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#1
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Outline level auto-select custom style
Hello,
I have a word document that has custom styles defined, each for their own outline level. It all works fine, except for one aspect: trying to alter the level number in outline mode using Alt-Shift-Left/Right correctly changes the level number, but it doesn't change the style. eg. if current para is Level2, Style MyStle_L2, hitting Alt-Shift-Left will set it at Level1, but the style will stay at MyStyle_L2. Any suggestions? some other tidbits: - the styles MyStyle_L1... MyStyle_L5 are all cascaded, with MyStyle_L1 being based on Normal style. - All these custom styles have the level-Style mapping set the same, presumably because I set them up in MyStyle_L1, and the rest are cascaded versions of this. - due to this problem, whenever I want to pro/de-mote a para to another level, I always re-apply the required style to the para. I never directly indent the para. - The doc was originally made up of a mish-mash of other styles and direct format/numbering edits applied all over, which I've now totally replaced with my custom styles, and all appears to work well, other than this problem. - The only difference I can see between my custom styles and the default Heading1... Heading5 styles is that the defaults aren't cascaded, and the level-style mapping isn't done for all levels in all styles - just the particular level for each particular style. The reason I'm not concerned about this is that various outline info websites (eg. 7 outline laws @ microsystems.com, and shaunakelly.com) suggest doing things my way anyway. Any help appreciated. |
#2
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FWIW, I'm using Word2003.
I notice various posts in ms.public.word.numbering about this, largely saying it can't be done without the likes of VBA, though those wereWRT Word 2002. Why isn't that ng availabile from the communities.microsoft.com newsgroup system? Stuart. -----Original Message----- Hello, I have a word document that has custom styles defined, each for their own outline level. It all works fine, except for one aspect: trying to alter the level number in outline mode using Alt-Shift-Left/Right correctly changes the level number, but it doesn't change the style. snip |
#3
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Have you linked each style to its outline level as described in
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word/numb...umbering.html? The numbering NG is available from http://www.microsoft.com/communities...s/default.aspx -- Suzanne S. Barnhill Microsoft MVP (Word) Words into Type Fairhope, Alabama USA Word MVP FAQ site: http://word.mvps.org Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so all may benefit. "Stuart Summerville" wrote in message ... FWIW, I'm using Word2003. I notice various posts in ms.public.word.numbering about this, largely saying it can't be done without the likes of VBA, though those wereWRT Word 2002. Why isn't that ng availabile from the communities.microsoft.com newsgroup system? Stuart. -----Original Message----- Hello, I have a word document that has custom styles defined, each for their own outline level. It all works fine, except for one aspect: trying to alter the level number in outline mode using Alt-Shift-Left/Right correctly changes the level number, but it doesn't change the style. snip |
#4
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Ummm, Suzanne, don't my first two tidbits confirm that I have done
that? The only diff I can see against Shauna's instructions is that my H1 is based on Normal, rather than NoStyle. |
#5
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wrote in message
oups.com... Ummm, Suzanne, don't my first two tidbits confirm that I have done that? The only diff I can see against Shauna's instructions is that my H1 is based on Normal, rather than NoStyle. If your styles are linked following Shauna's FAQ, so that each style is linked to a level of the same numbering scheme, and if the numbering is applied using the styles, then promoting/demoting list items other than the first in a list should definitely change the style - so if that is not happening either it's an indication that you haven't in fact managed to link the styles correctly (e.g. by not working from the top level style throughout), or that the numbering scheme that is applied is not actually coming from the style but is a similar looking but non-linked outline (direct formatting or possibly List Style), or that you have a corrupt document. Going back to your original post: some other tidbits: - the styles MyStyle_L1... MyStyle_L5 are all cascaded, with MyStyle_L1 being based on Normal style. Probably not significant, but I'd avoid cascading one numbered style from another one. I suggest setting up a common unnumbered base, or possibly a sequence of unnumbered bases for each of the levels (if you need the deep cascade). Then derive each numbered style from the appropriate unnumbered base. - All these custom styles have the level-Style mapping set the same, presumably because I set them up in MyStyle_L1, and the rest are cascaded versions of this. It's the linking in the List Template (numbering scheme) that ensures that each style is linked to the correct level - the cascading adds nothing apart from a bit of confusion. However, if you tried to edit the numbering of a lower level custom style directly, you will make a link from the style to the top level of the list - I just retested this in Word 2003 and find I now achieve an otherwise impossible link from the lower style to *both* levels by this method sigh. (Built-in headings behave differently - they always link to their preset outline level.) Personally I would superstitiously avoid even *looking* at the numbering from the lower level styles, because there is always the danger of clicking "OK" instead of "Cancel", and anyway the B&N dialog has some dirty habits g. - due to this problem, whenever I want to pro/de-mote a para to another level, I always re-apply the required style to the para. I never directly indent the para. I'd say that was normally the best and more logical policy anyway, as you are then applying the numbering via the style, rather than Word applying the style from the numbering. But as noted above, if the styles are correctly linked and applied, promote/demote should work everywhere except the first item of a list (where it will change the numbering format instead), so the failure is indication of a problem somewhere. - The doc was originally made up of a mish-mash of other styles and direct format/numbering edits applied all over, which I've now totally replaced with my custom styles, and all appears to work well, other than this problem. If you are certain that the current styles are set up correctly, then we're left with minor corruption as the only possibility, and this background is the likely cause. You can never remove List Templates completely from a document. Try saving out to unfiltered HTML and reopening/converting in Word, or pasting all bar the last para mark to a new document. I'd also reset all the panes of the B&N dialog, exit and restart Word, to clear out the Registry. - The only difference I can see between my custom styles and the default Heading1... Heading5 styles is that the defaults aren't cascaded, and the level-style mapping isn't done for all levels in all styles - just the particular level for each particular style. I don't know where you are getting this information from - default built-in Headings aren't numbered, and if you use one of the standard B&N offerings for Heading outline numbering you'll see they set up the linking at all heading levels - indeed if this is not done you don't get correct number restarting for lower level Headings. So I think you must be looking at an incorrect/unusual set up in your own document history, where each Heading has had its numbering defined separately? -- Margaret Aldis - Microsoft Word MVP Syntagma partnership site: http://www.syntagma.co.uk Word MVP FAQ site: http://www.word.mvps.org |
#6
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Wow Marg... comprehensive reply that shows some holes in my
understanding of List templates etc... I'll get my head around this soon, and ponder your suggestions. Then again, I could bypass that, and just try the html export suggestion of yours Stuart. On 17/05/2005 8:27 PM, Margaret Aldis wrote: wrote in message oups.com... Ummm, Suzanne, don't my first two tidbits confirm that I have done that? The only diff I can see against Shauna's instructions is that my H1 is based on Normal, rather than NoStyle. If your styles are linked following Shauna's FAQ, so that each style is linked to a level of the same numbering scheme, and if the numbering is applied using the styles, then promoting/demoting list items other than the first in a list should definitely change the style - so if that is not happening either it's an indication that you haven't in fact managed to link the styles correctly (e.g. by not working from the top level style throughout), or that the numbering scheme that is applied is not actually coming from the style but is a similar looking but non-linked outline (direct formatting or possibly List Style), or that you have a corrupt document. Going back to your original post: some other tidbits: - the styles MyStyle_L1... MyStyle_L5 are all cascaded, with MyStyle_L1 being based on Normal style. Probably not significant, but I'd avoid cascading one numbered style from another one. I suggest setting up a common unnumbered base, or possibly a sequence of unnumbered bases for each of the levels (if you need the deep cascade). Then derive each numbered style from the appropriate unnumbered base. - All these custom styles have the level-Style mapping set the same, presumably because I set them up in MyStyle_L1, and the rest are cascaded versions of this. It's the linking in the List Template (numbering scheme) that ensures that each style is linked to the correct level - the cascading adds nothing apart from a bit of confusion. However, if you tried to edit the numbering of a lower level custom style directly, you will make a link from the style to the top level of the list - I just retested this in Word 2003 and find I now achieve an otherwise impossible link from the lower style to *both* levels by this method sigh. (Built-in headings behave differently - they always link to their preset outline level.) Personally I would superstitiously avoid even *looking* at the numbering from the lower level styles, because there is always the danger of clicking "OK" instead of "Cancel", and anyway the B&N dialog has some dirty habits g. - due to this problem, whenever I want to pro/de-mote a para to another level, I always re-apply the required style to the para. I never directly indent the para. I'd say that was normally the best and more logical policy anyway, as you are then applying the numbering via the style, rather than Word applying the style from the numbering. But as noted above, if the styles are correctly linked and applied, promote/demote should work everywhere except the first item of a list (where it will change the numbering format instead), so the failure is indication of a problem somewhere. - The doc was originally made up of a mish-mash of other styles and direct format/numbering edits applied all over, which I've now totally replaced with my custom styles, and all appears to work well, other than this problem. If you are certain that the current styles are set up correctly, then we're left with minor corruption as the only possibility, and this background is the likely cause. You can never remove List Templates completely from a document. Try saving out to unfiltered HTML and reopening/converting in Word, or pasting all bar the last para mark to a new document. I'd also reset all the panes of the B&N dialog, exit and restart Word, to clear out the Registry. - The only difference I can see between my custom styles and the default Heading1... Heading5 styles is that the defaults aren't cascaded, and the level-style mapping isn't done for all levels in all styles - just the particular level for each particular style. I don't know where you are getting this information from - default built-in Headings aren't numbered, and if you use one of the standard B&N offerings for Heading outline numbering you'll see they set up the linking at all heading levels - indeed if this is not done you don't get correct number restarting for lower level Headings. So I think you must be looking at an incorrect/unusual set up in your own document history, where each Heading has had its numbering defined separately? -- Margaret Aldis - Microsoft Word MVP Syntagma partnership site: http://www.syntagma.co.uk Word MVP FAQ site: http://www.word.mvps.org |
#7
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- due to this problem, whenever I want to pro/de-mote a
para to another level, I always re-apply the required style to the para. I never directly indent the para. I'd say that was normally the best and more logical policy anyway, as you are then applying the numbering via the style, rather than Word applying the style from the numbering. Well, my main concern about this method is that I don't fully understand the implications of applying char/para styles to chars and paragraphs, on formatting applied to existing text. The best method to apply the style to alter the numbering is to just click in some place in the paragraph and select the new style. This *seems* to alter the style for the paragraph as I want, but I'm not convinced I understand this fully... yet. |
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