Attached is an excerpt from a template I'm working on. Through a careful combination of



-- reviewing various documents on managing lists
-- trial and error
-- blind luck

It's working pretty much the way i want...with one exception.

My issues are with the Level 3 bulleted list styles -- L3-1 and L3-2. The level 3 numbered styles are working fine.

The other list styles are working fine. If you put the cursor at the beginning of a line and <Tab> or use Increase Indent, the paragraph goes to the next bullet paragraph within that list--L2-1 to L2-2, for instance. Shift+<Tab> works as well.

I flat out can't figure out what's going on. It's probably simple, but I've been looking at this thing too long to spot it.

Suggestions?

Thanks
For the Level 3 list, not so much. Tabbing on the first instance of L3-1 does nothing; on the second, the bullets updates correctly, but the indent is shifted about 3 inches too far.

More or less the same problem as

Attached Files

Template troubleshooting.docx (21.7 KB, 8 views)

How to control bullets in Ribbon Versions of Word by Shauna Kelly

Yes, Kelly's doc is the main one I've been using.

And, you followed ALL of the steps?

I'm honestly not sure at this point. I reviewed this article as well as another on that you had posted recently.

If I have to blow it up and start over, fine, but on the off chance that it is a simple fix, I'd like someone to take a look at it, please.

I would guess that someone will look. For me, it would not be a simple fix. I would start over.

Shauna begins by admonishing us to "Begin with the end in mind".

What this means in my case is this:
When the dust settles, I will have a bulleted list style for H1 (H1 Bullets for example), a 2nd style for Heading 2, etc., though Heading 5.

I will link the list style to an existing set of bulleted paragraph styles (list bullet 1, list bullet 2, ... List bullet 5).

Here's where the directions are lacking. I'll have 5 list styles--H1 Bullets through H5 Bullets. Do I

1. Attach each list style to the same set of bulleted paragraph styles, or do I
2. Create a separate set of paragraph styles for each list style?

Given that indents can be specified in the list style, I would think that the answer is 1, but this is Word, so I thought I'd ask.

5 paragraph styles, not 5 list styles. The styles are attached to a single list.

Just out of curiosity, why five different list styles? I'm more used to stylesheets where every list just looks like a list, no matter what level of heading it's under.

That's what I'm trying to sort out. When you have list styles, paragraph styles, and paragraph list styles, things get confusing.

Each multilevel list format requires a list style and (up to) nine paragraph styles (one paragraph style per numbering level).

__________________
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

Microsoft 365 apps for business
Windows 11 Professional

OK, in this context, "multilevel list format" means a combination of a list style and paragraph styles used to apply a consistent set of bullet formatting to a specific Heading level, correct?

So, if I want 5 bullet levels per heading level:

For H1, I will need a List Style 1 and Bullet Styles 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, 1-4, 1-5
For H2, List Style 2, and Bullet Styles 2-1, 2-2, 2-3, 2-4, 2-5

repeat as necessary for additional heading levels.

thanks,
Jim

Attached Files

try, try again.docx (21.2 KB, 5 views)

And the answer to my own question is Yes.

So I'm well on my way to finalizing the styles for the template. Next steps are creating the templates, and preparing the presentation to introduce the new template to the team and to explain to them what styles are and why they ARE going to use them.

Thanks for the various bits of advice.

One final note about managing multiple list styles:

1. When you set up the list style, you have the option of linking a list level to a specific paragraph style.

2. Word only allows a paragraph style to be linked once across multiple list styles.

3. Here's the catch--If you're working in list style 2 and inadvertently link to a paragraph style that you already used in List style 1, Word does not display any kind of warning--it just resets that list level and the ones beneath it in List style 1 to No links.

"inadvertently link to a paragraph that you already used in List style 1..."
I think you mean:
"inadvertently link to a paragraph style that you already used in List style 1..."