how to save changes to customized numbered list

[Guest]

I don't know how to save changes I've made to the "Customized Numbered List",
either for the remainder of the document, or for all future documents.
Tried to find it in "Help", but no luck. Any tips?

Here's what I'm referring to:
Bullets and Numbering - Numbered - Customize - Customize Numbered List -
Number position - aligned at (or, Text position - Tab space after - Indent
at).
Once I've changed these, is there an EASY way in which to save the changes
for the remainder of my document, and - more importantly - for all future
documents?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Shauna Kelly]

Hi Michael

The numbering you get when you click Bullets and Numbering is a bit of a
hit-or-miss affair. You can't control what Word inserts, and you can't
change it.

The way to achieve what you want is to use styles which have been numbered
to suit your needs.

For more information, see
How to create numbered headings or outline numbering in your Microsoft Word
document
http://www.ShaunaKelly.com/word/numbering/OutlineNumbering.html

If you need more help after that, post back and let us know what version of
Word you're using.

Hope this helps.

Shauna Kelly. Microsoft MVP.
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word

 

[Guest]

Hi, Shauna;

Thank-you for your quick and thorough reply! I quickly perused your
article, and then saved it for future reference. However, I'm really
time-challenged, and rather than learn a new approach, would like to just
continue using the toolbar "bullets and numbering" -- I just need to learn
how to save changes I make within its customized numbered list so that future
docs (and - as important - all existing docs) use those changes.

I've finally found Help reference on how to modify changes in the "Normal"
template, and have done so, and saved my changes (by clicking the 'save' icon
on the toolbar) -- "Normal" now contains those changes. However, it appears
I was on the wrong track, because when I open a new, blank document, those
"Normal" changes aren't there! Is "Normal" NOT the default template that's
loaded with each new, blank document?

I also noticed -- in Help -- a reference to selecting "automatically save
style updates" (or something to that effect), in order to make changes
retroactive to existing documents. However, that had no effect on my
existing documents -- probably because this must refer to 'styles', and not
the "normal" template.

Geez, if software developers only spent as much time on the Help files (the
true user interface) as everything else!

Thanks, in advance, for any tips!

 

[Stefan Blom]

If you don't use styles, you cannot store numbering or bullet
formatting. You definitely cannot use the toolbar buttons, if you want
to stay in control of numbering. So-called list styles (available in
Word 2002 and later) is a possibility, but not many people seem to use
them. The safest method is to attach numbering to paragraph styles.
Another good reason to learn about, and make use of, paragraph styles
is that they are the way to store font and paragraph formatting for
re-use in a template.

For general information about styles and templates, see:

http://www.shaunakelly.com/word/styles/TipsOnStyles.html

http://www.shaunakelly.com/word/styles/ApplyAStyle.html

http://www.shaunakelly.com/word/styles/ModifyAStyle.html

http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Customization/CreateATemplatePart1.htm

http://www.shaunakelly.com/word/numbering/OutlineNumbering.html

--
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP


in message

 

[Guest]

Thanks, Stefan -- I'll look into these articles.
-Michael