Re: Numbering Sections for Flexibility

[Max Wyss <prodok -at- PRODOK -dot- CH>]

Paul and Margie,

It is possible to get around these problems, but you would have to decide
whether it appeals.

You can take the "parts-list approach". Very often, the part numbering in
parts lists is not consecutive, but in steps of 10 or 5. With that, you
have additional space for adding 4 or 9 items before you have to modify the
item numbering structure.

So, you could set up a "Document meta structure", a document structure
which would fill all your possible needs. When you create an actual
document, you would just fill in the parts you need.

However, you would get a rather strange numbering. A manual would for
example have the chapters 1, 2, 5, 12,13,22, etc. You would have to put
notes almost everywhere that the blanks have been intended.

Hope, this can help.


Max Wyss
PRODOK Engineering AG
Technical documentation and translations, Electronic Publishing
CH-8906 Bonstetten, Switzerland

Fax:  +41 1 700 20 37
e-mail:  mailto:prodok -at- prodok -dot- ch    or    100012 -dot- 44 -at- compuserve -dot- com



Bridging the Knowledge Gap



___________


>I need help from people who publish and update longer manuals:
>
>My unit writes policy and procedure manuals (approx. 200 pages
>total I'd say).  We published our most extensive and changing manual in
>January and it goes to 270 people.
>
>Now we're faced with adding a new section - ideally in between some
>of the other sections, but we've numbered them 1, 2, 3, etc.  This
>addition would throw the numbering off if we don't republish the
>entire manual.
>
>Does anyone know a way to number the sections so that you can make
>additions and deletions without screwing up the section numbers?
>