Path: utzoo!censor!geac!torsqnt!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!munnari.oz.au!jacek
From: jacek@munnari.oz.au (Jacek Gibert)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.apps
Subject: Dangers of the renumbering command in MS Word
Keywords: MS Word
Message-ID: <6179@munnari.oz.au>
Date: 4 Dec 90 22:30:30 GMT
Sender: news@cs.mu.oz.au
Lines: 18

This is to warn all users of this package about a flaw in the paragraph
renumbering command (the Utilities menu).  The renumbering command
places a sequential numbering format at the start of each paragraph, where the
paragraph commences with a particular pattern of characters or numbers.
The problem seems to be that Word's paragraph renumbering procedure
looks for a pattern of characters in a way which is too general, with the result
that the start of a paragraph may be replaced by sequential numbers when this
is not desired.  For example, the starting text of a paragraph commencing
with (x-1) will be replaced by a sequential number under the renumbering
command.  Other examples are as follows -

1(y*5))		This paragraph started with "(x+(y*5))" before renumbering.
2 (one) dollar	This paragraph started with "1 (one) dollar" before renumbering.
3 sale		This paragraph started with "4 sale" before renumbering.

Paragraph numbering should be part of a paragraph style, as is done for example
in FrameMaker, rather than defined by a series of characters in some pattern at
the start of the paragraph (MICROSOFT DEVELOPERS SHOULD TAKE NOTE!).