I am developing a web application and I want the users to be able to copy some parts of the page and paste them into MS Word with minimum loss of html formatting. For example users should be able to copy only a table from the page and paste it into word with minimum loss (assume that the page contains necessary mean,scripts to select only a single table or div).
How should I develop the html so that users can copy-paste with minimum loss? For example should I prefer tags like b,i instead of css, should I prefer inline css etc.
As long as you don’t rely on external CSS you’re good; either inline CSS or tags such as B will do the trick.
Should probobly stick to CSS2 – no CSS3 fanciness. Only use websafe fonts of course, they have to be avaliable on the client’s machine. If users will be able to copy multiple container elements you might want to design using tables rather than divs. Stick to a strict layout and don’t use absolutely positioned elements and stuff like that. Aim for a strict, square and narrow layout that will fit an a4 page nicely.