Line Numbers

[Cheryl]

I am working on a document with the following format:
1.0 header 1
1.1 subheader 1
text
text
1.2 subheader 2
text
text

etc.

I want to number **just** the text lines. Word help says:

Add line numbers to a selection of text

Select the text you want to number.
On the File menu, click Page Setup, and then click the Layout tab.
In the Apply to box, click Selected text.
Microsoft Word will add page breaks (page break: The point at which one page
ends and another begins. Microsoft Word inserts an "automatic" (or soft) page
break for you, or you can force a page break at a specific location by
inserting a "manual" (or hard) page break.) before and after the numbered
lines.

Click Line Numbers.
Select the Add line numbering check box, and then select the options you want.

It's the added page breaks that are giving me problems. I do not want a
page break between the subheader and its text, nor between each level 2
heading. When I try removing the pagebreak that Word automatically inserted
after the subheader, Word adds line numbers to the header and subheader
lines. When I try removing the pagebreak after the text, before the next
subheader, Word removes all the line numbers.

Is there some way to convince Word NOT to add unwanted pagebreaks?

I am using MS Office Word 2003, SP2.

Thank you.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

If you don't want the page to break, why are you inserting page breaks? If
you just want the text lines numbered and not the headings, enable the
"Suppress line numbers" property for the heading styles (Format | Paragraph
| Line and Page Breaks).

 

[Cheryl]

I am NOT inserting page breaks. Word is. "Microsoft Word will add page
breaks (page break: The point at which one page ends and another begins.
Microsoft Word inserts an "automatic" (or soft) page break for you....)
before and after the numbered lines." That is exactly what Word is doing,
adding "Section breaks (next page)" before and after the text that I want
numbered.

I did find that I can delete the WORD-INSERTED page break after the
header1's and then suppress the line numbers (it's cumbersome but it works),
but deleting the second WORD-INSERTED page break causes the line numbers to
disappear.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

My point is that you are allowing Word to insert the breaks when you apply
line numbering to a selection. Instead of applying it to a selection, apply
it to the entire document, with the paragraphs you don't want numbered
formatted as "Suppress line numbering."

 

[Cheryl]

Thank you. I went through the document and inserted my own section breaks,
then, as you suggested, line numbered everything and removed the ones I
didn't want. It seems a bit awkward and counter-intuitive, but it did work.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

I agree it's counterintuitive. If you incorporate the "Suppress line
numbering" property in a style or styles for paragraphs you don't want
numbered, it will be easier.