Caption numbering & heading styles
Darrin Drumm
frustrating problems I have been having with Word 2000
(SR-1).
I have many word tables in my thesis and have been using
the insert> caption to put the titles above the table. I
have been using the numbering system that includes chapter
number (Table 4.1, Table 4.2 etc.). If I move or delete a
table, the numbering does not update to reflect the new
position in the document. The word Help file says to click
on the caption and then right click and choose "update".
When i do this there is no update option available to me
select.
The second problem I am having is with heading numbering
and styles. I have created several heading styles for use
in my thesis and the first couple levels of headings seem
to work flawlessly (4.3, 4.3.1, 4.3.2 etc)when i insert a
new heading. It even seems to update if I delete an
existing heading, but when i insert the a level 4 heading
it appears as 4.2.3.1, when it should clearly follow as
4.3.2.1. A similar problem exists with the 5th level.
When i go into the Format> styles menu I can not seem to
find the cause of this erratic numbering (and trust me I
have wasted many frustrating hours trying to sort this
out!!).
Any advise on these issues would be much appreciated.
Thanks
Darrin
Alan
(This is a bit lengthy, so you could copy and paste it
into Word and keep for reference)
The caption numbering is easy to fix; the headings are
trickier.
The captions are numbered with a kind of fields which
don't renumber until you "update" them; you could call
this semi-automatic numbering. I think if you
first "select" the whole caption paragraph (darken with
the mouse), then right-click over it, you should see
the "Update Field" choice.
But moreover, there probably are several that need
updating; so the best thing to do is select the whole
document (Edit / Select All) then press the F9 key, which
is the shortcut to update fields.
Now, if you have a table of contents in the document, you
should get a screen at this point asking if you want to
update the whole table or just the page numbers. I'd
choose just the page numbers, then OK
Then you want to click somewhere in the document, to
remove the "select" effect.
(Incidentally, if you do have such a table of contents,
then before you go through this updating you should use
the "Show/Hide" button on the toolbar -- the paragraph
mark icon -- to hide nonprinting characters.)
* * *
Now, on the other hand, heading numbering with outline
numbering, is truly automatic -- you move things around
and they renumber.
The bad news is, it only behaves well if you do everything
in a very precise way. The concept is, be very pure in
the way you do it.
This is advice I hate to give: because if it were my
document, I'd prefer to move it to a fresh document,
mostly "stripped." I'd cut and paste the tables. The
rest I'd copy (except the last paragraph mark) and then
use Edit / Paste Special / Unformatted Text OK to move
the text, and then re-format.
For the numbering, I'd use the built-in Heading styles
(but probably modify them first to have consistent 12
point Times New Roman, 12 points after, 0 points before).
And I'd attach the 2nd from left, bottom-tier thumbnail on
Outline Numbered, from its "Reset" position, because that
already has the numbering set up.
(You can easily enough type "Chapter" into Number format
for level 1 if need be.)
However, you probably don't want to do all that. I only
mention it because *sometimes* after the numbering is
misbehaving, it's more trouble to try to fix it in the
existing document than to start afresh.
Some general principles of outline numbering:
A. Think of the levels as parts of one thing. You
originally set it up by going to your level 1 style
(probably Heading 1) and going
Format / Style / Modify
Format / Numbering / choose one of the Outline Numbered
thumbnails / Customize
Click More if you see it.
In the slot at bottom, "ListNum field list name:" type
something such as Scheme 1 or Scheme 2
Then, you set up ALL your levels essentially from this
screen -- called "Customize Outline Numbered List".
You choose the level you want to set in the upper left,
then make your settings, then choose another level in the
upper left (U.S. version anyway), make that level's
settings below (indents etc.) and so on. When you've set
all your levels, you go OK OK Close
B. At this point, you may have some unwanted tab sets in
some of the styles. You can individually modify them out.
C. Now here's a really key thing: when on that screen,
Customize Outline Numbered List, down low where it says
Link level to style:
you need the correct linkage for each level. So typically
when you have Level 1 chosen above on the screen, down
here you'll have Heading 1. When you're doing Level 2,
down below you'll have Heading 2 (or whatever your level 2
style is).
D. If later on, you want to "add" another level, you do
it by modifying the first level, and you choose that "new"
level on the Customize Outline Numbered List screen.
Some maintenance tips:
1. Don't nudge the indents around by using Format /
Paragraph or the thingys on the ruler bar. Instead, if
you need to modify a style's indents, go by way
of "modifying level 1" and choosing the relevant level on
that "Customize Outline ..." screen.
2. Make sure none of your heading styles are set
for "Automatically update."
3. Look at Tools / Templates and Add-ins -- you want a
BLANK checkbox by "Automatically update document styles."
4. Look at Tools / Options / Compatibility.
If, towards the middle, it says "Microsoft Word 6.0/95"
that's trouble, indicating an old origin to the document.
* * *
Now, meanwhile, what I suggest you try is this:
1. Go to your level 1 style
2. Format / Style / Modify
Format / Numbering / Customize
Click More if you see it.
If the "ListNum field list name" slot is blank, type a
name like Scheme 2 into it.
3. One by one, click on Level 1, Level 2 etc. For each
level, look below and make sure the correct style is
listed by "Link level to style".
Also make sure that, except when you're checking Level
1, there is a checkmark by "Restart numbering after ..."
low on the screen.
4. For the misbehaving levels, use Backspace / Delete to
wipe out Number format, and re-create it from scratch:
a. (this part is weird): Use the arrow by "Previous
level number" to put in Level 2. Then right away, Delete
that shaded number out of Number format. This is to fully
clear the system.
b. Use the arrow by "Previous level number" to put in
Level 1. A shaded 1 appears in Number format.
c. Type a period.
d. Use the arrow by "Previous level number" to put in
Level 2. Another shaded 1 appears in Number format.
e. etc. -- only for the very last part do you use Number
style: 1, 2, 3, ... to put in the last shaded 1.
5. To leave that screen, OK OK Close. Now check each
style for undesirable tab sets, and modify them out if
need be.
* * *
If, after doing all this, the numbering is still off, you
can apply the style Normal to those paragraphs, then re-
apply the heading styles. Sometimes this works.
* * *
If you eventually decide to start with a fresh document,
bear in mind there are some methods less extreme than
Edit / Paste Special / Unformatted Text.
For instance, you could simply style all the numbered
paragraphs as Normal first, then re-style them on the
other side.
Or you could replace them with substitute styles,
h1 = Normal+
h2 = Normal+
etc.
and on the other side, switch them back to Headings. This
way, you can do a regular Paste of the document (again,
omit the last paragraph mark). You can at least retain
most of the formatting this way.
* * *
One more tip, a safety feature which mostly refers to the
Updating part, and specifically, selecting the whole
document: I prefer Tools / Options / Edit
CLEAR the box by "Typing replaces selection"
* * *
Now maybe someone will come along with a much easier
answer.
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