Numbered List switching Style

  • Thread starter Thread starter Patti Barden
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Patti Barden

Hi,
I have a document where I want to number some paragraphs in a list (e.g.
number of children in family). The font and style are Ariel, Normal. When I
go to Format>Bullets and Numbering and select the way I want the list, the
Style in the Style box changes from Normal to Footer.

I am worried about this as this document will go into a larger document that
does not do this switch and I don't want to corrupt the larger document.
Any ideas as to how I stop this happening?
Patti
 
Hi Patti

What's happening here is that you are choosing a bullets and numbering
format that is linked to a style - apply the list and you apply the style.

You need to address this the other way round. Set up a paragraph style for
the list items, and modify its Numbering format to the the bullets or
numbering you need. Then apply this style to the list items.

If you are going to import this into another document, the most important
thing is to get the style correct in the target, and use a matching name in
the document you are editing. That way you should find the imported items
take up the correct format.
 
Hi Margaret,
I have already set up the paragraph style for the list items, then gone to
Format>Bullets and Numbering and chose the list setup style - isn't this
what you are saying to do? When I do it, the Style box on the Toolbar
switches to Footer.

It was working properly for weeks, then all of a sudden the numbered list
has associated itself with Footer. Is there a place where I can change
this? I have tried but do not see Footer having anything to do with numbered
lists.
Patti
 
This is presumably happening because you're going to Bullets and Numbering
from a paragraph in the document (intending to update by example?) instead
of directly through Format | Style. For instructions on bulletproofing
numbered lists, see
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word/numbering/OutlineNumbering.html. Although
Shauna's article addresses outline lists, this is the best way to approach
*all* numbered lists.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
Word MVP FAQ site: http://www.mvps.org/word
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.
 
Hi Susanne,
Why does Word have these features if they don't work? I don't want an
Outline View, All I want is a numbered list:
1. Sue Smith
Text, text, etc.

2 John Smith
Text, text, etc.

I will now sit down and spend the rest of the morning reading the Shauna
Kelly article which looks very complicated at this point. Anyway, hope I can
figure it out.

I would still like to know - when I go directly from a paragraph to
Format>Bullets/Numbering and select a format, why does word change from the
Style of the paragraph in the Style box on the Toolbar to say "Footer" for
the first number in the list. The following numbers, 2,3, all stay in the
correct Style?
Thanks for your help.
Patti
 
Whenever you apply numbering directly, you're taking a chance. It is much
safer to apply a numbered style whose formatting you can control. What
you're seeing may be a result of "Define styles based on your formatting."
See http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/Formatting/TameAutoFormat.htm

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
Word MVP FAQ site: http://www.mvps.org/word
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.
 
Patti Barden said:
Why does Word have these features if they don't work?
Click to expand...

Why indeed :-(
I would still like to know - when I go directly from a paragraph to
Format>Bullets/Numbering and select a format, why does word change from the
Style of the paragraph in the Style box on the Toolbar to say "Footer" for
the first number in the list. The following numbers, 2,3, all stay in the
correct Style?
Click to expand...

When you select a format, does the preview pane show the stylename 'footer'?
If so, that would confirm my original suggestion that you are applying a
list format that is linked to the footer style. The only really reliable way
to apply numbering is to set the list format up *from a separate paragraph
style* - that is, you should only enter the Bullets and Numbering dialog
from modifying the (top level) style, not from the Format menu.

The only other thing I can think of is that you are getting styles applied
automatically because of an AutoFormat setting - have a look at Tools >
AutoCorrect Options AutoFormat As You Type.
 
Hello Patty! Most likey what you're seeing is not related to the numbering
itself, but to problem with your normal.dot or styles on your system. Try
this for me:

First shut down any open programs, then click Start, then RUN and type the
following:



winword.exe /a And click OK.



Now try and get the error again in a new document - if the same problem
doesn't occur you'll know something in your style or numbered lists stored
in your default normal.dot is causing this behavior and you'll need to
search for and rename that normal.dot template (I always suggest
abnormal.dot) and may need to filter / correct the documents based off it
before the problem stops occuring.

John Bunton
(e-mail address removed)
 
John Bunton said:
Hello Patty! Most likey what you're seeing is not related to the numbering
itself, but to problem with your normal.dot or styles on your system. Try
this for me:

First shut down any open programs, then click Start, then RUN and type the
following:



winword.exe /a And click OK.



Now try and get the error again in a new document - if the same problem
doesn't occur you'll know something in your style or numbered lists stored
in your default normal.dot is causing this behavior and you'll need to
search for and rename that normal.dot template (I always suggest
abnormal.dot) and may need to filter / correct the documents based off it
before the problem stops occuring.

John Bunton
(e-mail address removed)
Click to expand...
 
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