I’m creating a number and bulleted list, and I want to be able to do something like this:
1.
a.
c.
p.
3.
l.
Basically, there isn’t a specific order to the number and bulleted list and I can freely customize each element. So far, I’m only seeing how to change the starting number.
You can’t do that with a Writer list. A list is supposed to have a uniform look and feel according to some simple rule. This simple rule is defined by a “counter” (a list style in Writer parlance) which has a simple incrementation option (none in the bullet case where all items at the same level bear the same symbol, or +1 for numbered/lettered case). Within this simple incrementation, there is no way to skip values or to set the number to an arbitrary value.
Since your items have no specific order, the group does not fit in the list definition because reordering your items will not cause them to be renumbered. Unless I misunderstood, the number/bullet is a “private” attribute of each item.
With this specification, you have two options:
A workaround is to design a paragraph style with a hanging indent (negative first line indent) without the list property. You type the id (number, letter or bullet) of the item, then a Tab and the item text.
The inconvenience, without the list property, is you must create one paragraph style per level.
Design a list style of Bullet type with a space as bullet. In the Position tab, play with Aligned at (bullet position) and Indent at (left paragraph boundary) so that you leave enough room to manually add your ids. Of course the space bullet must be followed by Nothing for the id to be formatted inside the hanging indent area.
You create an item with the paragraph style associated with this list style. You manually type the id then a Tab and you continue with the item text. As usual, if you press Tab with the cursor positioned right after the bullet, i.e. before your manual id, you increase the item level (Shift+Tab to decrease level).
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