How do I continue numbering from one list style to another?

[Guest]

Hi,
I'm am interested in the list sytles available in Word. I think it may help
solve an automation issue we are having with a template. What I would like to
know is if there is a way to continue numbering from one list style to
another. We write procedures in which a step may have sub steps labled with
alpha characters and another step may have an unordered bulleted list under
it. I've set a List Syle called Alpha List and Bullet List. If I have a
procedure that is half Alpha List and half Bullet List I need to be able to
continue the first level numbering between the lists, but reset it when I
apply either list style elsewhere in the document. Is this possible?
Thanks for any advice you can give.

 

[Jezebel]

1. Each numbering sequence is specific to the style. The paragraphs of a
given style do not need to be contiguous to continue the numbering. If you
right-click a number, the context menu gives you the options to restart the
numbering or continue from where you left off. (You can manipulate this
through the Bullets and Numbering dialog, also.)

2. Experiment with the nuts and bolts of outline numbering, including the
options available if you click the 'More' button on the Customize dialog. By
the sounds of it, you might be able to meet your needs with a three-level
outline: step number, sub-step, and bullet. Note that the indented levels
don't need to be indented relative to each other (that is, sub-steps and
bullets could have the same physical indent). The advantage of this approach
is you can switch between levels using the Increase/Decrease Indent toolbar
buttons.

3. As an alternative, you can roll your own numbering system using SEQ
fields: that provides the numbering sequence but leaves the formatting and
choice of styles entirely up to you.

 

[Guest]

Thanks. I am going to investigate outline numbering as well. What we're
trying to get to is the ability to autoformat a word document that is output
from RoboHelp, so manually resetting levels is what we're trying to avoid.
And I should have been more clear. The continue numbering command does not
work in the second list. I have a procedure that looks like this:
1. Step One
2. Step Two
a. sub a
b. sub b
c. sub c
3. Step Three
1. Should be step 4. Start of BulletList List Style
- sub bullet
- sub bullet
- sub bullet
2. Should be setp 5.

So when I right click on the second step one and click continue numbering,
nothing happens.
Currently our work around uses the autocorrect feature and SEQ fields. I am
trying different methods to see if there is a way to further automate the
formatting out of RoboHelp. A major issue we've been having with that is
getting it to restart the numbering automatically (based on the restart spots
in RoboHelp). When the doc comes out of RoboHelp the procedures use the
numbering feature, so our SEQ work around does not work. When we put the doc
in our template, it never resets numbering so we end up with one big 2000
step procedure.

Thats a lot, but I hope it provides some context.

 

[Jezebel]

If you're dealing with output from something else (particularly the
egregious RoboHelp) your options are somewhat limited; but the quick answer
is to format all the steps with the same style, regardless of whether their
sub steps are alpha'd or bulleted. There's no necessary relationship between
the numbered steps and the paragraphs beneath them.

 

[Guest]

So in 2. below, would I assign a different style to each level?
One thing I'm confused about is reusing the outline numbering. Do I have
select the outline numbering tab each time I want to start a new procedure?
Is there a way to trigger it to start with a style? How about applying it to
an existing procedure?