Better to "nest" or use multi-level list?

[Norm]

I'm in the process of creating/defining a style(s) for a list that will
be numbered in "level 1" and have indented bullets in "level 2."

For such a list is it better to define a multi-level list style and
linked paragraph styles?

Or use one's already defined numbered list and use one of the Word's
pre-defined bullet lists when needed for the second level?

As part of this question, is is preferable not to have a style "nested"
within another style or doesn't it matter?

Thank you.

 

[John McGhie]

Hi Norm:

I'm not sure why you're asking this, you've already done this a couple of
times.

1) define a List Style. It will have nine levels but you need only two of
them.

2) Define two paragraph styles into levels 1 and 2. As usual, these
paragraph styles cannot be used for anything else.

3) In your List Style, define numbers onto level 1, and bullets on level 2.
So yes, of course it must be a multilevel Outline List, since it has more
than one level.

4) Define your indents and font properties and tab settings as you wish in
the two paragraph styles.

Cheers

I'm in the process of creating/defining a style(s) for a list that will
be numbered in "level 1" and have indented bullets in "level 2."

For such a list is it better to define a multi-level list style and
linked paragraph styles?

Or use one's already defined numbered list and use one of the Word's
pre-defined bullet lists when needed for the second level?

As part of this question, is is preferable not to have a style "nested"
within another style or doesn't it matter?

Thank you.

This email is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless you intend to pay!

 

[Norm]

Hi John:

Hi Norm:

I'm not sure why you're asking this, you've already done this a couple of
times.

Because I wasn't asking how to do that.

I probably didn't ask my question clearly enough. I'll try again.....but
I'll leave my first post below with the original question(s).

Simply put: Are there negatives to nesting a bullet style inside a list
style to accomplish the same result as creating a multi-level style?

Thanks,

Norm

 

[John McGhie]

Hi Norm:

The simplistic answer is "Yes: Word won't let you do that."

Expanded, that becomes: You cannot nest one list inside another, because a
paragraph can be a member of only one list at a time. So the moment you
define a paragraph style into a list style, you remove any list properties
it previously had and replace them with the settings in the list style.

Cheers

Hi John:



Because I wasn't asking how to do that.

I probably didn't ask my question clearly enough. I'll try again.....but
I'll leave my first post below with the original question(s).

Simply put: Are there negatives to nesting a bullet style inside a list
style to accomplish the same result as creating a multi-level style?

Thanks,

Norm

This email is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless you intend to pay!

 

[Norm]

Hi John:

Thanks to the patience of a mvp, I was able to easily create a
multi-level list with numbered paragraphs in level 1 and bullets in
level 2.

But re: the subject of this thread, I'm still confused as you'll see
below.

The simplistic answer is "Yes: Word won't let you do that."

Expanded, that becomes: You cannot nest one list inside another, because a
paragraph can be a member of only one list at a time. So the moment you
define a paragraph style into a list style, you remove any list properties
it previously had and replace them with the settings in the list style.

Hmmm.... it "seemed" to work for me.

Instead of using my multi-level list style, I decided to test another
approach before starting this thread.

I applied my own one level list style to a paragraph.

I then applied one of Word 2008's bullet styles to the next paragraph.

It gave me the same result as my multi-level style and all "seemed" well.

I'm going to use my multi-level style but I'm interested for possible
future style creations if I could have followed this 2nd approach of my
one level style and Word's style.

Thanks,

Norm

 

[John McGhie]

Hi Norm:

The second approach creates two lists in the document, one containing the
paragraphs in Style 1, the other containing the paragraphs in style 2.

Because they are completely unrelated, Promote/demote doesn't work, tab to
change level doesn't work, and restart on higher doesn't work.

It is irrelevant who created the styles: the thing that decides what happens
is the properties of the styles, which are assigned by YOU

A List Style creates a single list with one or more levels in it (there are
always potentially nine levels, but only one may be in use).

Your approach creates two lists, each capable of containing only a single
level.

If you WANT only a single level (say, a list that contains only bullets, or
a list that contains only numbers) then it doesn't matter which way you do
it. The moment you need more than one level in a list, and need that level
to be related in any way to another level (e.g. Because you want to use
promote/demote) then you must use a List Style to create the relationship.

Cheers

Hi John:

Thanks to the patience of a mvp, I was able to easily create a
multi-level list with numbered paragraphs in level 1 and bullets in
level 2.

But re: the subject of this thread, I'm still confused as you'll see
below.




Hmmm.... it "seemed" to work for me.

Instead of using my multi-level list style, I decided to test another
approach before starting this thread.

I applied my own one level list style to a paragraph.

I then applied one of Word 2008's bullet styles to the next paragraph.

It gave me the same result as my multi-level style and all "seemed" well.

I'm going to use my multi-level style but I'm interested for possible
future style creations if I could have followed this 2nd approach of my
one level style and Word's style.

Thanks,

Norm

This email is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless you intend to pay!

 

[Norm]

Hi John:

The moment you need more than one level in a list, and need that level
to be related in any way to another level (e.g. Because you want to use
promote/demote) then you must use a List Style to create the relationship.

I thought there were reasons that the multi-level List Style that you
help me learn was better to use but the other "seemed" to work.

Thanks for explaining the difference and thanks again for all that help
with learning List Styles.

Norm

 

[Norm]

Hi John:

If you WANT only a single level (say, a list that contains only bullets, or
a list that contains only numbers) then it doesn't matter which way you do
it. The moment you need more than one level in a list, and need that level
to be related in any way to another level (e.g. Because you want to use
promote/demote) then you must use a List Style to create the relationship.

With your tips I've created several multi-level styles. (Is that the
same as what is sometimes called "Outline" Style?)

All is working very well. Thanks again very much.

However, I needed to make a few changes. So a question before I do....

If a style is only one level, I gather I do not need to define and link
a LIst Style. Correct? Is there any situation when one should use a List
Style for a one level list?

When you first taught me list styles and hanging indents, "we" used a
List Style in your "classroom" for that learning process. I think that
you used it to teach the additional concepts of multi-level style
creation.

Thank you,

Norm

 

[John McGhie]

Hi Norm:

You are correct.

Word creates a list style behind the scenes for a single-level list, you
don't need to do anything, and you can't, in any case...

Yes, I started off by teaching you multi-levels so you saw the full picture.

I almost always use Outline Lists, even if I define only one level, because
that enables me to see exactly what is happening But in adds a layer of
complexity that you don't need, so I would "keep it simple".

Cheers

Hi John:



With your tips I've created several multi-level styles. (Is that the
same as what is sometimes called "Outline" Style?)

All is working very well. Thanks again very much.

However, I needed to make a few changes. So a question before I do....

If a style is only one level, I gather I do not need to define and link
a LIst Style. Correct? Is there any situation when one should use a List
Style for a one level list?

When you first taught me list styles and hanging indents, "we" used a
List Style in your "classroom" for that learning process. I think that
you used it to teach the additional concepts of multi-level style
creation.

Thank you,

Norm

This email is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless you intend to pay!

 

[Norm]

Hi John:

I almost always use Outline Lists, even if I define only one level, because
that enables me to see exactly what is happening But in adds a layer of
complexity that you don't need, so I would "keep it simple".

Got it.

Thanks for the info and recommendation,

Norm