While there are already a lot of posts about numbering, I haven't been able
to find the solutions for my specific quandry...
[BTW, I'm posting this under "General" even though ultimately I'd like to
make macros to support the answer -- since a manual solution needs to be the
first step!
]
Background: My workgroup is preparing to migrate to Word 2007 very soon.
We create/maintain hundreds of large procedure manuals, each containing
multiple chapters (sometimes up to 40-50 per manual). Each chapter consists
of steps, using multi-level numbered lists -- the first level is a "1, 2, 3"
type list, and the second level is an "A, B, C", type list. Often, there are
tables or notes interspersed between the steps, and sometimes the steps are
multiple paragraphs long.
Therefore, we need to be able to:
a) Set up a multilevel list in each chapter -- with each chapter's list
starting at step #1
b) Restart a series of steps after a break (such as after a table or a Note)
c) Skip numbering the second paragraph of a step
d) Revise the information in the steps (adding/deleting/rearranging) as
needs dictate, without adversely impacting the overall numbering, (In other
words, if you have a series of steps 1, 2, 3, 4, A, B, 5 -- if you delete
#3, the new steps would be 1, 2, 3, A, B, 4 -- not 1, 2, 4, A, B, 5 or 1, 2,
1, A, B, 2, or 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.)
In theory, it appears that this should be 'easy' in Word 2007. (We've been
doing these tasks successfully with other versions of Word, with macro
support, since the days of Word 95! I've even tried using some macros/VBA
code that worked well in XP.) However, in practice, this is what I've
observed thus far in Word 2007:
a) I can set up a multilevel list. However....
b) If I use either the restart/continuing number function, the multilevel
list becomes a one-level list, and any indented steps (A, B, C) are converted
to main-level steps. Thus a 1-2-a-b-c-3-4 list becomes 1-2-3-4-5-6-7. When
I re-select Multilevel list (on the Home tab), nothing happens; if I try to
tab over to re-indent the step, nothing happens at all.
c) I've experimented with different types of breaks between chapters -- but
it doesn't seem to matter whether there's a Page Break or a Section Break --
in either case, if I select Continue Numbering after a blank line after step
4 in chapter 2, not only does the next step have the next conscutive number
AND the indented steps are converted to main-level steps, but ALSO the
numbering of all the steps in chapter 2 are continued after chapter 1. So if
chapter 1 has 8 steps, the first step in chapter 2 is #9. If I click
"Restart at 1" (from the Context menu) on the 1st step, nothing happens. If I
go into the Numbering menu itself, sometimes it actually will revert to 1 --
but only in a one-level list.
d) I was able to "skip numbering" by establishing a style that looks like a
numbered step that's really just an indented paragraph. However, then the
next step by default becomes a new #1, and the issue with the
restart/continuing numbering (losing the multilevel list capability)
reappears.
e) I also tried using a numbering "style" (List Paragraphs), but was unable
to set it up to be a multi-level numbering scheme.
ANY suggestions for coping with these frustrating behaviors is greatly
appreciated! Being able to effectively use multilevel lists -- with breaks
between steps, and with distinct starting points in each chapter -- is
extremely crucial to our work. Thank you in advance!
Diana