Outline (Multi Level) Numbering

[Guest]

Is there an equivalent to Word's Outline number feature in bullets and numbering? I quite often have the need to have lists that look like the following:

1. Some instruction.
2. Another instruction.
3. A question
* if you answered yes to the question, do something
* if you answered no, do something else
4. Another instruction

or

1. Some text
2. More text
a) sub text for item 2
b) another sub text for item 2
3. More text

Sometimes I'll need up to three levels of numbering. If I switch to bullets or a new numbering scheme in the middle of my list, the next item in the list ends up numbered incorrectly or not at all.

Thanks,
Anita

[MergeThis · Accepted solution]

Best practice for RH lists like these is to pretty much follow a similar process as in Word: number the entire outer list, and then work your way into the inner levels. The real difference is that you don't have Word's multiple options presented to you as templates. Instead, you need to step through part of the process.

1. Create all the paragraphs that will constitute the list as Normal text (or remove all numbering from an existing list).
2. Select all paragraphs and click the Create a Numbered List toolbar button.
3. For sub-numbers, select "sublist" paragraphs and click the Increase Indent toolbar button. (You can then change the "sub" formats [a,b,c, i,ii,iii, etc.] through the Style menu.)
4. For sub-bullets, perform step 3 and then, with the "sublist" paragraphs still selected, click the Create a Bulleted List toolbar button.

This seems to be the only way to fool RH into not ending the numbered list when it sees a sublist, then starting a new list when resuming the outer list.

The bothersome part is when you have to modify the list, because RH will try to "help" you by adding closing and opening tags as you add or delete content. Your choices are to either clean up the underlying code, or remove all numbering, make your changes, and perform steps 2-4 again.


Good luck,
Leon

[Guest]

Thanks. This seems to work. Now I just have to train myself not to play with the formatting/indents until I have all the items for the list in place.

[gdavism2m]

Leon,
In RH6, considering numbered lists, what if I have numbered list then a note paragraph and then want to continue with the next numbered step? I have styles defined for my note text.

For example:
1. step 1
Note: Note text
2. step 2

[MergeThis]

AFAIK in RH6 & RH7, RH still very helpfully (it thinks) closes the current list before that interruption, then resumes it afterward. There's nothing for it but to manually fix that in the code.

From your example, remove everything in bold:
<li>step 1</li>
</ol>
<ul><li><p class=whatever>Note: Note text</p> </li></ul>
<ol>
<li>step 2</li>
etc.


Good luck,
Leon

[ginafromtampa]

I'm having the same problem with RoboHelp 7: I wanted to use outlined numbered lists (such as 1.1.1) but you can't. However, RoboHelp 8 does. See the article on List Styles ("Advanced lists Creates a hierarchical or outline list, such as numbered heading styles, with numbering such as 1, 1.1, 1.1.1, and so on..."

Click the link below:

List Styles