multi-level list woes

[stuck]

I'm struggling...

I would love to have a template that holds some styles that allow me to autonumber the text down to paragraph level. I can get the headings to number in a cascading fashion:
1. Heading 1
1.1 Heading 2
1.1.1 Heading 3

It's getting the paragraphs under each headings to number as I want that's giving me grief. For example, I could have a doc that uses the following layout:
1. Heading 1
1.1 paragraph
1.2 paragraph
2. Heading 1
2.1 Heading 2
2.2 paragraph
2.3 Heading 3
2.3.1 paragraph

Or one that's like:
1. Heading 1
1.2 Heading 2
1.2.1 paragraph
1.3 Heading 3
1.3.1 paragraph

In other words, is it possible to get the paragraphs under a heading to inherit the level of the heading as their starting point and then number sequentially a level down from that point?

Ken

[HansV]

I'm afraid your numbering examples look inconsistent to me. Having the same style using different numbering levels, and having different styles using the same numbering level goes against the grain of what multi-level numbering is supposed to do...

[stuck]

Umm, I suppose they are. OK, ignore my examples, Can you suggest how should I number both the headings and the paragraphs under those headings in a doc structured like say:
Heading 1
paragraph
Heading 2
paragraph
paragraph

Thanks,

Ken

[HansV]

Let's say you need Heading 1, Heading 2 and Heading 3 as "real" headings. You could then associate the Normal style with level 4 in the New Multilevel List dialog.

S1571.png

Result:

S1572.png

Alternatively, use Heading 4 for your body text.

[kdock]

Ken, what are you trying to avoid here? Are all "paragraphs" going to be numbered? If so, why not use Heading styles? I must be missing something.

But, my confusion aside, you could number the paragraphs with ListNum fields. I've attached an example.

HTH Kim

[stuck]

My problem is that the docs I'm trying to number don't follow a regular pattern, where regular text only[/] appears at the lowest level. 'Normal' text often crops up between levels. For example:

INTRODUCTION [top level/heading 1 therefore ought to be numbered 1.]
a paragraph of normal text [but as it's the first paragraph under Heading 1 could be numbered 1.1]
another paragraph of normal text [so number could be 1.2]

ANOTHER TOP LEVEL HEADING [so number it 2.]
more normal text [makes it number 2.1?]
A Heading [one down from the top/Heading 2 but it's not the first paragraph under 2 so it can't be 2.1, so is it 2.2 or should it be 2.1.1?]

but then later on in the same doc it's possible that a Heading 2 could occur directly under a Heading 1, thus:

TOP LEVEL [numbered 3.]
Next level down [numbered 3.1]
normal text [number it 3.1.1 or 3.2?]

Hans' observation is right, the numbering is inconsistent and that makes it incompatible with a multi-level list. I think I need to reset all the styles to the lowest level (Normal) and then number every paragraph at that level and then apply formatting to the headings to make them stand out but without making them into actual 'Headings'. Do you see what I mean?

Ken

[HansV]

I agree, it's probably best to format everything as Normal, apply non-stylebased multilevel numbering, and use direct formatting or character styles to make some of the text look like headings.

[kdock]

Hi stuck,

I just couldn't give up on ListNum fields. They're very versatile, don't require that you abandon styles, and (I think, after all these years of using styles), much easier than using direct formatting.

I've attached another document to see if this is more what you had in mind. I formatted each of the Heading Styles differently so you can see them clearly, and used Body Text as the style for all of the numbered paragraphs. As you'll see, you can insert any level ListNum at any point in your document. If you require indention, that can be accommodated, too.

You may still find the way you've chosen is better for you, but I had to put it out there.

[HansV]

That looks good! Let's see what Ken thinks about it.

[kdock]

Thanks Hans! Very handy little fields, especially in legal documents.

[stuck]

Thanks,

I've not looked at the latest doc yet but I will. Meanwhile I achieved what I wanted by creating a 'thisTemplateNormal' style that gives default numbering:
1.
2.
etc.
but if you indent it the numbering goes down a level:
1
1.1
1.2
2
2.1
2.2
2.2.1
etc.

I also created some styles (from 'thisTemplateNormal') that look like headings.

Given that, it was quick and easy to go through through the docs, attach the template holding these styles and then indent each paragraph to the required level and/or apply the relevant heading style. NB it was only quick and easy because these docs are short, the longest was four pages. I wouldn't want to restyle a long doc in this way though as there was a lot of repetitive format painting involved.

I wouldn't recommend that approach for a massive document.

Ken