Creating Lists With Sub Lists Question

[Guest]

I am a new user. When I create a numbered list and one of the items has a lettered sub list, the continuing numbered list takes account of the lettered items and starts numbering from there, not from the previous number. How do I get around this? Also, I want the lettered list to start at a), the pic shows how I have the style set up for this. I am having trouble forcing it to do this unless I use a=1 which is what I suspect is the part of the problem in the first part of my question. Thanks.

[FieryPantone]

Quick answer: you need to work with separate counters/styles for the two levels, so that

• each time you enter a numbered item, the start value for lettered items is reset
• each time you enter a lettered item, the current value for numbered items is left as it is

I use :ol, for ordered list* and :ol_2, for level 2 ordered list. The two styles use the same series label – in the example, L: – to keep the two numbering formats in synch.

the style for a numbered item defines the numbering format as L:<n+>< =0>

the style for a numbered item defines the numbering format as L:< ><a+>

We can confidently expect that someone else will have a more detailed answer for you, but I hope this'll get you pointed in the right direction.

* that's colon, o, l – in case the forum software enthusiastically converts text to unwanted emoticon

[Lynne A. Price]

Patricia,

  I guess I am the someone else that FieryPantone confidentally expected!

  FM has two methods of creating different counters (for example, one for main lists and one for sublists).

  First, FM allows multiple numbering series. There is a default series, which you are using with your current "<a>)\t" autonumber. Other series are indicated by a single character followed by a colon at the beginning of the autonumber. For example, FieryPantone uses the L: series. you could use one series for the main list and another for the sublists, using something like M:<n+>.\t for the main list and S:<a+>\t for the sublist. FieryPantone's suggestion is better and I explain why below.

  Second, there can be multiple counters in each series. The basic form for displaying a counter is <f> where f indicates the format in which the current counter value is displayed (n for an Arabic numeral, a for a lowercase letter, and so on).  The format can be followed by + to add one to the current value before displaying it or by an equal sign followed by a number to reset the counter to that value. Thus <n=1> sets the counter to 1 and displays it as an Arabic numeral, <a=26> sets the counter to 26 and displays the letter z. A special format is a space, which tells FM to preserve the counter value but not display it. And any counter that is not mentioned is reset to 0.

  FieryPantone's suggestion for the main item was to use L:<n+>< =0>, which means to add one to the first counter in the L: series and display the value as an Arabic numeral and to reset the second counter in the L: series to 0 without displaying it. This autonumber is equivalent to L:<n+> because if the second counter is not mentioned, it is reset to 0.

  The suggestion for the subitem was to use L:< ><a+> which means to preserve the first counter without displaying it and to add one to the second counter and display it as a letter.

  Now that I've explained the use of different series as well as the use of multiple counters in one series, I hope it is clear that multiple counters in one series is a better approach than different series in this particular case. If you use different series (such as the M: and S: I mentioned above) then the first item in each sublist will need to use <a=1> while other items in a sublist will use <a+>. Different series are useful for unrelated numbers. If tables and figures are numbered throughout an entire document for example, you might use one series for lists, one for tables, and one for figures.

--Lynne

[FieryPantone]

Absolutely! Lynne's reply is an explanation, while mine is just a hint ;-}