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I'm using Word 2010 and am not all that familiar with Multilevel lists. Now suddenly, I think I'm needing two sets of Multilevel lists in the same document.

The document is a style guide, which is broken down into a Multilevel list for the main sections and subsections, such as:

2. Specifications
   2.1  Supported Browsers
   2.2  Minimum Screen Resolution

In each section, subsection, etc. there will be numbered rules. I'm wanting the numbered rules to follow their own numbering system to make it easy to reference individual rules.

2. Specifications
   2.1 Supported Browsers
       R1 (first rule)
       R2 (second rule)
   2.2 Minimum Screen Resolution
       R3 (third rule)
   2.3 Progressive Enhancement
       R4 (fourth rule)
       2.3.1 Mobile First
             R5 (fifth rule)
       2.3.2 Something Else
             R6 (sixth rule)

I can't have these rule numbers change as I make changes to the document, for instance if I add a section or subsection at a later date, I don't want the rule numbers to change, which would require always having to reference the document version along with each rule reference.

At the same time, I may want to be able to group the rules together, so I'm thinking I would need another, separate Multilevel list inside and independent of the first one.

Does this make sense? Is it possible? How would I set this up, or does anyone have a better solution?

Update: I added another subcategory to show that rules may not always exist on the same level, but would still need to be numbered progressively.

Ultimately, what I'm looking for is: I'm using Multilevel lists to lay out my guide. I'm wanting a separate numbering system for the rules/requirements so that, if you were to strip out all the outline/document information and all that was left were the rules, you'd have them in a sequentially numbered list.

fixer1234
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wootcat
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  • Could you give a few more examples to clarify your post? I think you can achieve this by SEQ fields if not just the multilevel lists on their own. – Adam Sep 14 '13 at 13:02
  • @Adam I expanded my example above and added some more info. I don't really have more examples as there is just one document I am working on at the moment. Hopefully that makes things more clear. – wootcat Sep 16 '13 at 14:47

1 Answers1

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Yes, it is possible, but

  1. since modifying multilevel lists in Word can be painful, it may not be easy to get both the numbering and the layout that you want, and
  2. your example suggests that you might need only one multilevel list. If you select the level that you are using for your Rules (R1 etc.) in the Multilevel list numbering dialog, and uncheck "Restart list after", your R1 sequence should run independently of the rest of the list. (you'll need to click the More > > button to see the option, and I am describing the Word 2010 version of the dialog box - it's different in some other versions).

To create a second multilevel list, first create as many paragraph styles as you need levels, then create a new multilevel list and assign each level in it to one of your styles.

  • I will look into your suggestion. What if all the rules aren't always going to be on the same level? I updated my example above to show that the rules could appear in any category or subcategory. – wootcat Sep 16 '13 at 14:49
  • @wootcat: it depends. For example, in the example you give where you really want two paragraph styles associated with a single sequence, I think you can do it by, e.g. setting up one level of a multi-level style to be numbered "Rn", then basing another style on that style and modifying it to give the layout you need. But if you want to ensure that your numbering is preserved "no matter what", I'd use the SEQ-based approach and accept that (a) you have to select th efields and press F9 to maintain the sequence and (b) most users these days won't get it. –  Sep 16 '13 at 18:56
  • @wootcat: the situation that you haven't mentioned and which I might expect to have to deal with in this type of document is when a new version of the document either inserts new Rules or removes Rules and you need to preserve the numbering of the existing rules. If you need to do that, you'd probably need to think about what the numbering in that scenario would look like. –  Sep 16 '13 at 18:58
  • I'm not familiar with SEQ. Can you point me to where I can find out more about it? – wootcat Sep 16 '13 at 19:13
  • SEQ is a field code. You can find documentation at http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/word-help/field-codes-seq-sequence-field-HP005186190.aspx . –  Sep 16 '13 at 20:30