5 Replies Latest reply: Aug 29, 2009 10:37 AM by peter at knowhowpro RSS

    Automatic numbering (non-paragraph style)

    JWH-NIRC Community Member

      Some years ago I purchased InSequence from Virginia Systems to add automatic numbering not related to a paragraph style but anywhere in text. Although the interface is clumsy and was never updated, it was useful as the only workaround out  there. But they refused to provide free updates to a program already overpriced. Each time a new InDesign would come out, they made you fork out another $120 or so for an update. Now with InDesign 4, I have grown impatient with their greedy attitude to their longtime users. I cannot update to CS4 without the numbering (since I use it in many critical documents) but am at a loss what to do.

         So my question is this: Does anyone know of any other plug-in that will do this? I am a little surprised that Adobe never added this feature, but it is one I need. I'd appreciate any advice on this.

        • 1. Re: Automatic numbering (non-paragraph style)
          BobLevine CommunityMVP

          Greedy? Imagine a company wanting to be paid for developing new versions.

           

          Instead of insulting people why not just describe exactly what you want and perhaps someone can help you.

           

          Bob

          • 2. Re: Automatic numbering (non-paragraph style)
            JWH-NIRC Community Member

            I understand your reply, but if you had used the program and realized that there WAS NO development over the years, just minor tweaks (all of them completely invisible to the user) to make it compatible with every new version of InDesign, you would see the reason for the frustration. It is only reasonable to pay for what people have worked to improve. No argument there.

               In any case, the simplest way to describe what is needed is this: Imagine that you want to make an article that has, say 50 items in it, and the number of the items does not (and cannot) be associated with a paragraph tag. Kind of like footnote numbers, which can be inserted anywhere but which can be updated to keep in sequence as new numbers are added or moved. That is what is needed, and that is just what InSequence does.

                 I hope this makes sense now.

            • 3. Re: Automatic numbering (non-paragraph style)
              Michael Gianino Community Member

              What I don't understand about what you're looking for is that automatic numbering is only one of the paragraph attributes that go into a paragraph style. Why can't you take the text that already has every paragraph and charcter attribute you require, and add the automatic numbering paragraph attribute to it locally, and just not make a paragraph style out of it?

              • 4. Re: Automatic numbering (non-paragraph style)
                JWH-NIRC Community Member

                It would be nice if InDesign let you do that. But the paragraph attributes do not carry over when text is moved to a paragraph with different attributes--only the text attributes do. What is more, I may have 2 or 3 consecutive numbers in the same paragraph, so this solution does not seem workable.

                • 5. Re: Automatic numbering (non-paragraph style)
                  peter at knowhowpro Community Member

                  Have you considered cross-references?

                   

                  You can make a list of the items in a separate ID document, each item in a separate paragraph that has the numbered list property, then cross-reference to an item, using a cross-reference format that only captures the paragraph's number. If items in the list are reordered, or new items are added, the cross-references renumber accordingly.

                   

                  This is a good way to make endnotes.

                   

                  HTH

                   

                  Regards,

                   

                  Peter Gold

                  KnowHow ProServices