Wits end with Word autonumbering

O

obi_wonder

Hi all,

the subject pretty much says it all. I have a 115 page document that employs
dozens of different numbering layouts and formats, none really work together
and they are too easily ruined. I need help from anyone that can tell me a
few simple things with word numbering:

1. How do I get an outlined numbering that starts at the second level of
numbering? i.e. when I'm writing why can I not specifically choose an outline
numbering that lets me start with 1.1? and then when I press <enter> it would
go to 1.2, if I pressed <enter> + <tab> it would go to 1.2.1

For instance I may have: "Section 1: Introduction" as a heading 3 for the
table of contents. So, I would want everything in there listed in an outline
system with the first number starting at 1.1 and down from there. I'd also
like it so that when I move on to section 2, I can simply re-adjust the
numbering to start at 2.1 without affecting section 1.

I hope this makes sense, if anyone can help me I would truly appreciate it.
This has been a headache for me for well over a month now. Thanks all!
 
O

obi_wonder

Hi, thanks, that site seems to be getting me on the right track. However, I'm
still having major issues: I'm setting up my own numbering system for the
document and trying to associate it with heading 3. Unfortunately, everytime
I it I set the first level as "Section" and then the following levels as 1.1
etc. I try to link level 1 to heading 3; however, the numbering system links
level 3 to heading 3 and no matter what i do it always sets it back to that.
That is, I will customize it by making level one Heading 3, and level 3 no
style, but once i click okay, it re-assigns heading 3 to level 3. Is there
anyway to fix this?
 
S

Suzanne S. Barnhill

I think the built-in heading styles are pretty well fixed in what level they
can be.
 
M

Margaret Aldis

Yes, that's right - it was a change that came in around SR1 in Word 97 I
think, presumably to kludge around the common problem of trying to set up
lower heading levels direct from their styles. For non-heading styles, the
opposite happens and the style you are in when modifying numbering always
links to level 1. You can force a different linkage using VBA, but it does
make documents more fragile (if Word crashes for any reason, it will try to
"repair" your numbering).

If the "Section 1" heading needs to be Heading 3 style to put it at the
right Outline level (with Outline levels 1 and 2 used for some unnumbered
headings perhaps) then link Heading 1 and Heading 2 to levels 1 and 2 of the
numbering scheme, but simply edit the number format to nothing. Start the
'real' numbering at level 3, linked to Heading 3. Regardless of the kludge,
set it all up from Heading 1 to be on the safe side.

However, if the reason for putting this at third level just relates to the
TOC, there's no problem with using Heading 1 style for the "Section"
heading, and mapping Heading 1 to the third level of the TOC (TOC 3 style).
 
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