1.3.7.3.1.1.1.1.1

[Vivian Carroll]

I created a new SOP template in Word 2000 and am now using it in Word 2002.
I am using Heading 1, 2, 3 etc as the styles for paragraphs numbered in
legal format (1., 1.1, 1.1.1).

Many old documents were created in Word 97 using a previous SOP template
that used Heading styles for the numbered paragraphs - but the style
definitions were different from the ones I have developed for use in Word
2002. In order to convert an SOP created in Word 97 into the new format, I
am attaching the new template to the document. This works - the styles
update correctly. (For paragraphs in the old SOP that were formatted with
other styles that are not used in the new template (such as Body Text 2), I
manually assign the appropriate style from the new template.

PROBLEM: When I reopen the reformatted document, all styles used in the old
document (but not in the new one) appear in the Style Pane with
"1.3.7.3.1.1.1.1.1" before them. Even Normal style has this number before it
(Normal is not used in the new format). I tried assigning this weird Normal
style to a paragraph just to see what happens, and sure enough, the long
number appears before the paragraph.

My "solution" is to instruct the people converting SOPs to be sure to delete
unused styles - which really should be done anyway (I can't make a macro do
this because styles vary from old SOP to old SOP).

QUESTION: What is going on? Is there something I should be doing to prevent
this or is this another one of those weird things like the weird numbering
that appeared with Track Changes in Word 97?

TIA,
Vivian Carroll

 

[Vivian Carroll]

I solved my own problem--see below--but would still like to know why
1.3.7.3.1.1.1.1.1 happens to begin with.

When attaching the new template to the SOP, I selected Automatically Update
Styles to make the styles in the SOP assume the correct new definitions from
the template.

When I closed the SOP and reopened it, Word was redefining Normal style to
have outline numbering starting at Level 9 with 1.3.7.3.1.1.1.1.1. When I
removed the numbering from Normal style, all styles based on Normal also
lost the numbering. This was good, but the numbering reappeared if I closed
and reopened the SOP.

So, after attaching the template with Automatically Update Styles checked,
then I go back in and uncheck Automatically Update Styles and I can close
and open the SOP without Normal style getting redefined.

Vivian

When I then closed the SOP and reopened it