[[email protected]]

I am writing some UML use cases in Word 2003 SP2 and it has turned into

a real nightmare. I am sick to my stomach with pure disgust and hatred

for how numbered lists work in Word and am about to abandon it
completely and opt for Notepad.

Here is my problem, for my use case I need to display the following:


Normal Path
1 step1
2 step2
3 step3


Alt Path A
2 alt step2
3 alt step3


Alt Path B
3 alt step3
4 alt step4


I originally wanted to do:


Alt Path A
2a. Alt step2a
2b Alt step2b
3 Alt step3


but completely gave up on that idea and will simply settle for when I
change a number to 3 step3, it stays at 3 step3 instad of changing to 4

step3 or when word decides to let me change it to 3 step3...but then
decides every other 1 step1 should be 3 step1.


Any help is appreciated. I'm losing hair by the minute.


Eric Marvets
MVP Visual Developer, Security

Cross Post from Numbering

[Robert M. Franz (RMF)]

Hi Eric

wrote:
I am writing some UML use cases in Word 2003 SP2 and it has turned into
a real nightmare. I am sick to my stomach with pure disgust and hatred
for how numbered lists work in Word and am about to abandon it
completely and opt for Notepad.

Take a deep breath. :-)

Then, if you haven't done so, shut out all AutoCorrect options (Tools |
AutoCorrect | AutoFormat AsYouType) that you are not absolutely sure you
understand and need. Make sure your styles are rock solid and not set
adjust to all your direct formatting changes.


Here is my problem, for my use case I need to display the following:

Normal Path
1 step1
2 step2
3 step3

Alt Path A
2 alt step2
3 alt step3

Alt Path B
3 alt step3
4 alt step4


I originally wanted to do:

Alt Path A
2a. Alt step2a
2b Alt step2b
3 Alt step3

but completely gave up on that idea and will simply settle for when I
change a number to 3 step3, it stays at 3 step3 instad of changing to 4

step3 or when word decides to let me change it to 3 step3...but then
decides every other 1 step1 should be 3 step1.

Any help is appreciated. I'm losing hair by the minute.

Just to get the requirements straight: how long are these numbering
threads, and how often is something that was "2" likely to become "3",
to change at all? (If you answer "short" and "almost impossible", then
you are better off using manual numbering (as in: typing the number on
the keyboard :-)).

If I understand you correctly, the "2" in your "2a" above is a reference
to the 2 before it, and should renumber accordingly (if 2 becomes 3,
then 2a must become 3a)?

Your best bet is probably to use field-based numbering. You want to look
up SEQ field syntax (with all switches, since you will definitely need
to be able to set a value different than "n=1" or "n=n+1".

All numbers without a letter are then pure SEQ fields, some are starting
at a desired value.

When you need to have a "2a", the 2 is a cross-reference to the "2"
before which you will have to bookmark. The "a" can be an SEQ field,
too, or a simple letter (again depending on how long the subsequence can
be, and how often it will renumber). The 2 in "2b" can be the same
cross-reference, as the 2 in "2a".

You want to experiment with that a bit (remember that all fields need to
be updated, especially when you copy them), probably define a small
number of AutoTexts containing the field combination you need.


Cross Post from Numbering

What you did is what we call a multi-post. You can only truely
cross-post by posting one single message to more than one group
simultaneously, and then an answer to the message in group A will also
show in group B.

For this case, numbering is surely the perfect group.

Greetinx
Robert
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