Continued numbering for subitem on list

I have a document organized into chapters and articles like this:

Chapter I

  • Article 1
  • Article 2
    Chapter II
  • Article 3
  • Article 4

Chapters are divided into articles, but they are numbered separately. Articles follow the numbering from the previous chapter. This organization is inherent to laws and other legal documents.

But I’ve been unable to arrange this using LibreOffice Writer numbering styles. I ended up numbering chapters manually. Could anyone please help? Thank you.

  1. In Tools → Chapter numbering let the “Level 1” empty (“none”) and select a numbering for the level 2
  2. Go to the Heading 1 style and, in Outline and numbering tab select the Level 1 and pick a list style, such as Numbering 123
  3. If needed, edit the list style to add the word “Chapter” before the numbers

See the attached example|attachment for more details.

Style family Heading n is used for “traditional” numbering with chapters, sub-chapters, … When you start a new chapter, sub-level is reset to one like:

  • .1. Chapter (styled Heading 1)
  • .1.1 Sub-chapter (Heading 2)
  • .1.2 Sub-chapter
  • .2. Chapter (Heading 1 again)
    • .2.1 Sub-chapter (Heading 2)

All Heading n are processed in this manner, no matter what you may try to stick with usual chapter numbering rule.

Your articles belong in an independent sequence. You must then use styles different from Heading n.

I suggest you style your article paragraph with Numbering 1 to create a new list.

However, CAUTION! Numbering 1 as configured out-o-the-box does not behave as a list driver. You must first customise it a bit.

  1. Open the style side pane: Styles>Styles & Formatting or F11 or click on the double T icon in the right vertical toolbar

  2. Look for Numbering 1 style, right-click and Modify

  3. In Outline & Numbering tab, select Numbering 1 from *Numbering styles` drop-down menu

  4. Click OK

Now give paragraph style Numbering 1 to your articles.

The numbering itself may be customised through so-called list style Numbering 1 accessible through a click on the fifth small icon in the styles pane toolbar.

Your question did not mention if your articles should be listed in the TOC.

Since they are not Heading n, they can’t be directly merged with the TOC. However, you can create a special index for them.

  1. Where you want this table to appear, Insert>``Table of Contents & Index>Table of Contents, Index or Bibliography`

  2. In Type tab:

    2.1 Select User-Defined from Type drop-down menu

2.2 Check Styles in Create from

2.3 Push Assign Styles

2.4 In the dialog which pops up, select Numbering 1 and push >> to put it in level 1; click OK

  1. You can customise the appearance of entries in the Entries tab but the default settings are usually correct

  2. Click OK, your table is there.

To edit the table (title, entries or others), right-click in the index and choose Edit index.

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