B
Bruce Brown
Some posts sink into the abyss, ignored, while others attract answers
like magnets. Which will yours be?
Posts that go unanswered usually demand TOO MUCH GUESSWORK. Here are
some things you shouldn't be making others guess.
IS YOUR LIST SIMPLE OR OUTLINE NUMBERED? (A lot of people don't know
the difference.)
Simple numbering has only one level and is independent of other lists.
1. Apples
2. Oranges
3. Pears
i. Liberte
ii. Egalite
iii. Fraternite
* Butter
* Bullets
Outline numbering can have up to nine levels, with each higher level
depending on lower levels for its starting value. YOU NEED A
DIFFERENT STYLE FOR EACH LEVEL.
1. Apples
1.1 Skin
(a) Color
(b) Thickness
1.2 Harvest
(a) Equipment
(b) Season
(i) Spring
(ii) Summer
2. Oranges
2.1 Skin
New to outline numbering? Visit these how-to resources:
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word/numbering/OutlineNumbering.html
http://www.mvps.org/word/
WHAT EXACTLY ARE YOU USING TO CREATE YOUR NUMBERS?
This is the single most important fact of all. Are you using . . . ?
* Outline numbered styles such as the built-in Heading 1-9 styles? Or
user-defined styles?
* List number styles such as List Number, List Number 2, etc.?
* Bulleted styles such as List Bullet, List Bullet 2, etc.?
* 1,2,3 numbering from the Formatting toolbar (considered by many to
be "the invention from hell") that shows up as Normal style but works
like an outline when tabbed? or its equally deadly twin sister, List
Styles?
* the { LISTNUM } field, the { SEQ } field or some other field?
To leave out the information above is like inviting a blindfolded
stranger to perform surgery on you, without instructions.
HOW MANY LEVELS ARE THERE? (Simple lists have but one level.)
ARE YOU GOING THROUGH THE STYLE TO WORK ON OUTLINE NUMBERING?
Do NOT go to the outline numbering dialog through Format > Bullets and
Numbering. Instead, put your cursor on the first level heading style
and edit the style, regardless of the level you want to change. The
correct access is: Format > Style > Modify > Format > Numbering >
Customize > More. In Word 2002 there's a right-click shortcut: With
cursor on first level heading style, Right- click > Bullets and
Numbering > etc.
WHICH LEVELS ARE TITLED?
Note the big difference between level 3 and levels 1-2:
1. Registration.
1.1 Dates. Registration dates are October 2-5, 2007.
(a) Alternative dates may be announced later.
Levels 1-2 have short titles that may need to be captured for your
Table of Contents, while level 3 has no titles to capture. The
treatment may be completely different. When your numbering has to be
cross-referenced or indexed in a table of contents, table of
authorities, etc., that requirement is the horse that draws the
numbering cart.
THE EASIEST-TO-UNDERSTAND EXAMPLES ARE REAL-LIFE ONES PASTED FROM YOUR
DOCUMENT.
GOOD:
1. Registration.
1.1 Dates. Registration dates are October 2-5, 2007.
(a) Alternative dates may be announced later.
BAD:
1. blah
1.1 blah
(a) blah
OTHER POTENTIALLY HELPFUL FACTS
* What version of Word are you using?
* What kind of document is this? a legal document? a manual? a term
paper?
* How far along the way are you? almost finished? just starting?
somewhere in between? Different solutions may apply depending on
how much of the work is already done.
* Do you know VBA or are you trying to learn?
ONE PROBLEM PER POST
One is hard enough to solve. When you ask for multiple solutions to
multiple problems, as if from a shopping list, you're liable to get
nothing in return.
EXCESSIVE LENGTH IS A BIG TURN-OFF
Don't ask people to wade through pages and pages of background. They
won't. Just the facts, ma'am.
u kin bett yur botum dolalr tht messajes lik tihs wnto git 2 Minnie
reponsez.
By the way, this is strictly a volunteer operation. Nobody gets paid
for spending time on your numbering problems. The advantage of posting
here is that problems are seen as creative challenges and approached
accordingly. The trade-off is that you have to make everything as
clear as humanly possible (not long, just clear) for someone who may
know the answer and is eager to give it to you. Often that answer is
surprisingly simple.
And if at first you don't succeed, rewrite and post again. Spell it
out. Draw pictures. This is what I'm getting, this is what I need.
When your question becomes understandable someone will eventually
respond - but not until then. And after posting it's a good idea to
come back and check the thread for a few weeks; sometimes answers
arrive weeks late.
Happy Posting. Comments welcome.
like magnets. Which will yours be?
Posts that go unanswered usually demand TOO MUCH GUESSWORK. Here are
some things you shouldn't be making others guess.
IS YOUR LIST SIMPLE OR OUTLINE NUMBERED? (A lot of people don't know
the difference.)
Simple numbering has only one level and is independent of other lists.
1. Apples
2. Oranges
3. Pears
i. Liberte
ii. Egalite
iii. Fraternite
* Butter
* Bullets
Outline numbering can have up to nine levels, with each higher level
depending on lower levels for its starting value. YOU NEED A
DIFFERENT STYLE FOR EACH LEVEL.
1. Apples
1.1 Skin
(a) Color
(b) Thickness
1.2 Harvest
(a) Equipment
(b) Season
(i) Spring
(ii) Summer
2. Oranges
2.1 Skin
New to outline numbering? Visit these how-to resources:
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word/numbering/OutlineNumbering.html
http://www.mvps.org/word/
WHAT EXACTLY ARE YOU USING TO CREATE YOUR NUMBERS?
This is the single most important fact of all. Are you using . . . ?
* Outline numbered styles such as the built-in Heading 1-9 styles? Or
user-defined styles?
* List number styles such as List Number, List Number 2, etc.?
* Bulleted styles such as List Bullet, List Bullet 2, etc.?
* 1,2,3 numbering from the Formatting toolbar (considered by many to
be "the invention from hell") that shows up as Normal style but works
like an outline when tabbed? or its equally deadly twin sister, List
Styles?
* the { LISTNUM } field, the { SEQ } field or some other field?
To leave out the information above is like inviting a blindfolded
stranger to perform surgery on you, without instructions.
HOW MANY LEVELS ARE THERE? (Simple lists have but one level.)
ARE YOU GOING THROUGH THE STYLE TO WORK ON OUTLINE NUMBERING?
Do NOT go to the outline numbering dialog through Format > Bullets and
Numbering. Instead, put your cursor on the first level heading style
and edit the style, regardless of the level you want to change. The
correct access is: Format > Style > Modify > Format > Numbering >
Customize > More. In Word 2002 there's a right-click shortcut: With
cursor on first level heading style, Right- click > Bullets and
Numbering > etc.
WHICH LEVELS ARE TITLED?
Note the big difference between level 3 and levels 1-2:
1. Registration.
1.1 Dates. Registration dates are October 2-5, 2007.
(a) Alternative dates may be announced later.
Levels 1-2 have short titles that may need to be captured for your
Table of Contents, while level 3 has no titles to capture. The
treatment may be completely different. When your numbering has to be
cross-referenced or indexed in a table of contents, table of
authorities, etc., that requirement is the horse that draws the
numbering cart.
THE EASIEST-TO-UNDERSTAND EXAMPLES ARE REAL-LIFE ONES PASTED FROM YOUR
DOCUMENT.
GOOD:
1. Registration.
1.1 Dates. Registration dates are October 2-5, 2007.
(a) Alternative dates may be announced later.
BAD:
1. blah
1.1 blah
(a) blah
OTHER POTENTIALLY HELPFUL FACTS
* What version of Word are you using?
* What kind of document is this? a legal document? a manual? a term
paper?
* How far along the way are you? almost finished? just starting?
somewhere in between? Different solutions may apply depending on
how much of the work is already done.
* Do you know VBA or are you trying to learn?
ONE PROBLEM PER POST
One is hard enough to solve. When you ask for multiple solutions to
multiple problems, as if from a shopping list, you're liable to get
nothing in return.
EXCESSIVE LENGTH IS A BIG TURN-OFF
Don't ask people to wade through pages and pages of background. They
won't. Just the facts, ma'am.
u kin bett yur botum dolalr tht messajes lik tihs wnto git 2 Minnie
reponsez.
By the way, this is strictly a volunteer operation. Nobody gets paid
for spending time on your numbering problems. The advantage of posting
here is that problems are seen as creative challenges and approached
accordingly. The trade-off is that you have to make everything as
clear as humanly possible (not long, just clear) for someone who may
know the answer and is eager to give it to you. Often that answer is
surprisingly simple.
And if at first you don't succeed, rewrite and post again. Spell it
out. Draw pictures. This is what I'm getting, this is what I need.
When your question becomes understandable someone will eventually
respond - but not until then. And after posting it's a good idea to
come back and check the thread for a few weeks; sometimes answers
arrive weeks late.
Happy Posting. Comments welcome.