Problems with numbering in Outline

[Zack]

Hello -

I'm having problems making line numbering work correctly in Outline
View using Word 2004. I've opned a fresh new document, selected
'Outline View', selected 'Bullets and Numbering' from the Format menu
and used the resulting dialog box to select an 'Outline Numbered'
format. I selected a format which SHOULD number Heading one as
'A,B,C...', Heading 2 as '1,2,3..., Heading 3 as 'a,b,c..' etc.
However, what consistently happens is that EVERY heading is numbered
A,B,C, no matter what I do to promote or demote it. I can
successfully promote or demote a heading using the appropriate icon on
the outline toolbar, in that the relevent line of text moves to the
correct indented position, but at no time do the line numbers change to
reflect the new heading type.

As an example, the first line of the outline is formatted as Heading 1
and numbered A. The second line is formatted Heading 2, and it indents
properly, but it is numbered B. The third line is formatted Heading 3,
and is further indented, but numbered C. The fourth line is formatted
Heading 1 again, and properly has no indents, but is numbered D.

Is this a bug in Word, or am I doing something wrong? I did glance
through Shauna Kelly's "How to create numbered headings or outline
numbering in your Microsoft Word document," but it wasn't clear to me
whether following her procedures would actually address my problem, and
it also wasn't clear to me that it was worth the effort just to get
automatic numbering.

At the end of the day, would I be best off just manually adding the
appropriate numbers to my outline?

Thanks,

Zack

 

[Elliott Roper]

Hello -

I'm having problems making line numbering work correctly in Outline
View using Word 2004.
through Shauna Kelly's "How to create numbered headings or outline
numbering in your Microsoft Word document," but it wasn't clear to me
whether following her procedures would actually address my problem, and
it also wasn't clear to me that it was worth the effort just to get
automatic numbering.

Glance? Glance?? You don't just *glance* at Shauna's numbering articles.
It's a lot of work, but it is worth it. Word's numbering is a little
bit out of control. It seems they went to a lot of trouble to make it
look simple and only made it worse. That article will certainly address
your misunderstanding of what you are doing. It is not your fault you
don't understand it. It is Microsoft's. They gilded the lily and the
petals fell off.

At the end of the day, would I be best off just manually adding the
appropriate numbers to my outline?

That's your choice. If it is a 1 off project of less than 2 pages then
hand number it. If you are going to do it again and again, take the
effort to find out how Word's numbering really works.

When you are feeling masochistic, grab a gin and tonic and settle down
with this:-
http://www.word.mvps.org/Downloads/WordsNumberingExplained.htm

I found the combination of it and Shauna's step by step procedures an
excellent introduction/warning to the numbering nightmare.

 

[John McGhie [MVP - Word and Word Macintosh]]

Hi Zack:

You cannot have line numbering in Outline View.

I think there's a disconnect here: I think you're talking about "Paragraph
Numbering" Very different concept from Line Numbering.

1) Open a fresh new Document

2) Choose Page Layout View (this is critical: don't go into Outline View
until you want to edit your outline).

3) Place at least paragraph in it that contains some text.

4) Now select that paragraph and apply Heading 1 style.

Follow Shauna's instructions to choose your Outline style.

What you missed is that Outline View works on styles. If you do not apply
styles, it will apply them for you.

You didn't read the bit in Shauna's instructions about how you must apply
Heading styles to the text, then define the Outline to be part of the
Heading styles.

If you don't do that, the styles have no Outline, and the Outline has no
styles. After that, nothing will work

It will take you about an hour to fully read and work through Shauna's
instructions and examples so you have it at the top of your mind. If you
do, for the rest of your life outline numbering will work properly, be
reliable, and each one will take you less than ten minutes.

If you decide to do it manually, your outline numbering will break every
time you open the document, Outline View won't work, and you will spend a
day or so futzing with it for each document you want to use numbering in.

So I recommend that you spend the hour now to fully learn this: it's a very
powerful tool once you get it to work for you.

Cheers

Hello -

I'm having problems making line numbering work correctly in Outline
View using Word 2004. I've opned a fresh new document, selected
'Outline View', selected 'Bullets and Numbering' from the Format menu
and used the resulting dialog box to select an 'Outline Numbered'
format. I selected a format which SHOULD number Heading one as
'A,B,C...', Heading 2 as '1,2,3..., Heading 3 as 'a,b,c..' etc.
However, what consistently happens is that EVERY heading is numbered
A,B,C, no matter what I do to promote or demote it. I can
successfully promote or demote a heading using the appropriate icon on
the outline toolbar, in that the relevent line of text moves to the
correct indented position, but at no time do the line numbers change to
reflect the new heading type.

As an example, the first line of the outline is formatted as Heading 1
and numbered A. The second line is formatted Heading 2, and it indents
properly, but it is numbered B. The third line is formatted Heading 3,
and is further indented, but numbered C. The fourth line is formatted
Heading 1 again, and properly has no indents, but is numbered D.

Is this a bug in Word, or am I doing something wrong? I did glance
through Shauna Kelly's "How to create numbered headings or outline
numbering in your Microsoft Word document," but it wasn't clear to me
whether following her procedures would actually address my problem, and
it also wasn't clear to me that it was worth the effort just to get
automatic numbering.

At the end of the day, would I be best off just manually adding the
appropriate numbers to my outline?

Thanks,

Zack

--

Please reply to the newsgroup to maintain the thread. Please do not email
me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie <[email protected]>
Microsoft MVP, Word and Word for Macintosh. Business Analyst, Consultant
Technical Writer.
Sydney, Australia +61 (0) 4 1209 1410