Restarting Word numbering

Topic

New Reply

Hi

Am I correct in assuming that there no *automatic* way of restarting number if for example the heading level changes?

Heading 1
1. Numbered list
2. Numbered list

Heading 2
1. Numbered list
a) Numbered list
2. Numbered list

Heading 2
1. Numbered list
…
…

Reply | Quote

Replies

Use Outline Numbering:
From the Format menu select Bullets and Numbering.
On the Outline Numbering tab, select one of the styles and then the Customize button.
On the Customize dialog, click the More button to allow you to associate styles with the numbering levels. There are a lot of settings here to play with; you should be able to get what you want.

Reply | Quote

Use Outline Numbering:
From the Format menu select Bullets and Numbering.
On the Outline Numbering tab, select one of the styles and then the Customize button.
On the Customize dialog, click the More button to allow you to associate styles with the numbering levels. There are a lot of settings here to play with; you should be able to get what you want.

Based on the sample provided by the OP, outline numbering may not fully address the requirement. Once you start numbering, Word doesn’t reset the numbering for the remainder of the document, unless you force it.

In order to force numbering to reset, you must enter a special code, which I use sufficiently often that I have it in the AutoText collection of my global template (NORMAL.DOT).

Mine looks something like this.

Code:

{LISTNUM 1 s 0}

Since this appears as an out of place zero in the text, I have it formatted as hidden text, which I insert near the end of a paragraph of regular text, which is often a heading, that falls between the list item before I want Word to reset the number and the next numbered item, which I want numbered 1.

David A. Gray

Designing for the Ages, One Challenge at a Time

Reply | Quote

…Once you start numbering, Word doesn’t reset the numbering for the remainder of the document, unless you force it.
…

But you can set the numbering to restart after a specific heading level.

Reply | Quote

But you can set the numbering to restart after a specific heading level.

And what’s more, it will restart after any numbering/heading level at or above the one specified in the restart after box–which I think was one of the things Robie is concerned about.

Pam

Reply | Quote

Thank you David,

Restarting numbering has bugged me for years and I’m fairly experienced with Word in its many versions. I use styles that have been created from scratch and have numbering attached. However in my documents I need to restart numbering after headings – but it could be after a Heading 1, 2, 3 or 4! I wish I’d known about that code years ago.

Regards
Karen

Reply | Quote

Pam,

That’s fine, so far as it goes. Howver, I’ve had plenty of cases in which numbering didn’t behave nearly so well, and have been forced to resort to the restart field. I have very few AutoText items, most of which are the ones that Word automatically installs into a new NORMAL.DOT.

This unreliable behavior is one of the reasons that I favor bullets over numbers, and let’s not even start on Master Documents. IME, they simply don’t work.

David A. Gray

Designing for the Ages, One Challenge at a Time

Reply | Quote

Pam,

That’s fine, so far as it goes. Howver, I’ve had plenty of cases in which numbering didn’t behave nearly so well, and have been forced to resort to the restart field. I have very few AutoText items, most of which are the ones that Word automatically installs into a new NORMAL.DOT.

This unreliable behavior is one of the reasons that I favor bullets over numbers, and let’s not even start on Master Documents. IME, they simply don’t work.

Yes, there have been a few times when I couldn’t find the cause of (and fix for) a multilevel list numbering problem and, so, had to restart or assign a value–but not often.

Pam

Reply | Quote

Thank you all for your responses. Interesting. I thought it was impossible to do but since it isn’t there is some hope for me.

I forgot to mention that I using Word 2003 – apologies about that. This is what my numbering dialog looks like and the ‘Restart Number After’ is greyed out. The questions arises that even if it was not greyed out, I presume I would only be able to select a single style at which point it restarts! I was thinking that the numbering should start at 1 after any heading (Heading 1, Heading 2, etc).

Edit: Even if I remove the selection of ‘link level to style’, the ‘Restart Number After’ is still greyed out.

BTW: I set up all the numbering and bullets based on Shauna Kelly article.

Reply | Quote

In outline numbering, you can only restart numbering after a higher level. So you won’t be able to restart numbering in level 1 because there is no level above it. If you select level 2 or lower, the Restart Number After option will be enabled.

Reply | Quote

Thanks Hans. You are absolutely correct, as usual :0).

I have set up level 2 and onwards correctly. But, I think it still doesn’t solve the problem of restarting numbering after start of new heading sections (Heading 1, Heading 2, Heading 3, etc). It obvioulsy restarts the list correctly within the numbering list.

Have a look at the two screenshots – numbering setup and use of numbering in document.

Reply | Quote

As far as I know, the “Restart number after” only works within one list template, not across multiple ones.

Reply | Quote

As far as I know, the “Restart number after” only works within one list template, not across multiple ones.

I don’t understand what you mean? What do you mena by ‘one list template’?

So, is what I am asking achievable if the numbering is setup/defined in some other manner in Word 2003? Have I got it wrong in using the Outline method?

Reply | Quote

By a list template I mean a single numbering (or bullets) setup consisting of 9 levels.
Your screenshot shows that you’re using a mixture of two setups: one linked to heading styles, the other not linked to styles.
You can’t have the numbering in one of these setups automatically restart after a specific level in the other setup, only after a level in the same setup.

Depending on how many heading levels you need, you might be able to modify the heading styles numbering template and use only that.

Reply | Quote

If you want the list to be reset whenever there is a new heading then I think the easiest way to achieve this will be to use something like Heading 9. Define all your headings as a multilevel numbered list, but clear the numbers from all levels except for Heading 9, then format Heading 9 to have the font size and typeface that you want for your list.

Reply | Quote

I don’t understand what you mean? What do you mena by ‘one list template’?

So, is what I am asking achievable if the numbering is setup/defined in some other manner in Word 2003? Have I got it wrong in using the Outline method?

In the same list scheme, link your headings to numbering levels. Let’s say you have four headings levels and you’ve linked them to numbering levels. Starting at numbering level 5, link the numbering level to, say, the List Number style, level 6 to List Number 2, and so forth. If you started out with one of Word’s built-in list schemes (like 1 Heading 1, 1.1 Heading 2), the restarts will already be there and correct. If you built your own scheme, be sure to go into each level and set the restart after values. I’m going to assume from here on that you used the built-in 1 Heading 1 scheme.

Since you only want 1., a., and i. series numbers in your text (as opposed to heading) lists, in the input box after “Enter formatting for number”, put the cursor before the last number and backspace to delete everything to the left of it. (It is helpful (well, revealing) to show field codes shaded when working with fields.) Put any static text you want (the period), change the number style, and adjust the indents for each numbering level.

Back in the text, apply the List Number style (or whatever style you chose) to all 1. paragraphs, List Number 2 to all a. paragraphs, and so forth. The list number styles should be based on whatever you chose as your regular paragraph style (normal, body text, …).

Please note that this kind of scheme works only for very structured documents similar to what you described, where in a section the list starts at 1 and continues in sequence until the end of the section. For the other kinds of documents, where there could be many separate (semantic) lists in a section, linking the text lists to the numbering scheme would still not automate the restarts and so would be a waste of time. Also, you may not have numbering levels to spare if you have many numbered headings and appendix headings.

HTH,

Pam

Reply | Quote

Thank you Hans and Stuart.

Stuart: I will look at your option later.

Anyway, I am off on my holidays so will pick it on my return.

Reply | Quote

Pam,

Thanks to you, I’ve learned something new about Microsoft Word. I am not as familliar with the fine points of multilevel numbering styles as are you, because I haven’t used them but a handful of times, and their documentation is somewhat confusing.

Thanks for the excellent tutorial.

David A. Gray

Designing for the Ages, One Challenge at a Time

Reply | Quote

I learn a lot from this and other Word forums, too. You’re welcome.

Pam

Reply | Quote