamweaver 8.
Please advise on how to use this.