WD97: How to Use the ListNum Field in Word

This article describes how to use the ListNum field anywhere in a Word paragraph. ListNum fields can be incorporated into numbering from a simple or outline-numbered list.

Microsoft Word 97 for Windows provides a new field for numbering items in a paragraph or for using multiple numbers on the same line of text.

Syntax

The syntax of the ListNum field is where "Name" lets you associate ListNum with a specific multilevel list.

Switches: NOTE: There is no way to change the format of the number (or letter) inserted by the field directly. However you can use the CHARFORMAT switch to change the format. For more information about Charformat, click Contents And Index on the Help menu, click the Find tab in Word Help, type the following text: and then click the Display button. If you are unable to find the information you need, ask the Office Assistant.

There are three built-in list definitions: NumberDefault, OutlineDefault, and LegalDefault. Each of these lists has a format automatically applied to each level. The following table lists the default formats for each list type. If you don't specify a built-in list, Word 97 either links ListNum to the last list in the document or defaults to the NumberDefault list.

Changing the Value of the ListNum Result

To change the value of the ListNum result, you change the list level. There are two methods you can use to accomplish this.

Method 1: Use the Increase Indent Button:

After inserting the ListNum field, select the result and click the Increase Indent or Decrease Indent button to toggle through the list of choices. This will change the level specified by the \L switch, and will apply the appropriate format.

Method 2: Edit the ListNum Field:

After you insert the ListNum field, press ALT+F9 to display the field codes. Change the ListNum field to reflect the desired numbering style.

For example, if you want a number list to have the format of then each ListNum field in the list would resemble the following:

Inserting a ListNum Field

1. On the Insert menu, click Field.
2. In the Field dialog box, under Field Names, select ListNum. To add options (switches) to the ListNum field, click the Options button and use the "Add to Field" button to add the appropriate options to the ListNum field.

NOTE: A ListNum field that occurs within a paragraph, but not at the start of the paragraph, is assumed to be one level deeper than the number at the start of the paragraph.

For more information about the ListNum field, click Contents And Index on the Help menu, click the Index tab in Help Topics: Microsoft Word, type the following text and then double-click the selected text to go to the "LISTNUM field" topic. If you are unable to find the information you need, ask the Office Assistant.

For additional information about the ListNum field, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: