List style/ re-start auto-numbering strategy in Word 2007

[cayce]

I read with interest MVP Margaret Aldis’ article, Restarting List
Auto-numbering Using a Higher Level Style, about setting up dummy paragraph
styles that are linked to a list style. The dummy paragraph becomes the
mechanism to force the following paragraph (linked to the next level of the
list style) to safely, reliably re-start its auto-number to 1 (or A, i, a,
etc.). The paragraph that follows the dummy paragraph would react to the
“Restart list after level 1†in the list style definition.

Has anyone tried this and found it yields stable, successful auto-numbering?

I am faced with developing a template in Word 2007 that will be used across
many company departments. What I develop will be used in documents that have
many non-continuous lists. I thought the dummy paragraph would be the
cleanest, most user-friendly way to manage these non-continuous lists.

In the past, these people used the re-start numbering from the paragraph
group. Because documents are re-purposed, potential for broken numbering
increases as more and more of this re-start numbering from the paragraph
group method is used.

I want to develop the most trouble-free environment for the user’s to
minimize wasted time and frustration with Word’s auto-numbering gone awry. If
there is a smarter, simpler way for this to be done, I’d be keenly interested
in learning about it.

 

[Stefan Blom]

Restarting numbering by using an outline list should be working in Word 2007
as well.

 

[cayce]

Stefan:

I want to be clear I understood your response. Are you saying for
non-continuous lists that the dummy paragragh isn't necessary; just using an
outline list style linked to the proper paragraph style should be
sufficiently stable? Then my instructions to the user would be to just
right-click on the paragraph and choose re-start numbering from the
presenting shortcut menu.

Thanks in advance for clarification.

 

[Stefan Blom]

No, what I meant was that restarting using a dummy style relies on creating
a multilevel list (called an outline list in earlier versions of Word), and
that approach should still be safe. See
http://word.mvps.org/faqs/numbering/ListRestartFromStyle.htm.

 

[cayce]

I see. My thread start referred to Margaret's article which spurred my post.
It's good to know Word 2007 applies to this way of handling re-starts of
noncontinuous numbered lists.

thanks Stefan.

 

[Stefan Blom]

Yes, Word 2007 certainly still uses outline lists. But note that I haven't
tested the particular approach (or the code) described in Margaret Aldis'
article with Word 2007.

 

[cayce]

Thanks for the clarification Stefan. As always, I appreciate being able to
have peers and the MVPs from whom to get assistance.

 

[Robert M. Franz [RMF]]

Hello Cayce

I want to be clear I understood your response. Are you saying for
non-continuous lists that the dummy paragragh isn't necessary; just using an
outline list style linked to the proper paragraph style should be
sufficiently stable? Then my instructions to the user would be to just
right-click on the paragraph and choose re-start numbering from the
presenting shortcut menu.

FWIW, I've done all right so far with this approach (using re-start
numbering w/o a dummy style) in Word 2007.

2¢
Robert