Outline numbering sequence (A...Z, AA, AB, AC, ...)

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GU - 12 Jan 2005 18:55 GMT

I hope you will all forgive what is certainly a totally clueless newbie
questions, but...

I am looking for a way to force Word to number from a through z and
then aa, ab, ac, etc. (instead of the default: a-z, aa, bb, cc, etc.).
I know that this topic has been discussed repeatedly, and I have seen a
number of responses indicating how fields might be used to implement a
workaround for the default Word numbering sequence, but I can't for the
life of me figure out how to use any of those solutions. Most of the
solutions, including Cindy Meister's ( at
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister/NbrFAQ.htm#XLTypeNr )
indicate that fields might somehow be used to do this. Unfortunately,
I am totally clueless about how to use this solution. I have tried
creating fields and pasting the formulae into them, but I consistently
get blank results. Can someone point me somewhere that might help me
learn how to use fields like this?
Thank you,

Jon (painfully clueless, but used to it by now)

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G.G.Yagoda - 14 Jan 2005 05:51 GMT

There's a simple way to do this if you don't mind restarting by hand
every 27th spin of the wheel.

{ SEQ A \*alphabetic }{ SEQ B \r 1 \*alphabetic } = aa
{ SEQ A \c \*alphabetic }{ SEQ B \*alphabetic ) = ab
{ SEQ A \c \*alphabetic }{ SEQ B \*alphabetic ) = ac

{ SEQ A \*alphabetic }{ SEQ B \r 1 \*alphabetic } = ba
{ SEQ A \c \*alphabetic }{ SEQ B \*alphabetic ) = bb
{ SEQ A \c \*alphabetic }{ SEQ B \*alphabetic ) = bc

The \c switch means continue the previous numbering. The \r 1 switch
means reset numbering at 1.

To create the fields it's easiest just to press Ctrl-F9 and type in the
contents between the brackets.

Drawback: with the SEQ field you must constantly update the fields.
An easy way to do that is to change the view to the print preview,
Alt-f-v, then press the Esc key.

About those formulas you've been pasting in: I saw an genius-level
formula a while back to do this very kind of numbering. It was
extremely impressive except that it didn't work.

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GU - 14 Jan 2005 17:01 GMT

Thanks for the reply. I was able to get the output with your help, but
I'm wondering how this can be used to provide the numbering for an
outline. Is there any way to take the output from one of these fields
and use it in an outline? I would prefer to have this occur without
user intervention, of course, but right now, I'll take anything I can
get.

Thanks again,

Jon

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Greg - 18 Jan 2005 19:20 GMT

G.G. Yagoda,

Far from genious, the following field code does a fair job of
sequencing from a through ab through zz:

{QUOTE {SET ABC {IF {ABC} = "Error! Bookmark not defined.""1"{=
ABC + 1}}{SET ABC2 {IF {= MOD({ABC}, 26)} = 1 {= ABC2 +
1}{ABC2}{ABC2}}}{SET ABC1 { IF ABC1 < 26 { =ABC1 +1}"1"}}{IF {ABC}
< 27 "{ABC1 \* alphabetic}""{ABC2 \* alphabetic}{ABC1 \*
alphabetic}"}

The negative part is the process for updating after any additions or
deletions in the sequence. Because of the bookmarks, a b c will become
d e f if the fields are updated before the bookmarks are deleted.

Understanding the limited applications for this sequence, a determined
user could use this macro to update:

Sub UpdateSEQNumbers()

With ActiveDocument.Bookmarks
On Error Resume Next
.Item("ABC").Delete
.Item("ABC1").Delete
.Item("ABC2").Delete
End With
ActiveDocument.Fields.Update

End Sub

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