Auto-numbering bug in tables - Word 2003

[mtnbutterfli]

For the last 4 months, we've begun seeing bizarre and frustrating behavior in
tables, where we're encountering an autonumbering bug only in Tables in our
Word '03 specifications. We have created in our master spec template Annex
headings 1-9 that use Alpha characters in the first number. While we've
encountered the auto-numbering bug in that off and on, I've always been able
to straighten it out eventually with persistence. However, now we're seeing
cells in our tables being autonumbered with Annex Heading 3 numbering.

The first time we encountered it was in a document that had 42 tables, and
in 40 out of the 42 tables, every cell was "autonumbered". I discovered by
chance that by putting the cursor anywhere in the table and clicking on the
style "Table Grid" (which I'd never used before) it completely removed all
numbering. I never figured out why it worked.

Now, we have a 600+ page document with around 200 tables (specifications is
our business) and now the auto-numbering Annex Heading 3 bug is back, but
only in a few of the tables, and not all cells. Now it's autonumbering only
those cells that were intentionally left blank, and clicking on "Table Grid"
style doesn't work.

Can anyone shed some light on this? Is anyone else finding that tables had
degraded in Word 2003??

 

[Jezebel]

Might help if you explained the bug. All you mention is that in some tables
you've applied your number style to the entire table, rather than
(presumably) the first column only. Read Help on table styles: you appear to
have misunderstood what happens when you apply a style (such as Table Grid -
which you DO use, whether you know it or not) to a table.

 

[Fred]

Hi,

I am not sure I can help you but I will tell you that Tables are very cool
in the right environment.

If you use autonumbering and press tab the next row will take on the format
of the previous row and put in the autonumber automatically sometimes
because of Table Grid and Options you have preset in your templates. You
should NOT have these options checked.

Your mission should you choose to accept it (just my sick humour) is to set
your base Template (Normal.dot) or whatever your firm has as their global
base template with the correct numbering styles which you seem to have done
and to make them available to your users or this project's template.
Basically you have to take control of your Template(s) options and styles.

Secondly in this global template Normal.dot go to Tools Autocorrect
Autoformat as You Type and uncheck all the boxes for apply as you type.
Thirdly in Tools Options Autocorrect uncheck all the boxes in Toosl
Autoformat Apply.

Both these boxes create automation in documents which is your problem. You
DO NOT want these features as your default attributes so UNCHECK the
automation.

Also on your template set your Table and save it as an autotext to your
global autotext template and REMOVE style TABLE GRID (my personal
preference). This allows your style be it Normal, Body Text, Table Body or
Heading 1 2 3 4 etc to be the controller of your tables to be defined and
saved in Autotext.

You will now almost be in full CONTROL of your Tables. Table Grid likes to
exist but you can and must remove it. You will have no further problems.

The base Normal.dot template and your Template for this project must have
this default formatting applied and be downloaded to all Users from the
server. To have CONTROL of documents you must be in CONTROL of base Options
you provide to your users.

You may also need to use a little bit of VBA magic to make sure those Users
who make edits to the documents have the correct Normal.dot settings. You
can code specific VBA in Document_New and Open or AutoNew to make sure
Autocorrect is set up correctly every time a user deals with any template.

What happens is that you have these features turned on on some machines and
people make changes and so on and half is automated (forcing numbers)
because the options are on and the other is fine because others don't have
these options turned on and on it goes. The power user Options come into
play.

Remember you can also automate with a little VBA magic to ensure you have no
further problems with user's set up options.

Always get the BASICS right and the rest will follow as with most things.

Since I cannot see your document I do hope this resolves your Table issues.

Regards
Janine
www.docsonline.net.au