Messed list numbering: can I see (and change) the tree of numbering?

[lucmat]

I have an ODT document created with large parts copied from an original .docx, where after many edits I’ve broken the original list numbering, made of many sublevels.
Is there any way to understand the current tree of numbering and modify/correct it directly?

See as an example the screenshot below

If I place the cursor on what still (apparently) is level 3.1 and select Format | Bullets and numbering…, the preview is different from what I see. Then if I just select File | Export as | Export directly as PDF, numbering changes to 2.3
Looks like a precedent 2.2 level is restarted to 2.3, after my 3. level

This is confusing to me, then I’d like to understand what is the structure of numbering in my document, to clean it.

I’m running LO version 7.6.7.2 on Windows 11.

[ajlittoz]

List numbering is one of the features most diverging between Word and Writer. Word has no notion of styles, notably no list style which means you can’t identify in which a logical list item belongs.

Format>Bullets & Numbering is roughly designed and tweaked to behave more or less like Word. On the contrary, a list style defines neatly a logical list. When you apply it on a paragraph, this paragraph becomes a member of the logical list and only of this logical list. Thus, the numbering is consistent within the list.

With Format>Bullets & Numbering you have no explicit way to designate the logical list. When you initially enter your item, the new item created after Enter is obviously a member of the same list. But a new list may or may not be a part of the same logical list, depending on what you did in Format>Bullets & Numbering in between. The case is even more disastrous when you edit and add new items in a previous list.

In your case, you " created with large parts copied from an original .docx". I assume you paste as usual which also pasted and converted DOCX formatting, bringing in all the idiosyncrasies of Word list, making an unmanageable mess.

The only safe way to control list numbering is to create a dedicated list style (or use a built-in one if fit to your case) so that you apply it explicitly on the adequate items.

Unfortunately, your document is already polluted by Word translated formatting, probably beyond repair because it is very difficult to get rid of it. You should try to start from unformatted items (only the parts for the lists) upon which you apply exclusively styles without any direct formatting or inherited formatting. These styles include paragraph (for general look of items), character (you seem to use them, e.g. ListLabel 272 unless this is a by-product of conversion and you must remove it) and most important list (for indents, level and numbering).

Attach a reduced sample of your file for better analysis.