paragraph numbering doesn't restart correctly in master document

AtitlanWebDesign · October 25, 2020, 8:28pm

I have a master document with about 30 subdocuments. In most of the subdocuments I use a custom paragraph style for a numbered list. This style is used for multiple lists in each subdocument. For the first item of each list I have selected Bullets and Numbering → Restart Numbering, and the lists are all properly numbered in the subdocuments.

In the master document, however, many of the lists do not restart numbering: they continue from the previous numbered list. In most cases it’s the first numbered list for the subdocument that does not restart, though a few others also continue the previous list’s numbering. For about 70% of the lists, the numbering does restart as I would expect.

What am I missing?

ajlittoz · October 25, 2020, 8:56pm

Have you restarted the numbering on the first list in each subdocument? When the subdocuments are merged through the master document, the first subdoc list is no longer the first one in the master. Therefore, numbering continues the previous list.

You say you have a custom paragraph list. Which “list style”, aka. counter, have you associated with this paragraph list?

AtitlanWebDesign · October 25, 2020, 9:26pm

I’m using the Numbering 123 list style.

I just figured out what happened. I hadn’t restarted numbering of the first list in the subdocuments at first. When I realized my error, I went back and updated the first list in each of the subdocuments, but it turned out that the change wasn’t saved–when I changed, saved, and opened the subdocument again, the Restart Numbering option wasn’t checked. I went in and checked it again, then modified the paragraph style (I changed the Outline Level from Text Body to Level 1). Then when I saved my document and reopened it, the Restart Numbering option was still checked.

I don’t understand why, but it worked.

ajlittoz · October 26, 2020, 6:48am

Try to revert to outline level Text Body now. Setting Level 1 changes the semantics of the paragraph item which is entered into the TOC where it shouldn’t normally.

If you consider the problem fixed (without real solution), please close your question with reason “outdated or no longer relevant”.

AtitlanWebDesign · October 26, 2020, 1:39pm

I changed the outline level back to Text Body and saved the file. When I opened it again, Restart Numbering was unchecked. I haven’t tested changing the outline level to anything else, but these list items are not showing up in the TOC.

This seems like a bug to me.

ajlittoz · October 26, 2020, 2:09pm

Can you make a sample set (one master and one short subdoc) still exhibiting the issue? I’d like to have a look at it. Attach the set to your question (it isn’t possible to attach to a comment).

AtitlanWebDesign · October 28, 2020, 3:40pm

I created a sample, but I don’t have the option to attach. From what I read, you need 3 karma points to upload, and I’m new so I only have one.

ajlittoz · October 28, 2020, 4:36pm

I think the AskLO config has been modified to allow attachment even for newcomers (without the doc being updated). Edit your question and try to attach. Report if this fails, I’ll then upvote your question to grant you 10 karma points.