Word's numbering explained
Article contributed by John McGhie
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Numbering in Word is difficult to understand because Word attempts to hide
"complexity" from us. In many cases, it provides insufficient detail in the
explanation of features. Regrettably, a simplistic explanation does not help
understanding of a complex subject. It fills our heads with loose ends, which
makes the problem worse!
Let me warn you: this subject is a real brain-breaker. You can use Word very successfully and professionally without ever knowing or understanding this stuff. I wrote it for the real masochists among us who just have to know how it works.
Do not let me lead you into a headache under false pretences: this FAQ is not going to tell you how to fix a document that contains broken numbering. It simply explains how the numbering works: this is valuable information if you work with Word a lot, and by understanding it, you can often work out how to fix a document. However, this FAQ is not going to tell you how. (For a discussion of methods, see: List Restart Methods).