20 Add a Numbered List

OpenOffice.org supports the use of numbered lists, indented lists with numbered items, in much the same way it supports bulleted lists (see 19 Add a Bulleted List) . Writer handles not only the formatting of your numbered list but also the renumbering if needed. Therefore, if you add items anywhere within or after a numbered list, Writer updates the numbers to reflect the new items. If you delete an item from a numbered list, Writer renumbers the remaining items so the numbers work properly.

Before You Begin

13 Apply Paragraph Formatting

19 Add a Bulleted List

See Also

21 Create a Table of Contents

As with bullets, OpenOffice.org supports 10 levels of numbered lists. Therefore, as you might do in an outline, you can indent portions of a numbered list to create sublists.

TIP

You can use a closing parenthesis after the number instead of a period when typing the first item in a numbered list. Therefore, you can type 1 ) or i ) or I ) to start a numbered list.

To start a numbered list, you only need to type 1. , i. , or I . to signal to Writer that you're typing the first item in a numbered list.

After you type the first line in the numbered list and press Enter , Writer recognizes the start of the numbered list, continues the numbering using the same format you used in the first item, and automatically indents the next line and adds its number so you can quickly continue the list.

TIP

Writer supports several numbering styles, including letters ; a "numbered list" might begin with A), B), C) .

1. Type the First Item
   
   When you want to begin a numbered list, simply type a number followed by a period or closing parenthesis, such as 1. or 1 ) , followed by a space and then the first line of your list. Do this on a new line.
   
   Writer recognizes that you've begun a numbered list when you press Enter .
   
   
2. Continue the List
   
   You won't have to continue typing the number once Writer recognizes that you're creating a numbered list. Writer puts the second number at the start of your next line so you can continue typing. You only need to worry about your list items, and Writer takes care of the numbers and the indention.
   
   

   NOTE

   

   Typically, a sublist should have more than one item. Writer supports up to ten levels of numbered lists, but three or four levels deep is often as far as you'll need to go.

3. Indent the List
   
   When you want to create a sublist of numbered items, press Tab after the number. Writer indents the item and starts the numbering once again from 1. Keep typing the list, and Writer keeps indenting and creating the sublist.
   
   When you want to return to the original indention to continue your primary list items, press Shift+Tab to move back to the left column and continue the numbering of the original list.
   
   
4. End the List
   
   To end your list, after the final item press Enter twice. The first Enter keypress tells Writer that you don't want to indent anymore. The second Enter keypress moves the cursor to the next line, adding a blank line between the list's final item and your next regular line of text.
   
   
5. Add New Items
   
   The true power of Writer's numbered lists is Writer's capability to renumber the entire list when you add or remove list items. To insert new items, put your text cursor at the end of any item and press Enter . Writer inserts a new line with the next number and renumbers all subsequent items accordingly . You may keep inserting new items, and Writer handles all the renumbering for you.
   
   

   TIP

   

   If you only want to change some of a list's number style, such as an indented sublist, select only that portion of the list before opening the Numbering/Bullets dialog box.

   If you delete a line, Writer renumbers the list to close the gap between the numbered items where you deleted the line.
   
   
6. Change the Number Format
   
   You don't have to settle for the default number that Writer initially uses. Highlight your numbered list if you want to change the kind of number used in the list.
   
   Select Numbering/Bullets from the Format menu to show the Numbering/Bullets dialog box. Click the Numbering type tab.
   
   
7. Select a New Format
   
   Click any of the number formats to select a new number type. When you click OK , Writer converts your numbered list so that the new number format appears in your document.