Freezing paragraph numbers in a table (Word 2000)

[JUDY.C.BROWN]

I am using automatic numbering for paragraphs in a column in a table. I will want to sort the order of the table rows by reference to another column without changing the actual number originally automatically assigned to the paragraph numbering the original column.
For example if I have a table first column first row has paragraphs 1 and 2 in it, the second row paragraphs are automatically 3 and 4 and possibly 5, and the third row 6,7, and 8. The second column first row is C, the second row A and the third row B. When I sort on the second column I want the first row first column to be numbered 3,4, and 5 and the second column A, the second row to be 6,7, and 8 / B and the third 1 and 2 / C.
Can I do this easily?

[HansV]

The whole idea of automatic paragraph numbering is that it will stay correct when you reorder paragraphs. I don't think that what you want can be done easily. It would be possible to write a VBA macro to convert the automatic numbering to manual numbering, and then sort, but it would be a lot of work (for me anyway <img src=/S/grin.gif border=0 alt=grin width=15 height=15>).

How about copying the table to Excel, inserting a column and filling it with a series of numbers (Edit/Fill/Series...), then sort it on the column with C/A/B, and then copying the table back to Word?

[Andrew Lockton]

You will need macros to freeze the numbers (unless you are numbering with seq fields). The following code should do the job. I have included the code that removes the hard coded numbers so that automatic numbers can be reinstated easily as well.

This code is pretty handy when intending to send Word files to another application that needs the numbers hard coded.
<pre>Sub NumberingAutoToHardcoded()
'Andrew Lockton - Chrysalis Design
'converts autonumbers to hard coded
Dim iResp As Integer
iResp = MsgBox("This macro converts automatic list numbers to hard coded." _
& vbCr & "Click Yes to convert the entire document." & vbCr & _
"Click No to convert only the selected paragraphs." & vbCr & _
"Click Cancel to stop the macro.", _
vbYesNoCancel, "Delete Hard Numbers")
If iResp = vbYes Then
ActiveDocument.ConvertNumbersToText (wdNumberAllNumbers)
ElseIf iResp = vbNo Then
Selection.Range.ListFormat.ConvertNumbersToText (wdNumberAllNumbers)
End If
End Sub
'================================================= ===
Sub NumberingDeleteHardcoded()
'Andrew Lockton - Chrysalis Design
'Only acts on selected paragraphs
Dim iResp As Integer
iResp = MsgBox("This macro will remove all hardcoded paragraph numbers " _
& vbCr & "from the SELECTED paragraphs. Click OK to continue.", _
vbOKCancel, "Delete Hard Numbers")
If iResp = vbOK Then
WordBasic.ToolsBulletsNumbers Replace:=0, Type:=1, Remove:=1
End If
End Sub</pre>

[StuartR]

Andrew,

What I really like about this lounge is that every time I look in I learn something new.

Thank you

StuartR

[Phil Rabichow]

Another way to do it, although you may lose formatting, is to save it as a Word 2 document. Then reopen it in a later version. The numbers will then become editable.