Missing Caption Number

[Himmelswüst]

I'm formatting a 30+-page documents that will eventually include about
50 figures, and I'm using Word 2003. I've been able to reset the caption
numbers most of the time after deleting figures or changing their
position.

However, in one place, the caption numbers are not in sequence, and
number 10 is followed by 12 instead of 11. Resetting caption numbers did
not work.

I've read numerous other posts related to the topic and tried various
suggested remedies, but so far without success. Some of them, such as
marking the entire document and pressing F9 I don't want to use because
that resets the formating of my table of contents. (If someone knows how
this resetting of the formating can be prevented, I'd be happy to know.
I don't understand why Word appears to assume that whenever I update the
table of contents I would also want to have it all in Times Roman
again.)

As I've now spent hours on several days trying to work this out, I'm
awaiting your comments like a parched unfortunate in the desert awaiting
a soda transfusion.




--
Himmelswüst

[Stefan Blom]

Press Alt+F9 to show field codes in the document. See if the caption
where numbering restarts includes something that the other field codes
don't.

The fact that the formatting of the TOC changes when you update it
suggests that your *headings* include direct formatting. Instead of
applying formatting directly to the headings, modify the heading
*styles*. After that you can safely update the TOC, and the formatting
of the TOC entries will be determined by the TOC styles (TOC 1 for level
1, TOC 2 for level 2, etc.).

--
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

[Lisa Wilke-Thissen]

Hi,

[Word 2003]

> However, in one place, the caption numbers
> are not in sequence, and number 10 is followed
> by 12 instead of 11. Resetting caption numbers did
> not work.

are the captions placed within text boxes? Maybe, the text boxes are
anchored in a wrong order.

--
Cheers
Lisa [MS MVP Word]

[Himmelswüst]

Lisa Wilke-Thissen;492513 Wrote:
> Hi,
>
> [Word 2003]-

> However, in one place, the caption numbers
> are not in sequence, and number 10 is followed
> by 12 instead of 11. Resetting caption numbers did

> not work.-

>
> are the captions placed within text boxes? Maybe, the text boxes are
> anchored in a wrong order.
>
> --
> Cheers
> Lisa [MS MVP Word]

Thank you for your help! I still haven't been able to figure out the
problem, though.

And yes, the captions are within text boxes -- the ones that are
automatically created when you insert captions. However, the caption
with the wrong number is also in a box for inserting a drawing as I was
unable to otherwise position it in the place where it is supposed to
be.

The numbering problem already existed prior to that, however, and I had
checked the anchors at the time. By the way, graphics number 10 is on
the previous page. Strictly speaking the numbers are in the right order,
it's just that one number is missing, as the first graphics on the next
page is numbered 12 (the one in the box for inserting drawings). The
following graphics is then numbered correcty (13).

Do you have any further ideas what might cause the problem?




--
Himmelswüst

[Stefan Blom]

Did you ever take a look at the field codes?

Another thought: Are you tracking changes perhaps? In that case,
numbering (auto numbering as well as field numbering) may be incorrect
until you accept, or reject, changes.

--
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

[Himmelswüst]

'Stefan Blom[_3_ Wrote:
> ;492529']Did you ever take a look at the field codes?

>
> Another thought: Are you tracking changes perhaps? In that case,
> numbering (auto numbering as well as field numbering) may be incorrect
> until you accept, or reject, changes.
>
> --
> Stefan Blom
> Microsoft Word MVP
>

> [/i][/color]

The field codes appeared to be okay. All of them are supposed to look
the same, aren't they? In any case, I haven't been able to find any
inconsistencies.

And no, I'm not tracking changes. My suspicion is that a field is
somehow hidden somewhere -- but looking at the field codes didn't help
me find it, nor did I manage to find it by using "go to" and trying to
search for the field code in question.

The whole thing remains a big mystery to me.




--
Himmelswüst

[Stefan Blom]

There is a switch available to hide SEQ fields, but that can't be it,
because you would have seen it when displaying field codes. If you
display hidden text in Word, does that reveal something then?

Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

[Himmelswüst]

'Stefan Blom[_3_ Wrote:
> ;492536']There is a switch available to hide SEQ fields, but that can't

> be it,
> because you would have seen it when displaying field codes. If you
> display hidden text in Word, does that reveal something then?
>
> Stefan Blom
> Microsoft Word MVP

> [/i][/color]

No, unfortunately switching on the display hidden text box in the
Options dialog box does not display the missing caption either.

I've just realized that pressing alt+F9 does not permanently change my
TOC. So I've once again pressed alt+F9 and then clicked on *one of* the
fields and then chose "update fields". Again, this did not work. Or does
the update fields command work in some other unfathomable way ;) ...?

It's a tiresome process. Luckily, I'm not under any huge time pressure
..!




--
Himmelswüst

[Stefan Blom]

This is a bit of a mystery. :-( If possible, I'd be interested in
taking a look at the file.

Your observation is correct: Alt+F9 doesn't change anything; it just
displays the underlying field codes for all fields (tables of contents,
tables of figures, cross-references, hyperlinks, etc.)

--

Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

[Himmelswüst]

'Stefan Blom[_3_ Wrote:
> ;492545']This is a bit of a mystery. :-( If possible, I'd be interested

> in
> taking a look at the file.
>
> Your observation is correct: Alt+F9 doesn't change anything; it just
> displays the underlying field codes for all fields (tables of contents,
>
> tables of figures, cross-references, hyperlinks, etc.)
>
> --
> Stefan Blom
> Microsoft Word MVP
>

> [/i][/color]

To correct what I've just posted: Alt+F9 does not change anything, but
just F9 does, and in some of my posts I might have confused the two. In
any case, the F9 command always reformats my TOC (the type changes to
Times Roman and some levels disappear entirely) so that using it
requires undoing the updating immediately.




--
Himmelswüst

[Stefan Blom]

OK. F9 is the command to update the fields in the selection.

As I wrote in a previous reply, when you update the TOC field, any
manual changes applied to it will be lost. The fix is to remove any
direct formatting applied to headings (modify the heading styles
instead); then the formatting of TOC entries will be determined by the
TOC 1, TOC 2, etc. styles.

--
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

[Himmelsw�st]

'Stefan Blom[_3_ Wrote:
> ;492551']OK. F9 is the command to update the fields in the selection.

>
> As I wrote in a previous reply, when you update the TOC field, any
> manual changes applied to it will be lost. The fix is to remove any
> direct formatting applied to headings (modify the heading styles
> instead); then the formatting of TOC entries will be determined by the
> TOC 1, TOC 2, etc. styles.
> --
> Stefan Blom
> Microsoft Word MVP
>

> --
> Stefan Blom
> Microsoft Word MVP
>
> [/i][/color]

Maybe I misunderstood your previous reply, but as I had answered, I am
indeed using styles to format my TOC -- but I find it extremely
bothersome to have to apply those styles all over again every time I
might have to update the TOC, especially as I would in addition have to
define an entirely new TOC every time because an entire level is
missing.

I'm not sure whether your suggestion really means that I would have to
use the heading styles supplied by word. If so, that strikes me as an
equally tiresome solution because I would have to overwrite them instead
of adding my own. Furthermore, the solution appears to involve my using
the same heading styles for the headings as they are formatted in the
text as for the ones that are part of the TOC -- which again is
something I do not want to do, because they need to be formatted
differently.

Apart from this, I still can't figure out the numbering issue :(




--
Himmelsw�

[Stefan Blom]

If formatting is changing each time you update the TOC, then something
is not right. Did you make sure that your headings were correctly
defined, that is, that formatting comes from the Modify Style dialog box
(and not by applying formatting directly to the text, for example, via
the ribbon)? You can remove direct font formatting by selecting text and
pressing Ctrl+SpaceBar. Once you have done this, the formatting of TOC
levels will be controlled by the TOC 1, TOC 2, etc. styles.

If a level is missing in the TOC, you have to adjust the field code. For
example, if level 4 is missing, and you are using the built-in headings
(or custom headings with an "Outline level" defined), make sure that the
code reads { TOC \o "1-4" \h }. Use Alt+F9 to show/hide field codes, and
use F9 to update the field(s) in the selection.

You can include custom headings in a TOC, for example by giving them an
"Outline level" as suggested above. (In the Modify Style dialog box,
click Format, and then click Paragraph. You'll find the option on the
Indents and Spacing tab.) Usually, however, the built-in headings are
quite sufficient.

I'm still interested in taking a look at the file (you can delete any
text that you don't want to share, as long as there are captions that
exhibit the numbering problem). You can send it to
stefanDOTblomATmvpsDOTorg.

--
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

[Stefan Blom]

Hmm, I mentioned the ribbon, which is part of the new interface in Word
2007 and 2010; it didn't exist in Word 2003.

In Word 2003, direct formatting can be applied for example via the
Formatting toolbar.

--
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP