How do you get numbered lists to restart after a break?

[Thomas_Calvin]

I've never seen this behavior in software before: Numbered lists in InDesign just continue incrementing their numbers, even when the list has been interrupted by some other kind of paragraph (which, in the vast majority of cases, means you are now in a new list).

So... are we seriously doomed to the tedium of fixing the numbering on every first item of every list manually? And then, if we later want to add an item to the top of the list, we must not only set that entry to start at 1, but also go to the now-second entry and fix it so it isn't also #1?

[Thomas_Calvin]

Of course, that's up to you! I think I see what's going on; so as far as I'm concerned, it's resolved.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Because Basic Indent inherits from Basic Paragraph, which is a level-1 style. It does not override any of its parent's numbering settings, since its own numbering is off.

By @Thomas_Calvin

One more thing - you are not required to have styles BasedOn the same parent at any point - the only things that are important are LEVEL and LIST:

[Thomas_Calvin]

Thanks. I did note in my earlier comment that the grandparent relationship is most likely irrelevant; it just happens to be useful in my hierarchy.

[Willi Adelberger]

You can use a second list style, based on the other one, with a list starting number 1 with the same list name used. 

[Eugene Tyson]

I get it - it frustrates me too - no idea who thought you want a list numbering to continue from section to section - it should be optional and easier to setup.

I have a little cheat for this that I use regularly 

You can use any text style that interupts your lists - headings - or any other style. 

To get this I used the Body Style as a numbering but set it up like this

In the Number section delete all the entries and leave it blank

Then change to Start at 0

Then for the list style

Set your numbering as the way you want it in the Number Section

Then Continue from Previous Number 1

Note the List type is Default in Both - so no need to setup different lists.

You can test it out with the sample file attached

It may not suit all workflows, it's technically making the body text bullets and numbering which might translate to other software - epubs - or html etc. 

But it's a quick hack if for print or on screen. 

^^^****EDIT^^^^****
Forgot to mention 
I typically create the Body Text first

Then I use the Based On for all other styles

So making a Header style - I select Body Text - then click the + sign to create a new Paragraph Style (which then sets it as Based On)

Once you make the Body Text the numbering style of blank and Start at 0 

All other styles will be based on this - Headings Sub Headings (which are based on Headings which are based on Body Text) ---- all get the numbering style.

It's only when you make the List Paragraph style that you want to 'break' the link to the Body Text numbering - and then you need to also set the Format to None - forgot to mention

This way - Header and other styles get the same treatment of Numbering - so you don't have to setup for every style

When you make your List style

Make sure to set Start at to 1

Then change to continue from previous - because the field is not editable in that state 

[Thomas_Calvin]

In my admittedly quick skim of that, I think it's the same solution Barb linked to. Thanks a lot for the effort there!

You did add an additional valuable point, which is to set this on the base style of your collection. Mine are indeed all derived from a common style, so that should work well!

Edit: Actually, this doesn't seem to work. I have a style called Heading, which inherits from Basic Paragraph. I have Basic Paragraph set up as documented here, but numbers don't restart after Heading.

Update: See above. I found that a grandchild of a numbering-level-1 style, which is set at numbering level 2 and resetting after any other level, will not in fact reset if its immediate parent style (between it and the grandparent) has numbering turned off.

[Eugene Tyson]

Well it does work - it's just someting in your setup doesn't work. And if there's a rich connection between Grandparents Parents Child and Grandchild and Great Grand Child (for example) - then it might be a bit of entanglement there. 

When the situation is complex, the solution is best kept simple. 

Right click on the text and restart numbering

Or define a new List to restrart the numbering. 

I get it though, there should be a Soft Toggle in the Paragraph Styles to either restart when numbering is separated or continue lists across stories etc. 

I guess it was implemented and left that way. 

[Thomas_Calvin]

My setup works; the feature simply won't allow numbering to pass through the style hierarchy if any ancestor has it turned off. I doubt this differs between systems.

[Eugene Tyson]

Was there a file shared? 
Would like to see it too - DM if you need it private.

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

Here are a couple of files showing various numbering methods. 

On the NumberedListExamples file, on page 9, I use an additional "reset" style to restart the numbering. 

In the Number=0Test file, I have a heading set to zero (0) to reset the numbering. 

BTW, I would never base any styles off of the Basic Paragraph style. 

[Thomas_Calvin]

We have defined the Basic Paragraph style as we like. What makes it different from any other?

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

I usually suggest ignoring that style. If styles are ever sync'd from another document, it could overwrite the defined style, causing a ripple effect throughout the document. 

I create my main body style with no based-on setting, then build other styles based on that. I do the same for my heading styles (I usually don't base the headings on the Body styles either). I also like to create unique table styles, that may or may not be based on body, depending on the formatting.

[Thomas_Calvin]

Thanks. I actually want that behavior though. My main purpose in putting files in a book (other than working around some section & variable limitations) is to sync master pages and styles across them all. They have all the same styles; as I refine the styles over time, I sync to percolate them throughout the whole book.

[Eugene Tyson]

https://creativepro.com/beware-basic-styles/

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

>>>no idea who thought you want a list numbering to continue from section to section...

This is not uncommon in long documentation. There may be a number of technical paragraphs between a number, so it was important to pick up the numbering where it left off. 

If you recall, most of InDesign's long-document features were copies from FrameMaker back in ID CS3, which has the same feature. 

There are two simple solutions to restart numbering, which @Barb Binder has discussed.