PDF, Word, ebook, webhelp Chapter and Section Numbering

[Ryan Williams]

OK, I'm new to H&M 7. I'm trying to create a H&M 7 project from a printed source to publish to PDF, Word (so that H&M7 is the only source file), ebook, and webhelp formats. I'm not sure how to handle the chapter numbering for each format. Are they all handled a different way?

The printed manual looks like the following:

Introduction (topic)
Foreword (topic)
Acknowledgements (topic)
General Requirements (topic)
1.0 Applicable Documents and References (topic)
1.1 ... (contents of topic 1.0)
1.2 ... (contents of topic 1.0)
2.0 Terminology (topic)
3.0 ... (topic)
Another Parent Level not numbered (topic)
4.0 ... (topic)
4.1 ... (contents of topic 4.0)
4.2 ... (contents of topic 4.0)
5.0
etc ...
etc ...
etc ...
Appendices

I don't want chapter numbering for the top level, I need to start chapter number at the second level. I also need the numbering to continue in sequence through other top level topics. Is this possible across all the formats?

Thanks,
Ryan

[Tim Green]

Hi Ryan and welcome to the forum.

I'm not quite sure if you are using "top level" in the same way as the HM documentation here, because your example shows most of your top-level topics with numbers. Only the first ones don't have numbering. However, this may be misleading because the forum editor won't let you indent paragraphs. Here is your list again formatted with the Code button, that does allow this. This is what your structure looks like to me:

Code: Select all

Introduction (topic)
Foreword (topic)
Acknowledgements (topic)
General Requirements (topic)
1.0 Applicable Documents and References (chapter)
     1.1 ... (contents of topic 1.0)
     1.2 ... (contents of topic 1.0)
2.0 Terminology (topic)
3.0 ... (topic)
Another Parent Level not numbered (topic)
4.0 ... (topic)
     4.1 ... (contents of topic 4.0)
     4.2 ... (contents of topic 4.0)
5.0 

This won't work the way you want, however. In PDF and DOCX you can turn numbering off for a level, but NOT for just individual topics on a level. You either switch it on for the entire level or switch it off for the entire level. There is nothing in between.

[Ryan Williams]

Tim,

The formatting I put in did get messed up. Let me try again using the code button.

Code: Select all

Top Level Topic
     1.0 Second Level (Start Numbering at this level)
          1.1 First Outline Number in editor area of 2nd level topic
                1.1.1 Second Level Outline Number
                1.1.2 Second Level Outline Number
          1.2 First Outline Number in editor area of 2nd level topic
                1.2.1 Second Level Outline Number
     2.0 Second Level Topic
Top Level Topic
     3.0 Second Level Topic
          3.1 Outline Number in editor area of 2nd level topic
                3.1.1 Second Level Outline Number
          3.2 Outline number in editor area of 2nd level topic
                3.2.1 Second Level Outline Number
          3.3 Outline number in editor area of 2nd level topic
     4.0 Second Level Topic
Top Level Topic

1. How do you turn off numbering at the top level for all formats or the formats that support it?
2. Is there a way to mimic this in the WebHelp (responsive template) and eBook formats?

I can send you an example of the printed copy I need to replicate, but it isn't ready for the public. Is there a way for me to send you a PDF copy offline (I know, I know, there is already a PDF, but it was created before we found H&M)? The digital copy needs to look as close to the printed copy as possible since there are specific references to different NUMBERED sections in the document.

Thanks,
Ryan

[Tim Green]

Hi Ryan,

1. How do you turn off numbering at the top level for all formats or the formats that support it?

In PDF you edit your template in Manual Designer and remove the numbering variables completely from the first-level items in the Topics and Table of Contents sections. Then you edit the lower-level items and remove the variables for the top-level references in their numbering. For example, a level 2 entry for topic header numbering that includes the level 1 reference looks like this:

Code: Select all

<%NUMBERING1%>.<%NUMBERING2%>

The first variable enteres the Level 1 number, the second the Level 2 number, with a dot in between. To eliminate the level 1 number you just replace it with:

Code: Select all

<%NUMBERING2%>

The entry for Level 3 would then look like this:

Code: Select all

<%NUMBERING2%>.<%NUMBERING3%>

And so on...

In the Word DOCX templates you edit the template in Word directly. There all the numbering is generated by the chapter headings on the Topics page, because Word generates the TOC from those headings as well. The numbering there is generated by a continuing across all the chapter entries. What you need to do there is to eliminate the list entry for the top level item and restart the list on the second level with 1. -- so level 2 gets the 1. entry, level 3 gets the 1.1 entry, level 4 the 1.1.1 entry and so on.

2. Is there a way to mimic this in the WebHelp (responsive template) and eBook formats?

No, that's not possible. WebHelp can apply automatic numbering in the TOC only. You can format it with a format string in the skin, in Configuration > Publishing Options > WebHelp > Navigation. However, the numbering there is always applied to all levels. You can either switch it on for everything or off for everything -- it's a binary on/off switch. Automatic numbering in headings in eBooks is not currently supported.

[Sa Williams]

I realise this is an old thread but I am trying to create a PDF with a similar structure, ie

Part 1
- 1.0 Section One
- 2.0 Section Two
Part 2
- 3.0 Section Three
- 4.0 Section Four

Where the "Parts" contain the "Sections" but all sections are numbered continuously.

I have managed the structure where the sections restart in each new part by simply hiding the level 1 numbering, but this isn't really want I want.

Any advice?

[Tim Green]

Hi Sa,

Where the "Parts" contain the "Sections" but all sections are numbered continuously.

Help & Manual 7 includes exactly this kind of parts numbering. See Page Management > Page Numbering in the Manual Designer help file for details. See the section on parts numbering in that topic. (Open Manual Designer, then press F1 to display the help there). You will also find information on this in Designing a Template > Table of Contents.

[Ryan Williams]

Open the PDF template, select Table of Contents page, Click the Pages menu option, Page Options... then see if "Continuous numbering on 2nd level chapters" is selected.