No leading for list inside table (Word 2007)

[Sesquipedalian Sam]

I have a simple 2-column table containing agenda items for a meeting.

The left column contains the topics. They are formatted as a numbered
list. The right column contains the subtopics. They are formatted as a
bulleted list. It looks like this:

1. Topic 1 * Subtopic
* Subtopic

2. Topic 2 * Subtopic

3. Topic 3 * Subtopic
* Subtopic
* Subtopic
* Subtopic

The paragraph settings for both columns are the same:

6 pts Spacing before
0 pts Spacing after
Checked Don't add space between paragraphs of same style

The ordered list in the left column behaves as I expect. The first
list item in each row has 6 pt leading. Subsequent items in the same
row have 0 leading.

The unordered list in the right column behaves differently. With the
"Don't add space..." option checked, none on the items have any
leading (all 0 leading). With that option unchecked, all items have 6
pt leading. I cannot figure out how to get leading for the first item
in each row and 0 leading for the rest.

Help!

 

[Sesquipedalian Sam]

I have a simple 2-column table containing agenda items for a meeting.

The left column contains the topics. They are formatted as a numbered
list. The right column contains the subtopics. They are formatted as a
bulleted list. It looks like this:

1. Topic 1 * Subtopic
* Subtopic

2. Topic 2 * Subtopic

3. Topic 3 * Subtopic
* Subtopic
* Subtopic
* Subtopic

The paragraph settings for both columns are the same:

6 pts Spacing before
0 pts Spacing after
Checked Don't add space between paragraphs of same style

The ordered list in the left column behaves as I expect. The first
list item in each row has 6 pt leading. Subsequent items in the same
row have 0 leading.

The unordered list in the right column behaves differently. With the
"Don't add space..." option checked, none on the items have any
leading (all 0 leading). With that option unchecked, all items have 6
pt leading. I cannot figure out how to get leading for the first item
in each row and 0 leading for the rest.

Help!

PS: If I copy the list items from the right column to an area outside
a table, the list items behave properly (leading for first item, no
leading for subsequent items).

 

[Terry Farrell]

Any chance you could make a sample table available - either email as
attachment or somewhere we can download from the web?

 

[Sesquipedalian Sam]

Any chance you could make a sample table available - either email as
attachment or somewhere we can download from the web?

Try this:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/1fv4ur

 

[Terry Farrell]

You need to use a different list style for the second column because Word
sees the list in the second column as a continuation of the List started in
the first column. Intuitively, it suppresses the Space Before because 'Don't
add space between paragraphs of the same style' is checked. So you need to
create a different List Style for Column 2, even though it will use
identical formatting.

That's the way lists work.

Terry

 

[Sesquipedalian Sam]

You need to use a different list style for the second column because Word
sees the list in the second column as a continuation of the List started in
the first column. Intuitively, it suppresses the Space Before because 'Don't
add space between paragraphs of the same style' is checked. So you need to
create a different List Style for Column 2, even though it will use
identical formatting.

That's the way lists work.

OK, thanks.

It's too bad the Word developers chose such an insipid, pedestrian,
thoughtless implementation. I would be surprised if one user in a
thousand would want lists to "continue" across the rows in a table.
(sigh)

 

[Terry Farrell]

Well they regularly do use the same list non-contiguously throughout a
document. It isn't so much that this is happening across columns in a table,
it happens throughout a document unless you change lists. A simple way to
look at this is if you are using a SEQ field to number through a document:
if you don't change the SEQname, then the number continues from where it
left off. Lists work in a similar way, which once you know is quite obvious.
Shauna Kelly has some great information on numbering and bullets at
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word/

Terry

 

[Sesquipedalian Sam]

Well they regularly do use the same list non-contiguously throughout a
document. It isn't so much that this is happening across columns in a table,
it happens throughout a document unless you change lists. A simple way to
look at this is if you are using a SEQ field to number through a document:
if you don't change the SEQname, then the number continues from where it
left off. Lists work in a similar way, which once you know is quite obvious.
Shauna Kelly has some great information on numbering and bullets at
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word/

Now I have to disagree. I misunderstood you before. The column 2 list
is clearly NOT a continuation of the column 1 list. For one thing,
they are completely different types of lists. The unordered list
doesn't need a SEQ field at all.

Try this: Put your cursor just before the first character of the any
list item in column 1, then press the left arrow key once. The number
field for that item and all items of that list will be highlighted.
Notice that none of the items in column 2 are highlighted. They are
separate lists.

Now repeat this in column 2. Highlighting any item field will
highlight them all in that coluimn, but none in column 1.