Alphabetize a Numbered List

  • Thread starter Thread starter fjrlem
  • Start date Start date
F

fjrlem

I have a list that is in numerical order. I need the list in alphabetical
order however I need the corresponding numbers to stay with the words. This
would make my numbers out of order. The list is numbered automaticly.
 
You could convert the numbers to text before sorting, but I fear Sort would
then still sort on the numbers. What you might try is this:

1. Convert the numbers to text using the instructions below (provide by
Stefan Blom).

2. Select the text and use Table | Convert | Text to Table, separating at
tabs (make sure the dialog shows that the result will be two columns.

3. Sort the resulting table on the second column.

4. Use Table | Convert | Table to Text, separating with tabs, to restore the
numbered list (you may need to reapply the hanging indent).

To convert autonumbering (paragraph/outline numbering and LISTNUM
fields) to plain text, do the following: Make sure the active
document is the one you want to convert. Then press ALT+F11 to
display the Visual Basic Editor. On the View menu, click
Immediate Window. In the Immediate Window, type

ActiveDocument.ConvertNumbersToText

and press ENTER.

Note that if paragraph/outline numbering was applied with styles,
it isn't completely gone (CTRL+Q will bring it back!) unless you
also clear it from the style definitions.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org
 
highlight the entire list, then deselect numbering, sort the list, then
highlight the list again and select numbering
 
The OP wants to keep the original numbers, however, so this won't work (and
it also wouldn't be necessary).

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org
 
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