Numbering parallel lists with some missing items

[blaq]

Although quite adept at styles and numbering, I'm facing a situation
that has me stymied. I'm creating a document with the following general
structure:
__________

1. Heading 1 style
1.1 Heading 2 style

1. (Item A)
2. (Item B)

1. (Comment on item A)
2. (Comment on item B)

2. Heading 1 style
2.1 Heading 2 style
2.1.1 Heading 3 style

1. (Item A)
2. (Item B)

1. (Comment on item A)
2. (Comment on item B)

2.1.2 Heading 3 style

1. (Item A)
2. (Item B)
3. (Item C)
4. (Item D)

1. (Comment on item A)
3. (Comment on item C)
4. (Comment on item D)
__________

Various sections have numbered lists of items, usually followed by
comments on these items. I plan to use styles for everything, as per
best practices. My problems are:

a) Every instance of an item list must restart numbering at 1; however,
not all Heading-2 sections have a Heading 3. (e.g. 1.1) Item lists must
restart numbering after *either* a Heading 2 or Heading 3.

b) Some items have no comments. (e.g. no comment on item B in section
2.1.2)

I'm lost in the Customize Outline Numbered List dialog and can't get
the numbering to cover all cases.

Thanks for your help!

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Given that your second simple numbered list will not always contain every
number that's in the first, I'd attack it as follows:

1. For Heading 1, Heading 2, Heading 3, and Item, a four-level outline list.

2. Level 2 (Heading 2) restarts numbering after Level 1 (Heading 1) and
includes Level 1 numbering. Level 3 (Heading 3) restarts numbering after
Level 2 and includes numbering from Levels 1 and 2. (So far, nothing out of
the ordinary.) Level 4 (Item) does not include any previous levels and
restarts numbering after Level 3 (which means it will also restart after
Level 1 or 2).

3. For the Comments, use the List style (which is not autonumbered but has a
hanging indent) and use cross-references to the appropriate Item number for
the numbering (if the Items are fairly static, you could just number the
Comments manually).

 

[Stefan Blom]

in message

Given that your second simple numbered list will not always contain every
number that's in the first, I'd attack it as follows:

1. For Heading 1, Heading 2, Heading 3, and Item, a four-level outline list.

2. Level 2 (Heading 2) restarts numbering after Level 1 (Heading 1) and
includes Level 1 numbering. Level 3 (Heading 3) restarts numbering after
Level 2 and includes numbering from Levels 1 and 2. (So far, nothing out of
the ordinary.) Level 4 (Item) does not include any previous levels and
restarts numbering after Level 3 (which means it will also restart after
Level 1 or 2).

But note that "missing" levels in an outline sometimes cause numbers
to skip in higher levels; this happens when the first instance of a
higher level occurs *after* a lower level. In the following example,
it thus affects Heading 2:

I. Heading 1

II. Heading 1

1. Heading 3

B. Heading 2 <-- First Heading 2 numbered "B"

If a particular chapter/Heading 1 has either Heading 2:s or Headings
3:s it won't be a problem. The problem is when it can have both, in
the wrong order. Not sure how/if this applies to the OP's question,
though.