Hidden Multilevel List Style

Brass Contributor

I'm adding styles according to How to create numbered headings or outline numbering in Word 2007 and Word 2010 | ShaunaKelly.com.

1. Every time I Modify Multilevel list (Headings), Link to style clears.

2. How do you fix the spacing between 1.1 and Heading Text? See how it's too small for 4.9 and too big for 4.10?

3. Is there a rule for whether to put a period after 1. Heading Text?

Thanks

 

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10 Replies

@CaroleSL 

 

1. This will depend on how the multilevel list was initially created. If list styles were used, you should modify the list style itself, from the "List Styles" category under Home tab > Paragraph group > Multilevel List. If a list style has not been used, click in the very first level 1 item of the list and then click Home tab > Paragraph group > Multilevel List > Define New Multilevel List. Make the desired changes. 

 

2. Adjust the value for "Add tab stop at" for the level. In many cases, you will also have to increase the value for "Text indent at" (if you want a hanging indent). 

 

3. I believe that most numbering formats would not have a period after the last number in a numbering level. However, I don't think this is a general rule that will always apply.

 

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I set "Follow number with" to "nothing" and it deleted all my linked styles. I hardcoded 2 spaces after the final number in "Enter Formatting for number;" this remains consistent whereas tabs sometimes apply, sometimes don't, and were inconsistent (e.g., between 4.9 and 4.10, above). It was so frustrating but I finally set it up.

@CaroleSL 

 

If you do not want a tab character to be added, choose some other option than "Tab character" in the "Follow number with" drop down, for each level that you want to change. 

 

I am not sure why you are losing the linked style. Just to clarify, are you saying that the setting for "Link level to style" reverts to "(no style)"? 

 

If you want to, you can share a sample document for illustration.

 

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@Stefan_Blom , any ideas for this problem, please?

 

4. I have 12 documents that share one template. I want to prefix the multilevel style in Unit 1 as 1.1 (level 1), 1.1.1 (level 2), and in Unit 2, prefix all headings iwth 2.1, 2.1.1, etc., so I need the prefixes to not be overridden by the template style. However, they revert to 1,     1.1, etc., when I close them.

I want to keep the template attached in case I change other things. 
The multilevel numbering styles in the template say "Just in this document" (not "New Documents based on this template").

@CaroleSL 

 

To add a static prefix, just type it in the box in the "Enter formatting for number" box in the multilevel list dialog box. On the other hand, your description indicates that the prefix should depend on a numbered text paragraph, which means that you have to add the corresponding paragraph style as the top level in a multilevel list. 

@CaroleSL Exactly what do you mean by "Unit" Is each of the 12 documents a "Unit"?

Each document is a unit; it's just their titles for reference.
I entered the static prefixes, they worked fine, but they disappear when I reopen the document, probably because the template is overwriting it.

@CaroleSL 

The easiest thing to do would be to combine all of the "Unit documents" into one document and start each one with a (possibly hidden) Heading 1 style. then use Heading 2 where you are now trying to use Heading 1 with a prefix.

Can you think of another way please? Each unit has its own page numbers and ToC, and they'll change occasionally; it will be hard to merge them. If I delink them from the template will I lose styles or can I save them in the document? This would be a pain for future styles changes, but that will be less frequent than content changes.