Applying Custom Numbering to Single Paragraph - A Bug?
ajr
agreements, contracts, etc. Normally each level of the numbering scheme is
linked to a paragraph style. Very often, when an attorney edits these
documents he needs to have an entire paragraph bracketed. In other words,
for these paragraphs a "[" character must be inserted before the number in
the "Customize Outline Numbered List" dialog box and "Apply Changes To
Current Paragraph" must be selected at the bottom of the maximized dialog
box.
I am getting the most erratic behavior when I try to do this. Sometimes the
bracket is applied correctly, only affecting the paragraph where the cursor
resides. However, I can try it on another paragraph in the same list and
instead of affecting only one paragraph, all paragraphs at that list level
get the bracket added. There seems to be no rhyme or reason as to when this
"feature" works correctly.
I have noticed that it is more reliable when I am not using numbering with
styles but apply Bullets and Numbering as direct formatting. But even then
it is not 100% reliable and it is also not feasible because in the
environment in which we work, our numbering would blow up if we did not have
it firmly linked to styles.
Has anyone else experienced this behavior? And if anyone else uses Word 97
in a law environment, what solution has your company come up with? Right
now we are bracketing the text in the paragraph after the number and telling
the attorneys that we are unable to put in the brackets before the number if
autonumbering is used. Needless to say, they are not terribly happy or
impressed with this solution.
Any ideas?
Please respond to newsgroup only. Thank you.
Margaret Aldis
<nos...@spamless.com> writes
I don't think there is any way you can hope to do this reliably using
Word's autonumbering - if you change the list format, then almost
certainly you will change the relationship of the paragraph to the 'list
object' to which it belongs, and thus the numbering will fly apart. You
will normally break the link to the style (i.e. apply the numbering as
direct formatting) if you use Format - Bullets and Numbering to change
the number format - or worse, you will link this new format to your
style, and so other paragraphs will be changed too.
I would think your best bet would be to use SEQ fields for the numbering
- then you can put text before, after, change the style etc. and keep
the numbering sequence intact.
The only other thing I can think of, if your multi-level styles are
otherwise working well (lucky people!) is to make a special autotext
paragraph for the open bracket, with a hidden paragraph end, and insert
this (perhaps using a hot key such as 'Ctrl and [' ) where you need the
bracket before the number. When hidden text is off, this should bring
the [ onto the same printed line as your numbered paragraph.
HTH
--
Margaret Aldis, Syntagma, e-mail marg...@syntagma.demon.co.uk
"Civilisation advances by extending the number of important
operations which we can perform without thinking about them.
Operations of thought are like cavalry charges in battle - they are
strictly limited in number, they require fresh horses, and must
only be made at decisive moments." A N Whitehead
Doug Robbins
> The only other thing I can think of, if your multi-level styles are
> otherwise working well (lucky people!) is to make a special autotext
> paragraph for the open bracket, with a hidden paragraph end, and insert
> this (perhaps using a hot key such as 'Ctrl and [' ) where you need the
> bracket before the number. When hidden text is off, this should bring
> the [ onto the same printed line as your numbered paragraph.
When I try that and then turn off hidden text, it hides the paragraph number
as well and I can't for the life of me think why that should be.
Regards,
Doug Robbins - Word MVP
To assist in maintaining the thread for the benefit of others, please post
any response to the NewsGroup.
Margaret Aldis <Marg...@nospam.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:yvF$TXAok6...@syntagma.demon.co.uk...
Margaret Aldis
<drob...@eisa.net.au> writes
>Hi Margaret,
>
>> The only other thing I can think of, if your multi-level styles are
>> otherwise working well (lucky people!) is to make a special autotext
>> paragraph for the open bracket, with a hidden paragraph end, and insert
>> this (perhaps using a hot key such as 'Ctrl and [' ) where you need the
>> bracket before the number. When hidden text is off, this should bring
>> the [ onto the same printed line as your numbered paragraph.
>
>When I try that and then turn off hidden text, it hides the paragraph number
>as well and I can't for the life of me think why that should be.
>
>Regards,
>Doug Robbins - Word MVP
Well blow me down - so it does! This puts me in mind of a bug someone
showed me the other day, which also seems to indicate a 'leakage' of
(probably) list format information from the paragraph mark of one
paragraph into the behaviour of the next.
The bug is this:
With Tools - Options - Edit Tab and Backspace set indent on (not
something I'd normally do myself you understand ...)
And a bulleted List Bullet style with a 'following style' of Normal.
Press enter at the end of the List Bullet, get a Normal para OK, then
press Tab and the new paragraph has its left indent set. Since IIRC the
Tab and Backspace set indent are meant to work on bulleted and numbered
paragraphs only (or at least that seems to be the normal behaviour) it
looks as though Word is treating the new Normal paragraph as if had a
list format attached.
Word never ceases to thrill and enthral, does it <g> ?
Suzanne S. Barnhill
the paragraph mark, so if the paragraph mark is formatted as bold or italic
(or hidden)--EVEN IF THE REST OF THE PARAGRAPH IS NOT--the number will have
that attribute.
The significant point here is that, even if you carefully select all of the
paragraph EXCEPT FOR the paragraph mark, and even if you have "When
selecting, automatically select entire word" unchecked, you'll frequently
find that the paragraph mark has been formatted as well, and you have to go
back and select just the paragraph mark and remove the formatting.
--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft Word MVP
Words into Type
Fairhope, AL USA
Doug Robbins wrote in message ...
>Hi Margaret,
>
>> The only other thing I can think of, if your multi-level styles are
>> otherwise working well (lucky people!) is to make a special autotext
>> paragraph for the open bracket, with a hidden paragraph end, and insert
>> this (perhaps using a hot key such as 'Ctrl and [' ) where you need the
>> bracket before the number. When hidden text is off, this should bring
>> the [ onto the same printed line as your numbered paragraph.
>
>When I try that and then turn off hidden text, it hides the paragraph
number
>as well and I can't for the life of me think why that should be.
>
>Regards,
>Doug Robbins - Word MVP
>
>> The only other thing I can think of, if your multi-level styles are
>> otherwise working well (lucky people!) is to make a special autotext
>> paragraph for the open bracket, with a hidden paragraph end, and insert
>> this (perhaps using a hot key such as 'Ctrl and [' ) where you need the
>> bracket before the number. When hidden text is off, this should bring
>> the [ onto the same printed line as your numbered paragraph.
>>
>> HTH
Margaret Aldis
<sbar...@zebra.net> writes
>Doug, AutoNumbering takes on the paragraph format, i.e., the formatting of
>the paragraph mark, so if the paragraph mark is formatted as bold or italic
>(or hidden)--EVEN IF THE REST OF THE PARAGRAPH IS NOT--the number will have
>that attribute.
>
>The significant point here is that, even if you carefully select all of the
>paragraph EXCEPT FOR the paragraph mark, and even if you have "When
>selecting, automatically select entire word" unchecked, you'll frequently
>find that the paragraph mark has been formatted as well, and you have to go
>back and select just the paragraph mark and remove the formatting.
>
Yes, that's a known peculiarity and annoyance, but it isn't the effect
Doug is reporting. The hidden text paragraph end is hiding the number of
the _next_ paragraph!
Margaret
Doug Robbins
But it was the paragraph mark of the paragraph before the numbered paragraph
that was formatted as hidden
That paragraph contained the opening [ which Astrid suggested could be made
to appear in front of the numbering like
[1.0 Heading
When I format the ś in the following text
[ś
1.0 Heading
I get
[Heading
Regards,
Doug Robbins - Word MVP
To assist in maintaining the thread for the benefit of others, please post
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Suzanne S. Barnhill <sbar...@zebra.net> wrote in message
news:#XknoFBi#GA.263@cppssbbsa03...
Suzanne S. Barnhill
thread to refresh my memory of what was going on. Still, the info I offered
(which I assume you already knew) will perhaps be useful to some other
readers in other situations.
Hank Roberts
From my coworker Dave Campbell, to whom I forwarded part of this thread:
>I don't know whether anyone told them the real solution, which is to set up
>a paragraph indented the same, and use LISTNUM for the number. That's what
>it's for...
ajr
> >I don't know whether anyone told them the real solution, which is to set
up
> >a paragraph indented the same, and use LISTNUM for the number. That's
what
> >it's for...
>
I'm the original poster. Looking back at my question (so many messages
ago), I see that I forgot to mention that LISTNUM is not a viable option
here because the blacklining software used by our firm (CompareRite by
LEXIS) does not recognize the LISTNUM field. CompareRite stores the
documents as RTF files and won't recognize LISTNUM. It just leaves a space
where the number should be and then misnumbers the rest of the list. Since
the attorneys are constantly comparing different versions of documents, we
need a solution which is compatible with the software.
This week we had an advanced training seminar on numbering from a consultant
who supports the Legal MacPac macro tools for Word and she said there was no
workaround for this problem. You must put the bracket around the text only.
Microsoft wants you to use their own insufficient blacklining tools and they
were not particularly interested in having third party software infringing
on their business. They have supposedly been less than forthcoming in
sharing information which might help other software companies provide
supporting applications. Why am I not surprised?
Jeff Thaw
helpful.
Instead of using the LISTNUM field code, have you tried using the AUTONUMLGL
field code (in conjunction with heading styles)? As far as I recall,
CompareRite handles this one OK (or at least, it handled it in Word95 OK).
If you use the AUTONUMLGL field code in conjunction with heading styles,
Word automatically "knows" the proper amount of levels to include in the
number. You can set it up in an autotext entry to speed entering it. Also,
doing this allows you to put whatever (or how MUCH ever) you want before
and/or after the number, without screwing anything up.
One more thing worth noting (given that you're in the legal field) -- if you
want to use the numbering style that, in our great old friend WordPerfect
5.1 was called "Legal Outline" style (or somoething to that effect) (for
those unfamiliar, it's a style of numbering wherein Level 1 is Roman
numeral, all subsequent levels are Arabic, and when you include the prior
level number, it turns the Roman numeral into an Arabic (so, if Level 1 is
numbered "V", the next level should read "5.1") there IS a way to do it.
Here's how:
For "Level 1" use the AUTONUMOUT field code, and tag the style as Heading 1.
For all other levels, use the AUTONUMLGL code, also in conjunction with
heading styles.
HTH,
Jeff
ajr wrote in message <#sm2W2gi#GA.160@cppssbbsa03>...