SEQ field in header/footer (NOT!)

[Tim Wallin]

Hello - The SEQ field isn't working in headers or footers in Word 2003. I
am inserting the field correctly (either via the menu or manually using
Ctrl-F9). When using even the simplest instance of SEQ in a header or
footer in a blank document, the error message "Error! Main Document Only" is
displayed. The Word Help page for "Field codes: Seq (Sequence) field"
specifically mentions that SEQ in header/footer is independent of SEQ in the
main document, so the use of SEQ in a header/footer is permissible.

Not a peep about this "feature" in Word Help, or on Microsoft's web site,
however the Web is littered with documents that clearly manifest this
malfunction.

Can anyone provide an explanation, workaround, solution, suggestion, or
"educational moment" ... ?

Tim

 

[Stefan Blom]

In headers and footers you can only use the SEQ field with the \c
switch, which causes it to repeat the "current" sequence number from
the main body of the document. In other words, if your document
contains { SEQ test }, you can use { SEQ test \c } in the header or
footer to repeat the most recent number in that area.

 

[Tim Wallin]

Stefan - thank you! I had discovered that the \c switch worked, but wanted
to keep my message short. Is your comment based on experience or do you
know of documentation/discussion somewhere that addresses that limitation on
the use of SEQ in header/footer?

Tim

 

[Stefan Blom]

Well, the help topic on SEQ fields in Word Help doesn't seem to
indicate the limitation, so I guess you could say that my comment is
based on experience. But it does make sense, because headers (and
footers) are intended for repeating information throughout a document
or section or reflecting current informatation from text in the body
of the document. (The STYLEREF field is an example of the latter.)

 

[Cindy M -WordMVP-]

Hi Tim,

FWIW, my experience confirms Stefan's observations and conclusions. And I,
too, have never seen a mention of the limitation in the Word help, that I can
recall.

Is your comment based on experience or do you
know of documentation/discussion somewhere that addresses that limitation on
the use of SEQ in header/footer?

Cindy Meister