How do I change the default Outline settings?

[PTom]

In Word 2003, I would like the outline feature to automatically outline
correctly every time. It comes up with the following outline sequence
automatically, "I, a, i, 1, . . .". I have to adjust each level every time I
make an outline. I want it to come up with the traditional outline sequence
"I, A, 1, a, (1), (a) . . .". How do I change the default settings so that
the next time I make an outline it automatically comes up the way I want it?

 

[Stefan Blom]

Attach outline numbering to paragraph styles, and then save the file as a
document template which you would then use whenever you need that particular
format (by applying styles as appropriate). See
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word/numbering/OutlineNumbering.html.

 

[PTom]

I tried to follow the instructions you gave. I managed to make a template,
but it still doesn't do quite what I want it to do. When I am typing a
"normal" document, I will hit the "enter" key two times and type a capital
"I" followed by a period, a tab, and some text. When I hit "enter" again, it
changes into the same wrong outline mode it did before. I can go to the
"styles and formating" button and select the Outline form I want, but then it
starts over again two lines down the page with the traditional style outline
form. The best I have come up with is to manually change to the outline form
I want before I start typing in the outline. I want to change the default
outline settings so that it does the standard traditional outline form like
we were taught in elementary school, high school, and college automatically
without me having to do anything. What I can't understand is why this program
was set up to make outlines in some way other than the way American's have
been taught in school for many years.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

If you have applied outline numbering to Word's built-in heading styles, be
aware that the "Style for following paragraph" of every heading style is
Normal, so you will not get a paragraph that is a member of your outline
when you press Enter. Furthermore, you should never need to press the Enter
key twice if you have defined your styles to have the appropriate amount of
Space Before.

If you are expecting Word to number your paragraphs correctly using
"automatic" numbering (that is, you still have "Automatic numbered lists"
enabled in Tools | AutoCorrect Options | AutoFormat As You Type), then you
are doomed to disappointment. What you need to do is link styles to outline
numbering as described in
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word/numbering/OutlineNumbering.html and use any
of the built-in keyboard shortcuts to promote and demote outline levels
using those styles.