Table autonumbering - without using $Chapnum

[framemaker_user]

Is there a way to autonumber a set of tables to look like Table 1-1, Table 2-2 (etc) without using $chapnum variable? Currently using an <n+> series for Headings (1, 2 etc) and just need to mirror this without using $Chapnum. Heading 1 is set as H:<n+>\   , Heading 2 is set as H:<n>.<n+>\   and so forth. The table autonumbering needs to mirror this. Have only seen set ups for $chapnum variable, but can't use chapnum for this instance. Thx.

[framemaker_user]

Using FM 2015 in case it matters.

[Matt S - Tech Comm Tools]

Yes, you can still use the Fm5.0-style numbering.

Basically, you can use one or the other (the <$chapnum> style) but not both.

It looks like you need to either adjust your <n+> blocks to <$chapnum> or vice versa.

-Matt

[Lynne A. Price]

Hi, User, I'm just guessing, but is the problem that you want to number Tables consecutively throughout a Chapter, regardless of the section that contains them? In particular, when you start a new section (Heading 2), you want to restart the counter for subsections (Heading 3), but not the counter for tables?

FM autonumbers can contain any number of counters in each sequence. Any counter not mentioned in an autonumber is reset to 0. Suppose you have a maximum of five heading levels. You can maintain multi-part heading levels in one sequence as you have suggested, with autonumbers such as:

H:<n+>, which adds one to the first counter and displays it as an Arabic numeral and resets all following counters to 0

H:<n>.<n+>, which displays the current value of the first counter as an Arabic numeral, adds one to the second counter, and displays it as an Arabic numeral

H:<n>.<n>.<n+>, which displays the current value of the first counter, a period, the current value of the second counter, another period, and then adds one to the third counter

The letter n inserts an Arabic numeral, the letter a inserts a lowercase letter, an r inserts a Roman numeral, and so forth. One symbol that can be used in these building blocks is a space, which lets you reset or preserve a counter without displaying anything.

Suppose you have a maximum of 5 heading levels. You can use the first 5 counters for headings at different levels. But then you can use the 6th counter for tables and, if relevant, the 7th counter for figures. And you can define dependencies among the first 5 but leave the last two pretty much independent. In particular, your autonumbers can be:

Heading 1 - H:<n+>

Heading 2 - H:<n>.<n+>< =0>< =0>< =0>< >< >

Heading 3 - H:<n>.<n>.<n+>< =0>< =0>< >< >

Heading 4 - H:<n>.<n>.<n>.<n+>< =0>< >< >

Heading 5 - H:<n>.<n>.<n>.<n><n+>< >< >

Table        - H:<n>< >< >< >< >-<n+>< >

Figure       - H:<n>< >< >< >< >-< >< n+>

Here, Heading 1 uses the first counter and resets all the others. The other Headings display the numbers of all containing sections, reset the numbers for contained sections, and preserve the counters for tables and figures. The table and figure autonumbers display the counter for the first level heading, preserving the counters for other headings without displaything them, and display either the table or the figure number, preserving the other one.

Hope this makes sense,

    --Lynne

[framemaker_user]

Thanks Lynne - thank you so much for the detailed response. This is extremely helpful.

I think its the opposite of what you're saying - if I understand your post correctly.

Heading 1 is set to: H:<n+>\ 

Heading 2 is set to H:<n>.<n+>\ 

Table Title is set to T:Table <n>-<n+>: 

This works perfectly for Heading 1 and Heading 2, 3 etc for the first round (1 Chapter Title, 1.1 Heading 2, etc)

But when I get to the second round of Heading 1's (2 Chapter Title, 2.1 Heading 2 etc) it makes it Table 1-5, Table 1-6. I think I have to use T:Table <n+>-<n+>:  bit when I set it to that I get Table 2-5 instead of 2-1.

Not certain the proper way to sequence this -  all the examples and videos I've seen seem to use $chapnum, which works fine, but unavailable for this instance.

Thanks.

[Lynne A. Price · Accepted solution]

If you want to use the chapter number at the beginning of both chapter titles and table titles, you'll either have to use <$chapnum> (or one of the parallel building blocks such as <$sectionum>) or the same sequence in your chapter/section autonumbers and your table autonumbers.

You are currently using H: for chapters and T: for tables. H: works fine for chapters and sections. But your table numbers are not related to the chapter number and you want them to be. As you've noted, if you use T:<n>-<n+>, the first number never changes and the second one never restarts. And if you use T:<n+>-<n+>, both numbers change with every table.

You can get the behavior you want as I described yesterday by using the H: sequence for both sections and tables. Just make sure you have one building block (<n>, <n+>, or < >) for every counter whether for a section or a table) in every autonumber except the one for Chapter. Chapter autonumbers need only the first counter and will therefore result those for sections and tables.

           --Lynne

[framemaker_user]

Excellent - got it. Thank you very much for clarification.

[framemaker_user]

Followup to this question. For some reason, when I use the same series for both Head 1, Head 2 and Table Titles, the sequence looks like this:

1 Chapter Title (Head 1)                                 H:<n+>\

    1.1 More Discussion (Head 2)                    H:<n>.<n+>\  

     Table 1-2 Name of Table                         H:Table <n>-<n+>:  

     1.3 More Discussion (Head 2)                  H:<n>.<n+>\     

2 Chapter Title (Head 1)                                 H:<n+>\

2.1 More Discussion (Head 2)                    H:<n>.<n+>\  

Table 2-2 Name of Table                              H:Table <n>-<n+>

In other words, it looks like its following the sequence but not in the right way. The tables are not sequencing independently once I added them to same sequence.

What am I missing here, not certain?

[Lynne A. Price]

Look at it this way. Every FM autonumber is a multi-part number, which allows display numbers like 1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.10. Each part can be incremented without changing the values of the other parts and you can display each part in various ways (for example as a number or a letter). You need to decide which part you are going to use for what purpose. You are currently using the first part of the H: sequence for chapter numbers and the second part for both section numbers and table numbers. Thus, the section and table numbers are scrambled.

Instead, you can use part 1 for chapters, part 2 for sections, and part 3 for tables. To make it work, you need to understand:

1) How to display part 2 without part 3

2) How to display part 3 without part 2

3) When FM resets the parts

4) How to prevent FM from resetting parts of a number when you want to preserve the values

Your example uses two building blocks: <n> and <n+>. The first one displays the current value of a part number without changing it. The second building block adds one to the value of a part number and displays the result. You will need to use one other building block: < > (that's a space enclosed in angle brackets). < > preserves the value of one of the part numbers but doesn't display it. So to answer my questions 1) and 2), you might try:

H:<n+> for chapters (which is what you are doing now)

H:<n>.<n+> for sections (which is what you are doing now, but needs to be changed)

H:Table <n>-< ><n+> for tables (which adds a placeholder for the second part in the autonumber so that the last building block refers to part 3)

One problem with these variations is that FM resets all parts that are not mentioned in an autonumber. Answering my question 3, FM resets every part of a number that is not mentioned. Thus,

H:<n+> is fine for chapters; it increments and displays the chapter number and resets the section and table counts to 0. You can make it explicit that you are using three parts with H:<n+>< =0>< =0>, which increments and displays the chapter number and explicitly says to reset the section and table counts.

H:<n>.<n+> displays the current chapter number without changing it and increments and displays the section number. However, it resets the table number. If you want to number tables throughout the entire chapter, you need to change the section autonumber to preserve the table number to H:<n>.<n+>< >. This variation preserves the third part of the number without displaying it.

H:Table <n>-< ><n+> works for tables.

If you have subsections (Head 3), switch tables to part 4 and make sure your autonumbers refer to

Head 1 would use H:<n+>

Head 2 would use H:<n>.<n+>< =0>< > which displays the chapter number, increments and displays the section number, resets the subsection number, and preserves the table number without displaying it

Head 3 would use H:<n>.<n>.<n+>< >

Table would use H:Table<n>-< >< ><n+>

Additional levels of sections and subsections can be handled analogously.

[framemaker_user]

Thanks Lynne!